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Menu planning saves hours of time, energy, money, and headaches, but it’s easy to overcomplicate the process. And when that happens, it becomes a burden instead of a blessing. So why do it at all?
Photo by Eren San Pedro
My daily life can get crazy, as I’m sure it can for you. Cooking is one area that I can keep relatively under control, if I take a few basic steps to do it simply and thoughtfully. To make the job of nourishing my family enjoyable and cost-effective, I rely on menu planning.
What is menu planning?
All it really means is that you plan ahead of time what meals you’ll cook.
What are the benefits?
- You can extract a grocery list from your menu choices.
- Because you buy only what you need, less food is wasted.
- You know with plenty of notice what’s for dinner - no more frantic 5 p.m. crazyness.
- Cooking is more enjoyable, because odds are you’ll be more prepared.
- You’ll have more variety, because you’ve planned it.
- It’s healthier, because it cuts down on drive-thru runs.
- It’s cheaper, too, because you’re eating out less, you can menu plan around your coupons, and you can intentionally cook with seasonal ingredients.
How far in advance should I plan my menu?
It’s really up to you and your family. Different seasons call for different types of home management, so if your current season is more hectic than usual, perhaps a simple menu planned for an entire month is ideal. If you like variety or experimenting, then maybe planning just a week at a time works well.
I recommend menu planning at least a week at a time, and not going farther in advance than a month. This way, you’ve got enough menus planned to make it worth your while, yet not so scheduled that it becomes too big a chore.
What’s the perfect, ideal way to menu plan?
Well, I don’t know the perfect way - but I know how I’m doing it right now for my family of 3.5 (one of us is six months old). I plan two weeks at a time, and repeat those weeks at least once. This way, I’ve got around a month planned at minimum. We’re pretty easy-going eaters, and don’t mind repeating a meal every other week - after all, that’s only having it twice a month, more or less.
I use Google Calendar to plan my menus - it’s streamlined with my Gmail account, so I can have it email me my day’s menu and recipes each morning.
Here’s a basic rundown of how I use the internet to plan my menu:
1. A few days before a new month, I open up my Google Calendar. You can create different sub-calendars; I’ve got one labeled “Menu Plan.” I keep both this one and my “Events & Appointments” calendars open. This is so I know what events I need to plan around. I also set it to the monthly view.
2. In a separate tab, I open my del.icio.us cookbook (you can read more about how I created one.) From here, I select different tags based on what recipes I want to add to my menu. When I get to the right recipe, I click on the link, and copy the URL address.
3. Back in my Calendar, I click on a day, enter the name of the meal, set it on the Menu Plan, and go to “edit event details.” I paste the recipe URL in the description, in case I want to find it when I’m in my Calendar - this is helpful if I’m making several recipes for one meal.
4. Here’s an important part - under “Repeats,” I choose “Repeat every 2 weeks.” This will automatically plug in this recipe on this day, every other week, until I change it.
5. Under “Reminder,” I choose to have an e-mail reminder sent to my Gmail account three hours before dinner time is scheduled. This is because the bulk of my computer time is around 2-4 p.m., during my kids’ afternoon naps. I’m on the computer anyway - it’s a helpful reminder about the last half of my day, and what I need to do to get ready for dinner. If I’ve got a Crock Pot dinner planned, I have the email sent to me 12 hours prior, which is during my other computer time, before anyone else is up.
Because I repeat my recipes every two weeks, I only have to fill out two weeks of menus to have an entire month filled. At the end of the month, I can keep the recipes on the menu, or I can switch them out and repeat this process.
When a month is filled, I print out that calendar and put it in my Home Management Notebook. Sometimes I print an additional one and keep it near my grocery list in the kitchen.
Now, I don’t want it to sound like every single day I have an elaborate menu planned for each dinner. Far from it! We have some classic standbys that we make weekly - stir fry, homemade pizza, tacos, and spaghetti, to name a few. We keep variety alive with super-easy seasonal side dishes, like salad, sliced fruit, and basic steamed or roasted veggies.
I also only plan our dinners. Lunches are almost always leftovers, and if there aren’t any (there usually are), we do sandwiches, quesadillas, salads, or finger foods.
For breakfast, we rotate between oatmeal, cold cereal, scones or muffins with fruit, Dutch babies, pancakes, and granola.
I’ve got more to come - hacks on cooking from scratch, tips on selecting the right menus and recipes, and good online tools to do it all. But I’d love to hear from you - how do you plan your menus? Or do you? What are your stumbling blocks that make it challenging? What are tips you can share the rest of us?
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{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for showing how you incorporated your menu plan into your calendar. Love the details in that system. I know I probably would have come up with something similar eventually, but I like to make it easy and just copy your idea.
So I guess if you repeat the same menu plan every two weeks, then you basically have the same shopping list each time too, right?
Rachels last blog post..the Haircut
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@Rachel - Yes, more or less. I have a master grocery list I print out, and I check off things as we need them, and add new items along the way.
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I take the opposite approach. I go grocery shopping, from a list, and when I get home I plan all the meals I can make from the ingredients on hand. This system works for me for several reasons. First, I don’t feel tied down to a specific meal on a specific night. Because I always buy the same things, going to the grocery store is a snap- I breeze through. If I want to try a new meal, then I just add the ingredients to a list, and the list making is easy because I add things as I go along throughout the week.
I’ve also found this to help me go two weeks between shopping trips, which has saved me a lot of money and time in and of itself.
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I’d love to know what Kelly’s (above) shopping list looks like.
Kristen M.s last blog post..Summer Pictures
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@Kelly - If you’re up for it, maybe post your grocery list on your blog!
I’ve got my master list that I thought about posting sometime, too. If anyone else has one, I’d be up for seeing it.
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Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve starred something in my Google Reader…thanks for posting this, and the Google Calendar instructions. I’m totally going to try this out!
I think our stumbling block is I have a family of 2 2/3, and I’m stuck in the rut of cooking for 6. My DH is Middle Eastern, and their cooking thends to be more involved than good ol’ American meat and potatoes (meat as a main course is still foreign to him, even after living here for 13 years - great for frugality, but there’s really only so much rice a girl can eat!). So, to compensate for the more time-consuming fare, I tend to cook it in bulk. Some is freezer-friendly, but most is not.
I miss when cooking used to be fun! Hopefully this is the system I’ve been looking for….
Emilys last blog post..Riding the Fence, Again
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I meal plan but I love your system for meal planning. I never thought of duplicating one of my weeks meal plans for another week. My meal planning is kind of simple and plain. I write down meals for Monday-Friday, then I create my list. I try to stick with what I have coupons for. I add in snacks and a type of lunch item because there is always a day where there isn’t leftovers. Saturdays & Sundays are leftover days. I tend to over cook, so by the end of the week there is always a left over that can be eaten. If the lunch I planned wasn’t used, its used for left overs saturday or sunday.
I think I will have to use your idea. It sounds like it will make things much simpler for me.
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This is a great idea, and a great system for planning out meals. My wife and I try to plan at least one week in advance before doing our grocery shopping. A few times in the past we shopped biweekly and planned meals out two weeks in advance. Invariably, taste buds or circumstances changed and knocked out a couple meals in the second week, but staying away from the stores did help our grocery budget.
Frugal Dads last blog post..Becoming Debt Free: Identifying the Why
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I use the weekly Meal planner and grocery shopping list from Lobotome (www.lobotome.com) - they have helped me a lot. Meal planning has saved us money and helped us not waste food each week! your system sounds great, but probably a little too involved for me.
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O.k., that is super organized when it comes to food planning! I would love to get to that point and I do try and plan it out for about three days. Sometimes we do the meal on a whim for the weekend but during the week it definitly needs to be planned ahead. I think I get nored of the same recipes and how much can you do with chicken!
happyathomes last blog post..What we did on the Holiday weekend!
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Hmm, perhaps I’m making this sound more organized and complicated than I mean to. It’s really quite simple!
1. I plan a week’s worth of simple dinners. I enter it on my calendar so that it repeats two weeks later. 2. I plan another week of simple dinners. I enter it on my calendar so that it repeats two weeks later.
Walla - a month of dinners.
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I also use my feed ME meal planner. But first I take a look at what we have left in the fridge, in the freezer & in the pantry - then I take a glance through my recipe binder and see what we might all be in the mood for that week - then I create my meal plan and jot down what we need to pick up at the store on the right hand side of the feedME sheet. Then I check off all the items on the Check ME grocery shopping pad - as that is sorted by aisle - so I can get in & out of the grocery store in the least amt. of time with only what I need. While we keep some staples the same (quesidillas, fish on the grill, etc.) I try to mix it up some each week so we don’t get bored (and then aren’t tempted to eat out).
LobotoMEs last blog post..{ spend smart. live rich. }
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I just posted about this topic - or, how do I start, to be exact. Good timing! Your post is very informative, thank you!
Amys last blog post..Peek
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Your system is great - I love the idea of the email reminders. We’re getting ready to move and I would love to start menu planning once we get situated.
Off now to check your archives for any moving tips. Thanks.
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Great post!
I really love you blog… been looking for a while for the *perfect* blog like this.. and i’ve finally found it!
Now.. onto meal planning… I have 4 kids.. so meal planning is a *MUST* for me.. lol! I plan for 7-10 days at a time.. In these steps:
1. Check to see what’s in my freezer/panty
2. Plans meals from ‘what’s on hand’ first
(ie: if I have 3 lbs of hamburger and a whole chicken in my freezer, I may write down ‘meatloaf, roasted chicken, and spaghetti)
3. Check out sale flyers to see what’s on sale (meat)
4. Plan the rest of my meals based on sale items
5. Shop according to list
And there you have it.. I also let the kids each choose a meal a week when possible..
~Carla~s last blog post..2 Sketches 4 You & Happy Monday!
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I LOVE meal planning. I plan for a month. I have a standard shopping list for the things I know I will need every week (I also have one for the month). I then add to that throughout the week. I have it posted in the pantry so my husband can easily write down things as well. Along with the meal planning I also have a “theme” each night of the week that is consistent each week . Ex. Monday is mexican, Tuesday is italian, etc. Then I just switch up the meals. Mexican night usually rotates between tacos, fajitas and quesadillas.
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I usually read through the grocery ads to see what is on sale for the week, and I go through my freezer to see what I have on hand. Then I go through my cookbooks and recipes to see what I can make with what I have on hand or what is on sale. I make up a list of everything I do not have and go shopping. I usually don’t assign a certain meal to a certain day I just know that I have everything I need for these 5-7 meals this week. So, what would you like today? hehe. I only plan out my dinners as well. We almost always have leftovers and if we don’t we do sandwiches or soup/salad for lunch.
This is a great post (like every single post you ever do!) I really like the every two week idea. I think I am gonna have to give that a try! I also really appreciate the instructions of how to include meal planning in your Google Calendar!
Thank you!!!!
Melissas last blog post..Penny items at Staples!
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Another great post, I really enjoyed it. We are a menu planning family, too. It saves us so much money at the grocery store and it makes sure we actually have meals to eat since we only buy what we plan to eat instead of whatever looks good at the moment. I try to base our menus off of what is already in my pantry and what is on sale.
Jenns last blog post..Aisle Six
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Wow, you are smart. Where have these ideas been all my life — I mean, Google calandar? Brilliant. Thanks!
mollys last blog post..Bumbleberry Pie
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I love the google calendar idea. I just might have to try that since I use it already.
I think posting your grocery list would be a great idea. I have a different “list” for different stores based on my frequency shopping there and the setup of the store. I love lists.
I think I plan my list like some the others, by checking what I have then the sales, and going from there.
blogversarys last blog post..cake
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LOVE this post. I’m adding my week’s menus to my Google calendar now! Also, I see that you added your planned blog posts to the calendar too. Smart!
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I love the FeedMe planner from lobotome.com - meal planner and shopping list in one! I’m also getting ready to type up my ‘go to’ recipes in a short list for my fridge.
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I meal plan weekly - I have a master list in my home binder where I write down tried and tested meal ideas (i.e. roast chicken and avocado salad, chicken and veggie fried rice etc)…Then each week, before I do my online grocery shopping, I choose 5 meals for the week, and figure out what ingredients I need. I don’t assign the meals to a certain day, as I like the flexibility in choosing what I feel like eating.
p.s. I use fresh direct.com for groceries, which lets you save a huge list of favourites, and I start off by selecting items of essentials from that list (i.e. toilet paper, OJ, eggs, bread etc)…I don’t know what I would do without internet groceries - 2 toddlers and no car - its a life saver and worth it!
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Can I just say…thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I hate cooking! I actually despise being in kitchen. I love looking through recipes and I’m always inspired to try a new one, but when 5:00 rolls around I’m always unprepared. I’ve tried to create a menu plan one week at a time and I’ve only successfully done it once. I find it to be a lot of work. I LOVE your tips here! I can’t wait to get started! Thank you so much!
Heathers last blog post..Water Bouncing
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I shop a week at a time and usually make my list from the ads. Whatever is on sale most likely will be our dinner. I keep a list of what meals I have shopped for, (so that I don’t forget what we have.) Then, each night I look at the 7 meal list and decide what to make. I also have a blog where I keep the recipes of all the meals I make, this way if I’m having a hard time coming up with ideas, it’s all right there.
the petersonss last blog post..Strawberry/Yogurt Salad
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This is a great post! I know that when I’m not on top of our meals, everything else seems to fall apart. But I’ve let menu-planning slide, and our ’system’ has become pretty haphazard.
I would LOVE to see some actual grocery lists and complete 2-week menu plans! Also, how frequently do you shop with a two-week menu?
I find that the meals we keep coming back to are the ones that require the fewest ingredients. I do a roast chicken once a week, and then use leftovers for fried rice with chicken or chicken salad. And now we’re doing that great pizza recipe (from an earlier post) at least once a week! I’m curious about what everybody else relies on as their ‘favorites’…!
And one more thing - I have trouble with lunches. Charlie’s not big on sandwiches, and these days (with five of us eating) we don’t have as many leftovers. I often find myself cooking something new for lunch, which is not ideal! What are your easiest ‘finger foods’ and other simple lunch ideas?
Thanks so much for this post!
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I love everyone’s thoughts and contributions here!
@Sarah - Looks like you’ve given me another post idea. Look for it soon.
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Like Sarah Park, I’d also like to see a two week plan. For years, I’ve menu planned weekly and shopped weekly. I’ve been trying to make the transition to bi-weekly or every two weeks. I’m trying to save trips, gas, time, etc., etc., etc. I don’t think I’m achieving that yet. I find that we run out of stuff and I’m back at that store anyway. I guess I’m just not making a thorough check of what we need when I make my list? I’m just so stuck in the rut of doing it weekly…
Kats last blog post..Blueberry Muffins
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Holy cow! Thanks for the Google Calendar insight. I use gmail & iGoogle, but I had no idea they had a calendar! You’re the best.
joans last blog post..Some Music
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OK, I bite! I’m going to post a shopping list, plus what maels I have planned for the next week (having gone shopping last week), plus how I manage to only shop once every two weeks on my blog, Almost Frugal. Thanks for the great ideas and it will be up Wednesday, 12 noon in France.
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For a long while I was meal planning a week at a time. Though I never thoroughly enjoyed it, it wasn’t that big of a deal until my son came along. Now my time is much more limited, as well as my desire to do things like meal planning. I don’t mind the shopping, I don’t mind cooking, I like trying new things, etc. but I absolutely LOATHED sitting down with my cook books, the internet, etc. & carving out a meal plan each week.
Now that prices have jumped quite a bit, it’s forced me to do 2 things. I stretch out at least 1 meal, sometimes 2 meals for 2 nights. If it’s spaghetti, I make a little extra & instead of using it as leftovers for lunch, it’s just the same dinner the next night. (Bonus: I don’t have to cook the next night!).
The other thing I’ve started to do is meal plan for 2 weeks, rather than 1. Now, even though I still have to do the task of writing it all down, figuring out the calendar, etc. - it’s done for 2 weeks. Sweet!
I do 1 grocery run for all the ingredients that can sustain for 2 weeks or be frozen. The items I don’t purchase that first run, I circle with a pencil on my list (nothing fancy, just a yellow notepad & a pen). I try to hit the farmer’s market on Saturday mornings, but if not, then I do have to make a 2nd run to the grocery store by end of the week for stocking fruits, veggies, milk, etc.
So, now our grocery bill has come down a bit, I’m actually cooking less, but still getting to try new meals, we’re beginning to save $$, & the best part is that I’m only planning meals twice a month. Woo hoo!
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Are Dutch Babies also known as German pancakes and, do you have a recipe you’re willing to share? Thanks!
As an aside, I love breakfast. I like making Oat Kolaches, French Toast (from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook), Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes, and Waffles. Most of those are weekend items. Weekday breakfast is much more mundane: eggs and toast, cereal, etc.
Frugal Mom LAs last blog post..Who’s Your City?
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@Frugal Mom LA - Here’s my Dutch babies recipe - yes, I’ve heard them called different things, so it could be German pancakes as well: http://simplemom.net/dutch-babies/
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i’m trying this.
i’ve been trying to work out a system with either Living Cookbook or BigOven for weeks now because both programs will generate a shopping list for you. But in the time it’s taking me to get the system set up — I could have handwritten a billion shopping lists.
i had to create a delicious account. and i had to overcome my reluctance to use tag for organizing. i don’t know why i was so anti-tag! it’s so easy and intuitive!!!
Jills last blog post..Back to our regularly scheduled programming…
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Thanks so much for this great idea. I always use Google Calendar, and now I have a meal plan for the next month.
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Have you checked out http://www.savingdinner.com? All the work is done for you - seasonal weekly menu plans, recipes, detailed grocery lists, including breakfasts, lunch and snacks. You can select by special need too - low carb menu’s, slow-cooker, budget meals, etc. And according to no. of people you’re catering for. Very convenient. Available in books too.
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Been there, done that, didn’t work out.
My biggest stumbling block was that often we didn’t feel like eating what was on the menu, and in no time menu went out of the window.
Maybe I should do it like you, by just planning the dinners, so that we have more flexibility. Will try that again sometime.
learning the ropess last blog post..My first month with budgeting…And the budget goes out of the window
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Brilliant! Thanks for the tutorial. Love the use of google calendar for this!
melissas last blog post..Giveaway: Free craft goody bag - What is your crafting soundtrack?
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How do you use the google calendar? I couldn’t find it! Dur!
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Love the Google calendar idea - I’m going to have to try that for all my reminders!
Here’s my thing with menu planning. When I make out my grocery list, I also make a list of all the dishes/meals I have (or am buying) things to make.
But then life happens, and it’s 5:00, and it’s too late to do anything on the list. Potato salad requires cooking potatoes. Or the meat I would need is frozen (if I take it out the day “before,” it ends up rotting because it doesn’t get used). And a crock pot (which is supposedly the easiest thing on the face of the earth) - OMG! you have to think about supper at 8:00 in the morning! Who on earth does that?
Yes, I’m at home all day. And yes, some days I have time to make more elaborate meals. But most days, I’m quite busy. I have two little boys (5 and 2) and I also work from home. I just really struggle with this. But I’m so tired of eating frozen pizza and burritos.
Tana’s last blog post…They just don’t get it…
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OK, I’m convinced! My neighbor and my husband have both been trying to convert me me gmail, and now after reading your post about meal planning, I think I’ll give it a try. I’ve been working on meal planning but feeling like I was reinventing the wheel. Thanks for your directions and ideas. They are really helpful! Beautiful website, I’ll be back!
CarrieK’s last blog post…The Missing Link
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Thanks so much for bringing light to this subject, between yourself and your great comment-ers I have a plan! not just a plan, it’s actually happening already, using goggle-calendar and the great repeat option and I have also blogged about it…
Thanks a lot…
Scribhneoir’s last blog post…Do I Have To?
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I just found your blog from a friends blog and I really like it. I really like the clean look and downloads. I have tried meal planning this year and find that it really helps me. Especially when I need to use up food that is already in the house. Otherwise, I would just end up going to the store and buying more stuff and what is at home would go bad! If you go to my blog, you will see a link to my recipe blog that I just started with my friends. We share recipes that are easy to make and we have all eaten together and enjoyed. Check it out if you are in need of new recipe ideas. A lot of them are easy so they would probably be do-able overseas. I lived overseas for a few months and I know how some recipes can be difficult to adapt when the store looks a little different.
Teresa’s last blog post…First week of school accomplished!
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Thanks for this idea. I use my google calendar for bills, setting them on repeat with thelinks to the online bill payment location. This seems like it would work really well for me. As far as meal planning, on grocery day, I had my husband the list of meals we all like from my home binder, and he writes down 5-10 on our calendar. I take it to the pantry and create my list and there we have it. This is a great blog!
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Always late to the party, but excited to be here anyway! I will try the method exactly as suggested on google calendar then make modifications for my situation. For years now I have used a paper templet and good old ink pen to lay out breakfast - dinner menu while I peruse receipe books or magazines for inspiration.
I am going try modify/manulipating “address” as a receipe file. Any ideas? - thanks Holly
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