![]() But it’s a brilliant way to make meal planning easier, and we’ve come up with our own, weird, but similar system, based around what shift Dad is on. Meatless Monday, taco Tuesday, grill on Wednesday, pasta on Thursday… I wish this sort of system worked for us, but with my husband’s two days, two nights, four off shift cycle (whoever came up with an 8 day cycle didn’t have a family!!!) it just isn’t workable. You can find our free printable meal ideas planner here. I don’t waste time trying to come up with meal ideas, I just go through my list of meals and slot them into each day. It’s what makes planning out a whole month of meals at a time quick, and easy. This is my secret weapon, and my sanity saver. It’s got breakfast, lunch and dinner ideas, and I get the rest of the family to help come up with ideas. I have a big list of meal ideas that I keep adding to over time. That way you can easily see in advance what you need to plan for, or work around. It’s no good planning to have a roast dinner on the 17th only to discover you have an extra dance rehearsal that night! So put all those events, activities, shifts, appointments and anything else that might affect meals on the meal planner. Put all activities and events on the planner. There are lots and lots and lots of printable meal planners online (you can find our weekly and monthly menu plan printables here), so find one that works for you. ![]() The weeks start on a Monday because that’s the way I like it (but there I also have a version that has Sunday at the start of the week), there is space to write in any events or appointments as well as meals, and space for extra notes at the bottom (I usually write a list of breakfast and lunch options here) It has spaces for five weeks, and you can add your own dates so you can plan for whatever date range you like. I created my own printable meal planner so it is exactly how I like it! Tips for planning a months worth of meals in just half an hour: ![]() I can plan a whole month’s worth of meals in around half an hour. I plan a month of meals at a time, and although that sounds like a lot, it really doesn’t take me very long. The only thing that makes dealing with the dinner nightmares a little more bearable is making a meal plan. With four kids, two with allergies, and one who has ongoing ‘picky eating’ issues, a husband who works day and night shift in a stupid eight day rotation, and several after school activities that keep us out till late… figuring out what to have for dinner almost kills me at times. You can plan a whole month’s worth of dinners in just half an hour once you get a system going that works for you and your family. Making a meal plan can save your sanity, and it doesn’t have to be difficult.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |