Meal Planning Tips

[peggyg]

The question on the Cooking Light homepage was about the number of trips to the grocery store per week. I failed!! After working for 25 years I'm home and am looking for suggestions to successful meal planning so I can cut my trips to the grocery store.

[Peggy]

Another Peggy on the Boards!!! Have you been in Alaska long? We visited there two years ago and it was so beautiful!!

I grocery shop once a week and this is my method. Every Monday morning I go through the refrigerator to see what fresh ingredients (vegetables, fresh herbs) I still have leftover from the previous week. I also do a quick survey of my pantry and the freezer. I then cruise through my CL cookbooks, other cookbooks and cooking magazines and write out my menus for the entire week. Breakfast is usually pretty much the same at my house during the school week...cereal, fruit, bagels so I stock up accordingly on these items. We take dinner leftovers to work for lunch and school lunches are pretty standard around here so I add things to my list that need to be replenished. I then write out my dinner menus for the week trying to utilize the ingredients I may have leftover and then complete my shopping list. I post my dinner menus for the week (main course, vegetables, side dishes) and follow it fairly religiously.

Nothing too innovative, but it works well for me. I've done it this way for years and it is so nice not to have that last minute panic about what we should have for dinner. No mad rushes to the grocery store at 5pm...

I think this topic has been covered before on the BB, so if you search in the archives you may find some other ideas. I just like everything organized at home so things run smoothly for my family.

Hope this helps!

Peggy

[This message has been edited by Peggy (edited 10-18-2000).]

[emilycat]

I try to go to the grocery store only once each week, but most of the time it turns into twice each week, in an effort to get as fresh ingredients as possible (and also because I'm very wishy-washy sometimes and have new grand ideas for dinner that don't match my predesigned plan http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Like Peggy, I plan out my menu for the week ahead of time, usually on Saturday or Sunday, and I find this to be great fun. I love looking through all my cookbooks and getting inspiration for new recipes!

Em

[RUSTYSMOM]

How ironic to see this topic - I have been pondering this myself lately. I have to say since I have become an addict to this bulletin board I am finding menu planning to be much easier. I read through so many rave reveiws I have to try the items. I have not mastered the full menu planning yet but am getting closer.

I use Shoplink to order my groceries on line which is a fabulous time saver (wiht working full time and having two small children). This does however out an extra burden on menu planning. If I really want to be successful staying out of the market on the weekends I have to have everything well thought out. It works 98%. I am often running in to just grab a few items.

[Ohioan]

Peggyg, please don't think of yourself as having "failed" because you shop often. Believe me, I envy you! I'd love to be able to buy fresh vegetables every day (and fresh meat, if I still ate meat). In the old days, it was taken for granted that the best cooks got everything fresh each day. (I think this is still a mark of the best professional chefs.)

Cheers,
Phoebe

[peggyg]

Thanks to all of you for your replys. It does help so see how other people do things. I am going to start planning with less visits to the grocery store. It is just the two of us at home and my husband travels but I do usually know his schedule ahead of time.

Peggy, Originally from Oregon I have lived in Ketchikan, Alaska for 20 years. Did you visit on a cruise ship?

Phoebe, Sometimes the produce here in Alaska leaves a bit to be desired but it is much better than it was 20 years ago.

Thanks again!! PeggyG

[lindrusso]

I pretty much follow Peggy's plan. It's a ritual on Sundays - look through the sales flyers, cut out coupons, look through CL, plan menus. With two kids, last minute rushes to the grocery store turn into a whole hour, so planning really helps. I'm a putterer (meaning I go fairly slowly in the kitchen), so if I had to spend time each evening figuring out what to cook AND then go about cooking it - we wouldnt' eat until 8 or 9! Not an option with young kids.

I also have started posting a list of recipes for the week because too many times I stand at the refrigerator scratching my head because I can't figure out why I bought that container of ricotta or that block of Asiago cheese!! On the list I also write the place to find the recipe so I don't have to scratch my head again trying to figure out where the recipe came from!

Organization keeps me sane and my family well-fed. Although I have to say that this board has inspired me to cook on a whim occasionally. It's fun to see what you can come up with when you think there's nothing good to cook!

[This message has been edited by lindrusso (edited 10-18-2000).]

[sneezles]

Peggyg
One of the hardest things about our move to the country is that the grocery store is 20 miles (so that's at least an hour+ to grocery shop) so I have really had to think about planning the week's menu. I use to go to the grocery store everyday because I never really planned dinner just sort of waited for "inspiration" or an invitation to eat out! Now it's planning the menu around what one little grocery store carrries!

[shoyski]

I'm like Lindrusso. I plan on Saturday mornings, preparing a shopping list for an entire week of meals. And I too, write down the recipe names and where to find them to save on time in the evenings. Some say anal, I say efficient.

[valeriek]

lindrusso,

I think we have the same life (except I don't have the kids or husband!). I scour the ads on Sunday, clip coupons, pour over my cookbooks, and decide what I want to eat for the week. Unfortunately, now that it is football season my boyfriend has thrown that schedule out of whack because we are always going somewhere to watch the game....but that is a whole other thread!

I have a clip magnet where I keep where to find the recipe that needs all the stuff I bought!

It's strange. In every other aspect of my life I'm about as unorganized as anyone can possibly imagine. I think I do pretty well when it comes to meal planning!