Menu Planning System
Do you like systems?
Do you have a household “schedule” or rhythm as to how the workflow happens in your home?
Having a household system has always been a challenge for me, because I tend to be a bit impulsive about starting a new project. But what I love about a system is that it takes away so many future decisions I would have to make.
Decision fatigue is a very real daily experience. For large families and for families on the go, having a system will help take away all of those extra decisions.
For a menu planning system, here are a few things you could try:
Plan meals for 2 weeks. Rotate this 2 week plan for an entire season. This will give you 3 months of meal plans!
Each day of the week can be a selected protein. For example, Sundays can be chicken, Mondays can be beef, Tuesdays can be pork, etc. Then you will always know what protein to shop for or what to pull from your freezer.
Have a list of favorite meals that your family enjoys. Select recipes for each corresponding protein to fill in your 2 week menu plan.
Consider your family’s schedule and activities. Are there certain days you will not have time to cook? Do you have crock pot recipes you can use for those times?
Snacks: I have a list of go-to snack that my family enjoys that are nutrient dense and homemade. I have one day each week that I try to get all of these made ahead for the week. Then we will have some easy to grab snacks for all of our activities.
Plan your meals seasonally. Eating in season will add variety to your meals. You can look forward to those summer fruits or those fall pumpkins. Go to the farmer’s market and find some interesting veggies that would be a new addition to your menu.
Share the cooking. Let everyone pick one meal (or more!) each week that will be their meal to cook every week. Kids love to cook, and before you know it, they won’t need very much help and will have life long skills of confidence in the kitchen.
Have an emergency plan or a go-to “fast” food. Our go-to is fried eggs and a side of cheese. We always have eggs in the house and we can cook these in minutes in case our schedule has a change.
If you are looking for a simple, yet helpful menu planning template, here is the template I have been using for years.
Happy planning!
