Like any well-meaning spouse, when I ask my husband what he wants for dinner, he answers, “whatever you’re thinking,” then promptly turns down the following five suggestions. If I ask him if he’d rather chicken tacos or homemade pizza, he’s suddenly decisive—most times.
Menu planning’s saved us a lot of time in the kitchen since it prevents waffling and prefer it over traditional meal planning because I’m not assigning things to a day of the week—who knows if I’m going to be rushing around on a Wednesday when it’s only Monday?
How Menu Planning Works
The idea behind menu planning is you pick seven dinners, one for each day of the week, and write them down somewhere—lunch and breakfast too, if you want. To create your list, draw inspiration from what’s already in your kitchen, what’s in the flyer, and from your list of favourites.
As you work, create a shopping list of missing groceries you’ll need to make things happen.
Once you’ve made your list and finished shopping, you’re good for the week. Pick and choose for your list as you go, making sure you use fresh items that could spoil first.
Tips and Tricks for Menu Planning
Here’s a quick list of tips and tricks that help me keep mealtime simple:
- Plan for leftovers—BBQ chicken one evening can be chicken fried rice the next.
- Create a list of favourites to help prompt you when menu planning.
- Freeze leftovers and enjoy them when you don’t feel like cooking.
- Avoid involving everyone in the process—the saying “too many chefs” comes to mind.
- If you live with someone, keep a shared grocery list to prevent double-buying (or failure to buy).
The Benefits of Menu Planning
The obvious benefit to menu planning is saving time in the kitchen. Since I started doing this years ago, I’m not opening cupboards and going through the fridge in hopes I’ll conjure up meal ideas on the fly. As soon as it’s time to make dinner, I can get right into cooking.
I’ve also noticed we save a lot more on groceries and barely throw out food when I compare menu planning to winging it.