Successful Menu Planning

Menu planning is a great organizational tool for busy families! But, just writing down what you are going to cook each day and leaving it at that is not utilizing this tool to its maximum benefit. There are many other steps that will make the menu plan more efficient and cost effective. Here are the Organizer's tips for making the most out of menu planning:

Think ahead. Don't just pick seven meals and write them down. Look at the calendar and plan. Does your child have a sports game on a particular night? On Wednesdays we have our mid week church service and I have to be there at 6pm to get ready for the worship portion of the service. So, on our menu plan you will see something simple and easy on Wednesday nights. Sometimes it is a crock-pot meal or a hot dog/baked bean meal that takes 10 minutes to prepare. Plan your menu according to your family schedule.
Plan your menu according to the sales going on at various grocery stores and using your coupons to maximize savings. Take advantage of buy one/get one free sales because the extra can be used for the following week's menu. This week one local store had a pork roast BOGO offer. So, on this week's menu I am putting the roast in the crockpot to make shredded pork sandwiches and the other roast is in the freezer and will be used next week and baked with a teriyaki marinade.
If you are making chili or beef stew cook a double portion. Freeze the extra and again you have another meal for a future menu.
If there are nights on the calendar that you will be at a friend's house or out of town, write that on the menu. This will help you remember that you don't need to buy or plan a meal for that evening.
If you find yourself running out of ideas and fixing the same thing all the time- surf the net. There are tons of sites out there that offer free recipes and recipe swaps. There are many that offer 5 ingredient recipes and meals you can make in less than 15-30 minutes.
Menu planning seems daunting to some and the concept does not mean you have to rigidly stick to the menu. But, it does provide a great guideline for what to serve, what to buy and how to make the most of meal times.

Happy menu planning!