31 Days of Seeking Simplicity: Meal Planning



I sat down to write this post last night and realized I was exhausted! I decided it could definitely wait until today, so here is the first of (hopefully) 2 posts today. :)

Over the last couple of months, we have been trying something different with our grocery shopping and meal planning. We have been trying to get the majority of what we need for 2 weeks of meals at a time and then supplementing with an extra small trip to get fruit and milk. This has definitely worked for us! We are able to simplify the grocery shopping process and go into the store fewer times.

We eat pretty much the same things for breakfast and lunch each week (oatmeal, toast, cereal, orange juice for breakfast and sandwiches, pasta, and leftovers for lunch) so the main planning is in the dinners. I usually count out how many dinners I will need to plan for a two week time frame. With meals out and dinners with family, we usually need 8-10 meals.

I use the ad and what we have in the house to get ideas of what to make, then write out what additional ingredients we need. For the next two weeks, this is our list of meals - keep in mind, we make simple, quick meals: spaghetti and meatballs; eggs, biscuits, and sausage; pancakes and fruit; BBQ chicken sandwiches, potatoes, and fruit; chicken pot pie; tilapia, potatoes, and corn; chicken and noodles; and pizza. I don't write out what meals to have when...I like to see what I feel like in the morning each day. :)

This is one strategy that is working for us right now. How do you handle grocery shopping and meal planning? 


Comments

Lindsay said…
Well, we are fortunate enough to grow most of our own vegetables. We get our eggs, milk, and meat from the farm, too. I try to plan out one week at a time- before direct deposit, that was more practical because I had to go to the bank every week- but I should try to do two weeks. It definitely helps things run more smoothly around here!