Menu Planning Part 2

Last week, we began by creating our dinner categories and compiling a list of meal ideas for each category. Now it's time to put our plan into action.

For this next step, you'll need a calendar, a three-ring binder and some sheet protectors (these are optional, but encouraged). Using your calendar, under the day of the week, label your categories for a one or two-week period, depending on the number of categories you have. Then, in the boxes, add in meal ideas from your meal lists (don't worry about take-out and CORN nights). You now have a working calendar of meal ideas for one or two weeks.

If you have only a few tried and true recipes (and not enough to fill 14 nights worth of meals), then add a "Try Something New" night to your menu plan. Before too long, you'll have more meal ideas than nights to cook them!

Here's a sample of a week's worth of meals at our house:
Monday (Vegetarian): Pan-seared fish with salad
Tuesday (Pasta): Spaghetti and meatballs with salad
Wednesday (Soup): Crockpot Stew with homemade bread
Thursday (Ethnic): Sausage and beans with steamed broccoli
Friday (CORN): Clean Out Refrigerator Night
Saturday (Beef): Pizza (yes, this is a loose interpretation, but that's okay!)
Sunday (Poultry): Chicken fingers with steamed broccoli

Next, add your calendar (if possible) and lists of meal ideas to your binder. The calendar I use is attached to the wall, so it isn't possible to add it to my binder. But if you are printing up a calendar especially for this or have one small enough to fit, I would recommend adding it to the cover or first page of your binder. After the calendar, put each category list in its own sheet protector. Finally, behind each category list, add in the actual recipes (in their own sheet protectors) or notes on where to find the recipe (e.g. the cookbook name and page number).

Here are a couple of examples from my binder:



Before too long, as you add new recipes and create more menu plans, your binder will start to look like this:

And for those who struggle with getting home-cooked meals prepared with little time to prepare them, stay tuned! Next week I'll share some tricks I use to help get meals on the table with as little effort as possible.