The Easiest Meal Plan For Busy Families!

When you first hear the words “meal planning,” do you think about running the other way? Don’t worry—mine is, too. I don’t enjoy making a meal plan. Sometimes, it is just hard to sit down and make one. I have used several different meal plans over the years. The one I use now I have been using for a couple of years, and it is the easiest one I have used.

The only things I use are a large calendar and a notepad to write my grocery list. I like to use a school calendar. Instead of the regular calendar going from January to December, I use a school calendar from July to June. It is also larger than a traditional calendar, and the boxes for the days are large enough to add everything you need to add for the day—including your dinner idea!

You can call me old-fashioned, but I still like to write everything down. I write our lessons, practices, appointments, recitals, or whatever else we have on the calendar. I hang the calendar in the kitchen to look at it several times a day.

I like to make meal plans for two weeks at a time. It seems like a lot and may seem overwhelming, but it becomes easier once you get the hang of it. Doing the menu for two weeks at a time means you only have to make your major grocery shopping trips about twice a month. It works out so much better for someone like me who hates grocery shopping. I will make smaller trips to the grocery store if we need fresh produce or run out of milk. Those trips are easy and quick. This makes it so you are not always going to the grocery store.

I like to do my grocery shopping early in the week. If you would like to have a schedule, then pick the same day of the week to go. If I go earlier in the week, the grocery store isn’t as busy. I recommend that you go grocery shopping while the kids are at school. Then they aren’t sneaking things in the cart or begging you to buy them something. I don’t know about you, but this saves me money!

When it is time for me to do my meal planning, I grab my calendar and notepad. I will go through each night of the upcoming weeks and write what we will have for dinner that night on the calendar. If I write it on the calendar, I can see what activity we have for the evening. That way, I know exactly how much time I have to make dinner. If I need a quick meal, I know. If I have a free evening, I can try a new recipe or plan a dinner that takes longer. The nice thing about planning out your meals on the calendar is if you have a hard time coming up with a dinner idea, you can look back in your calendar and get ideas you have had in the past.

There are nights when we are so busy that we end up eating out. For the most part, though, I like to have dinner at home. Having a plan helps me not eat out as much; however, eating out is sometimes a necessary evil!

I also like to have what I call a pantry night. On pantry nights, we either have leftovers, or I let the kids grab whatever they want to make. Sometimes, we all eat the same thing, but most of the time, we each have our own quick dinners, even cold cereal. I usually do a pantry night once a week.

I get my notepad and make a grocery list once I have all my dinners planned for the next two weeks. Once again, I use a notepad because I am old-fashioned and like to write my list down on paper, but you do what is easiest for you. If making a list on your phone is easier, then do that. I go through each day and list what I need for that meal. It sounds like a lot but remember, I do a pantry night, and we end up eating out at least twice, sometimes more. I end up buying groceries for at least ten meals.

Meal planning this way helps me avoid having to think about what we are having for dinner all the time. The kids can also look at the calendar, and they know what we are having for dinner that night. If you have read some of my other posts, you know that I have some very picky eaters. Knowing what we are having for dinner lets them prepare themselves for what they will be trying that night!

Meal planning this way has helped me be more organized and prepared. It also takes some of the stress out of dinner time. Hopefully, this helps someone out there. I do find that this has been the easiest way to plan meals for my family and our busy schedule!

What are your meal-planning ideas? I would love to hear them! Happy Meal Planning!!!!