anyone care to help me menu plan?

anawhatsme

i'm not really sure where to begin.
maybe make a list of meals we will eat and go from there?

i really need to have a successful week to get me back in the losing groove.
any tips?

kshadows

Right now I only menu plan dinners. I sit down with the weekly ad for the grocery stores and start with main course. If chicken breast is on sale, I will pick up a big pack and decide what to make with it (and usually freeze half). Chicken alfredo, grilled or sauteed chicken with seasonings or BBQ sauce, chicken pot pie, etc. Then I fill it in with other stuff that will break up the monotony. Meatloaf, hamburgers, pork, fish, just something to make room. I pay attention to days the kids have activities or I am planning to go to the gym, so I know it has to be something quick or something in the Crock pot when I get home.

tibby531

a friend recommended a site; http://www.eatthismuch.com

it's GREAT for menu ideas. you can even customize your macro goals.

:flowerforyou: best of luck!

CupcakeCrusoe

a friend recommended a site; http://www.eatthismuch.com

it's GREAT for menu ideas. you can even customize your macro goals.

:flowerforyou: best of luck!

OMG Thank you for mentioning this! I was looking for something like this myself.

OP: I usually batch-make lunches to take to work, mason jar salads (google it, it's cool) will keep in the fridge individually all week, then just roll them over in my log. And I usually eat the same thing for breakfasts and snacks, so the only thing I may not roll from day to day is dinners. Breakfast is usually scrambled egg whites with cheese/cottage cheese, snacks are fruit and currently, gogurt (it's what's in my fridge :P)

I really like making something healthy in my crock pot in the beginning of the week and using the leftovers all week for dinners, too. I'm big on cooking/planning ahead. There are lots of healthy crockpot dinners out there, another google search away.

scubakat67

Following so I can get ideas, as well. I need help meal planning myself. Never seem to be able to actually make it happen.

Athijade

I plan by month and then by week. At the beginning of the month I buy all of my meats and put them in the freezer. Then weekly I buy everything else.

When I do the monthly planning, it is for dinner only. When I get to my weekly list, then I add in plans for lunch and snacks. Dinners are for specific days but lunches and snacks are sort of just for the week in general. I also will often make extra of a dinner to have for lunch the next day. Like the Breaded Chicken and Mashed Potatoes in my plan for next week I will do 2 chicken breasts so I have an extra. For example, next week I have planned:

Dinner:
Monday- Leftover Crab and Vegetable Lasagna
Tuesday- Bison Steak, Baked Potato, and Roasted Squash
Wednesday- Creamy Garlic Prawns, Rice, and Broccoli
Thursday- Chicken and Gnocchi Soup and Rolls
Friday- Leftovers
Saturday- Breaded Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Milk Gravy
Sunday- At my aunt and uncles OR Breakfast for dinner

Lunch Options:
- Corn Chowder (in the freezer)
- Wraps (Chicken Spread/Ham/Turkey)
- Leftover soup/lasagna (plan to freeze some)
- Eggs and Hashbrowns

Snacks:
- Nuts (honey roasted peanuts and coconut cashews)
- Creamy Italian Dip with Vegetables or Chips
- Mild Cheddar Cheese and Crackers
- Mini Cupcakes (got to have my sweets lol)

kimnsc

Following to get new ideas..

anawhatsme

thanks for the input everyone.
i have written down some supper ideas and what we will need to make those meals.
i find breakfasts and lunches are the hardest to plan.

i'd love to batch cook.
like take one day a week and make the bulk of our food for the week.
not sure i could pull that off though.

CupcakeCrusoe

If you'd like to give it a go, google OAMC (once a month cooking). You'll find a website with a grocery list and everything, really breaks it down. I did it for a while, but I wanted to cook more often so I stopped. I love to cook.

anawhatsme

does anyone care to list some staples they use through the week?
go to items for meals and snacks?

even recipes for healthy muffins or anything like that?

i need some ideas and variety.

AtlantaBob

a friend recommended a site; http://www.eatthismuch.com

it's GREAT for menu ideas. you can even customize your macro goals.

:flowerforyou: best of luck!

sounds like a FANTASTIC friend you have there!!

wink wink

anawhatsme

a couple things i make for my boyfriend to take to work are:
energy bites and whole wheat banana muffins.
i don't eat either of those, but maybe i should.

i can share the recipes if anyone is interested.

still looking for more meal and snack ideas if anyone cares to share.

wkwebby

Turkey burgers seasoned with a pack of onion soup mix (one package of each) and an egg to bind it. It wollops the sodium number, but if you "budget" for that too, the calorie count is great.

Sometimes I mix it up with feta cheese and chopped spinach mixed in (depending on my time frame to make dinner). It is a great quickie meal that is delicious!

nikkit321

This week's menu:

Breakfasts - Ezekiel bread spread with smashed avocado, topped with a fried egg
Plain greek yogurt with fruit and 1/4 cup dry oatmeal added
Overnight oats (oatmeal soaked in milk, vanilla, sweetner, cinnamon, & nutmeg overnight)

Lunches - Salad with chicken
Tuna salad

Dinners - Chili mac (doubled for 2 meals)
Meatloaf (doubled for 2 meals)
Turkey brats
Hamburgers
1 night leftovers

Snacks - Fruit
Nuts

melaniecheeks

Grocery list:

Eggs
Cottage cheese
Coconut oil
Natural yoghurt
Fresh veg inc spinach, mushrooms, sugar snaps
Quinoa
Tinned tomatoes
Tinned beans
Fish- frozen prawns, tinned tuna, salmon or oily fish
Nuts and nut butters

Eureka175

Here is a recipe for a "crab & go" breakfast: (from chocolatecoveredkatie)


Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes to Go
(makes 24 cupcakes)

5 cups rolled oats (400g)
2.5 cups over-ripe mashed banana (600g)
1 tsp salt
5 Tbsp maple syrup
Optional: ½ - 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
2 1/3 cups water
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional add-ins: cinnamon; shredded coconut, chopped walnuts; ground flax or wheat germ, raising or other dried fruit; protein powder; etc.

Preheat oven to 350 F, line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir well.
In a separate bowl, combine and stir all wet ingredients including banana.
Mix wet into dry, then pour into cupcake liners.
Bake @ 20 minutes.
Optional: May broil for 1-2 minutes.
Freeze well.

Athijade

If you want, I can send you a link to my Pinterest which has 100's of recipes broken down into different sections. I don't like to post it publicly since it does have my real name on it. Just send me a message

anawhatsme

wondering what you you do if you have a meal planned, but don't feel in the mood for it?
make it and eat it anyway?
or swap it?