Planning meals!

Alexstrasza

I want to try planning meals a few days in advance so I can try to cut back on grocery bills. I tend to spend a lot on "here and theres" because I don't plan things out enough.

So what are some of your favorite meals? If you have links that'd be awesome but even just a name/explanation of what it is would work just fine!

I want things that are very vegetable heavy but still have meat.

Alexstrasza

Shameless bump

SublimelyMe

I plan my meals every week!

I make 3 bean chilli with just a little minced beef which works out really cheap. If you buy a small pack of minced steak, you can also make a huge beany cottage pie with mashed cauliflower with the 2nd half of the pack of mince, or maybe try a vegetable heavy mince lasagna.

Eggs, onions, peppers, spinach and bacon make for a great crustless quiche.

Buy a whole chicken, cook it, remove the skin, remove the legs. Use the 'shredded' leg meat for a healthy salad mix or chicken pasta. Slice the breast meat off with an electric knife (thinner slices) and use with cooked veg and new potatoes, strip the carcass of meat (top and bottom) and reserve for chicken and vegetable casserole. You can boil the carcass up for stock if you fancy it.

SublimelyMe

Of course, I don't just eat these meals, but that's an example of what we planned over the last week

hdlb123

I probably can't help much, but we do meal plan for 2 weeks at a time for a family of 5, while working around dairy, soy and nut allergies, plus two picky people (me and my 4 yo.) I don't really have recipes, but I'll tell you what our common meals are.

I sit down and pick out the meals, plus the kids each get to pick one or two favorite. Tomorrow is grocery day, and the kids picked hotdogs, hamburgers and bbq chicken. Not the best choices, but I healthyify them as much as possible. And yes, healthify is a word now....

We usually pick a meat/main and a side, and we always have a veggies. Just whatever looks good that night. Peas, carrots, broccoli etc. Some of these are really high calorie, but I just adjust things to fit what I need that night.

We always have pizza - whole wheat crust and different toppings for everyone. I like bbq chicken myself.

Taco salad
Chicken ceasar salad
Spaghetti with garlice bread or breadsticks
bbq chicken
Pork loin
Tacos
Chicken cordon swiss
Chicken nuggets/fingers (I make the coating and they are baked, not fried)
Ginger beef and broccoli
Beef or chicken stew
Roasted chicken
Breakfast - eggs, bacon, toast

And we pair those with a side:
Baked, boiled, stuffed, mashed or baby potatoes
Brown rice
Mac n Cheese
breadsticks/garlic bread/biscuits/buns

Hope that helped a bit!

kristinL16

Are you on pinterest? If so, I can link you to my main dishes board. I try new recipes all the time and find most of them there these days.

I should add that I make my "menu" for the week before going to the store. I think about our schedule for the week when planning. For example, I work three days a week so I need three meals that are going to be fast and easy. I love to use the crockpot on those days. I am also planning a freezer cooking day so that we have meals on hand when we need them.

Other things that I do to make meals easier is to make a whole pack of chicken at one time. I put it in the crockpot with a bit of chicken broth and spices (choose your own or you can put in taco seasoning --I make my own rather than a pouch). Leave it in throughout the day and when it is done (or you get home from work) you can shred it or cut into chunks. Freeze in 2 cup portions (roughly) to use in dishes that use cooked chicken. I do the same with ground beef--brown several pounds at a time and then freeze individually.

pdworkman

I plan my meals on Bigoven.com, which generates a grocery list that syncs to my iPhone. My diary is open if you want to see what I am making (I am vegetarian, grain-free, dairy free, with other allergies.)

denise032

I'll share 2 of my faves that are fairly easy to make.

3 bean chili: black, pinto, kidney beans (2-3 cans each) with 2-3 yams, 1 onion, a few cloves of garlic, 2 cans diced tomato. You can add turkey meat or turkey sausage if you'd like as well. I think it yields around 12 portions. It usually lasts me about 2 months or so, and I freeze them in 2 portion containers.

Another easy one is beans and escarole, although I'm not sure if escarole is still in season.. The only drawback to making this meal is the amount of time it takes to rinse the leaves off. It's a drag, but it's definitely worth it. Here's a quick recipe: in a large pot put about an inch of water, 4-5 heads of escarole, 3-4 cups of cannelloni beans, a few garlic cloves, 1-2 stalks of celery with leaves, a drop of olive oil, and a pinch of s&p. I know this one doesn't have any meat, but it's loaded in potassium and has a good amount of protein as well.

landorki

try keeping your pantry and fridge stocked with a few staple items you can always play with.... I found a few

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/12-pantry-must-haves-for-healthy-cooking-812564.html

toasterlisa

Good morning --

For great vegetarian and/or vegan recipes:

Go here: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/

Or here: http://www.nutritionmd.org/recipes/index.html

This is a really 3-week great program and it will email you a meal plan with shopping lists. It will kick up both your nutritional intake and your weight loss:
http://www.21daykickstart.com/

Best wishes on your health and wellness journey!

pdworkman

Tuesday we have pasta/potatoes
Wednesday we have taco salad
Friday we have breakfast for dinner

The other days are filled in with curry, roasted vegetables, soups, salads, stir fries, and the occasional pizza or burger (which in my house are not fast foods - they have to be made from scratch due to allergies.)

My diary is open if you want to browse for ideas. This weekend I'm exploring some Jamaican dishes.