anyone care to help me menu plan?

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.

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.

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)

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

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.