Weekly Menu Ideas

vyanez0986
vyanez0986 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello! I am currently on a weight loss journey with my husband. I have found that setting up a weekly menu helps to keep us both on track with our meals. It also helps making dinner easier because I am not looking in the fridge trying to figure out what I am going to make. Using this menu and setting it up on Sunday evening has helped me lose 40 pounds so far. This also helps with my picky eater, because she can see ahead of time what is being cooked and not throwing a fit at dinner time. (Im a you eat what I cook or don't eat mom....sorry)
Does anyone else use a menu? If so, what type of foods do you make? Does it make it easier for you too?

Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I make a weekly meal plan every Sunday. I combine picking meals and making a shopping list. It allows me to coordinate meals with my husband (he cooks for himself, but we like it when our meals fit the same "theme") and gives me a chance to plan for my macro- and micronutrient needs for the week.

    I love to cook a wide variety of things so I usually begin with pulling down some cookbooks from the shelf and picking out meals that I've previously flagged as wanting to cook and throwing in some recipes that I know from previous experience that I already like. Here are some recipes I am making this week: Vanilla Almond Smoothie Bowl, Beet and Green Apple Smoothie, Cauliflower Pesto Soup, Stuffed Shells Puttanesca, Caldo Verde with Crumbled Tempeh, and Spicy Vegan Sausage and Bean Chili.

    I don't think I could make it without menu planning. I'd probably have cereal or popcorn for dinner every night if I didn't pre-plan.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I don't, but think it can be helpful, definitely. One thing we DO do, is hubs and I each make 1-2 meals on Sunday that can give us lunches or diners for a few days during the week.
  • tiffkittyw
    tiffkittyw Posts: 366 Member
    We eat the same dinners every week on a set schedule. It makes grocery shopping super easy. With that said, I hate cooking so my meals are all quick and easy:
    Monday- Chicken Burritos
    Tuesday- Eggs for dinner night
    Wednesday- Tostadas
    Thursday- Bean pasta and garlic bread
    Friday- Snacks for dinner night (nuts, cheese, yogurt) Soon I am going to change this dinner to chili and cheese baked potatoes.
    Saturday- Eat out (reason why we keep Friday dinner light), but we gave this up for a few weeks since we're so close to goal weight.
    Sunday- Pita pizza

    We love all of our dinners and don't look at it as a diet, it's sustainable for life.
  • vyanez0986
    vyanez0986 Posts: 5 Member
    OMG!! I love some of these meals you all cook! I am going to need to write some down and try them out. Always looking for new meals to make. Baked chicken, veggies and rice can get boring after awhile! lol

  • ashleyjongepier
    ashleyjongepier Posts: 130 Member
    I loosely meal plan, and prep a few things for times when I don't feel like cooking which is often in the summer.

    Mon- lettuce wrapped beef burgers and corn on the cob
    Tues- tacos (prepped and froze the meat)
    Wed- out of town
    thurs - turkey meatballs and pasta bean salad
    fri- bbq chicken breast with salad (baked potatoes for SO, sweet potato rounds for moi)
    sat- sandwhiches and watermelon
    Sun - left overs or choose your own adventure.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited May 2016
    Yes! And I love to meal plan! I got a lot of help in here actually, to work out a rotation of dinner themes through the week. I make pretty simple stuff - once a week something different, that can be a new dish I've wanted to try; this gives me a good rythm and balances routine and ease with variety and novelty nicely.

    Mondays - Soup+dessert, or casserole
    Tuesdays - Pork chop or chicken wings/thigh - sweet potato mash or barley - peas or beans
    Wednesdays - Leftovers from Monday
    Thursdays - Salmon - rice - peas or beans, or herring - mashed potatoes - onions
    Fridays - Whatever; can be an old favorite that doesn't fit other category, or something new, takeaway, or readymeal
    Saturdays - Pancakes or cheese on toast and raw vegetables
    Sundays - Lamb or beef or ham - mashed potatoes or corn - asparagus, parsnips, brussel sprouts or artichoke
    Of course I will adjust to real life and the plan isn't set in stone.

    I've started to take pictures of my meals and post them here
  • mrspaws91
    mrspaws91 Posts: 27 Member
    edited May 2016
    I make a menu each week, often 2 weeks at a time.
    Sunday - brats on the grill with corn on the cob, raw veggie platter, baked beans (this week's indulgence meal)
    Monday - hobo dinners (I put out ground beef, chicken with potatoes, celery, carrots, mushrooms, peas, onion, apple, and a variety of seasonings and each person makes their own in a foil packet).
    Tuesday - taco night. I put out the seasoned ground beef and a spread of taco toppings and each can make their own. I will make a taco salad for myself.
    Wednesday - pork tenderloin with broccoli, green salad and broccoli rice au gratin ( I'll skip the rice, but dh and the kids will eat it).
    Thursday - stuffed steak rolls, zucchini tots, cauliflower and green salad https://www.buzzfeed.com/alvinzhou/here-is-how-you-roll-up-steak-and-make-a-totally-delicious-m?utm_term=.uklRxAX7r#.ohZPrlzmq
    Friday - dijon chicken thighs and carrots, green salad
    Saturday - Asian lettuce wraps
    Sunday - lasagna, garlic bread and green salad
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    I used to plan meals. I found it to be a soothing ritual and it made dinner time so much easier! I've only stopped recently because I had surgery and I'm not in charge of cooking for now. I miss it, strange as that may sound. I have a recipe file of hundreds of options many of which I haven't had the opportunity to try yet.
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    I menu plan a week in advance not only for dinner but also our breakfasts and lunches. My husband can't cook and I work full-time+ so if I didn't we'd be eating canned soup every night and I'd be buying my lunches!

    I find it really helpful to shop and cook in batches. We have a freezer stocked with portioned out soups, meats, chili, etc.

    And I love new recipes - I read cookbooks like other people read novels.
  • emmadonaldson95
    emmadonaldson95 Posts: 179 Member
    I make a meal plan for the week by looking about online, cooking my general stuff, flicking through my cookbooks. I've recently started blogging my dinners with quick easy diet recipes. http://skinnybitch.wordpress.com
    Also strongly recommend skinny taste website and the body coach on facebook! Hope those 3 help you find plenty stuff.
    I've also started writing a full shopping list of what i need for my meal plans which has saved me so much money on supermarket random purchases.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    vyanez0986 wrote: »
    Does anyone else use a menu? If so, what type of foods do you make? Does it make it easier for you too?

    I plan 28 different dinners at a time... so 4 weeks at a time. I have been planning meals for a long time because of financial reasons. It is easier to stick to my budget if I plan meals.
    Has it helped with weight loss? Maybe. I do prelog my whole day every morning so knowing what I will eat makes doing that easier.
    We eat lots of different foods at my house. More chicken than beef because it is cheaper. Beans/lentils, rice, pasta, potatoes. Very little fish/seafood. Generally we have soup once a week. For May my family decided to eat meatless dinners although we are not vegetarians.
    I post my dinner plans and recipes on my blog. https://lounmoun.wordpress.com/
  • skinnyforhi
    skinnyforhi Posts: 340 Member
    I would meal plan but my husband likes to be more spontaneous and he often doesn't know when he will be home until very late in the day. I shop for my breakfasts and snacks. I also make sure to always keep items on hand to make a healthy pasta or stir fry (45 minutes to prepare) or canned soup and salad ingredients (5-10 minutes to prepare). This way we can be spontaneous, but I also have supplies for at least 2 or 3 healthy meal options if that doesn't work out. Nothing is really wasted because pasta and rice are not perishable and the veggies I keep on hand can usually go in whatever he plans that's different. My lunches are often leftovers. So I basically have plans and contingencies :). The system isn't perfect, but it's a good compromise that respects my other half and still allows me to reach my goals.
  • dlkfox
    dlkfox Posts: 463 Member
    My family's schedule is all over the place. My meal planning is based on what is on sale at the market when I shop. I tend to cook meats, rice, pasta in big batches and refrigerated that can be warmed up and put with frozen veggies on the fly for anyone who needs lunch at school/work or needs something before they are running off to do the next thing. This way there are always healthy, home cooked options for everyone. This style of "planning" saves us money and is better nutrition. Little to none goes to waste.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    Every so often I'll map out the week w/ dinners. Usually I have an intimate knowledge of what's in my refrigerator - I keep it kind of sparse - and I have a grocery store habit, so food purchases (particularly produce) are happening frequently.

    A typical week...
    Monday: Moroccan Garbanzo Bean Stew
    Tues: Sweet Potato Black Bean wraps
    Wed.: Chili, Lime & Cumin Cod w/ Caesar salad
    Thurs: Spinach Stuffed Shells
    Fri: Corn Fritters & Chunky Tomato Red Pepper Soup

    A lot of Friday nights we do pizza from Dominos - I get the thin crust w/ light white sauce and vegetables. It is sooooooo delicious!!

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