I am, at heart, a flaky mom. Before we started this real food adventure, I rarely knew what we were having for dinner until I started making it. I knew that would have to change since it's 30 miles to our local natural food grocer. It pained me to do so, but I had to start a meal plan.
I know, I know. Having some super detailed, ultra-restrictive meal plan sounds like a drag. Maybe that's just me? However, it can actually free up a lot of time and money. Plus, I've actually got all the things I need before I start cooking. Plus plus, it doesn't have to be extremely restrictive. For example, I had planned on roasting a chicken for dinner last night (the leftover meat and bones would star in the next two night's dinners). My husband wanted breakfast burritos instead and I ended up at work too late to get the chicken cooking, so I just moved Friday's tomato zucchini fritata up, moved everything else back a day, and rolled that fritata up in locally made whole wheat tortillas that we always have on hand.
Here are some of my best tips so far for making meal planning easier on me and our bank account:
1. Cook a large cut of meat one evening. Only serve a portion of it that night. Put the rest away to use for the next two nights. Make dishes that require only a little meat, like whole wheat pasta dishes or soups. Add lentils or beans to add a little extra super cheap protein.
2. Buy whole cuts of meat or a whole chicken. You can use the bones to make stock for soup or gravy.
3. Plan to use those leftovers! Make a little extra oatmeal for breakfast to
use in muffins the next morning. If you're having trouble figuring out how to use leftovers, you might run a search for a recipe using a few ingredients you will have leftover. Not only do you avoid wasting good food this way, it also cuts down on your work load.
4. If you're trying to work with vegetables that are in season, remember that soups and stirfrys are your best friend. You can throw anything in them. Use some homemade stock (just a little for a stirfry, a lot for a soup), toss in whatever veggies you can find in season, fresh or dried complimentary herbs and spices, maybe a little leftover meat or beans for protein and let it simmer.
5. Put a couple meals in the plan that someone other than the usual head chef can pull off. This keeps us on track even if I wind up having to work during the evening or I don't feel well.
6. Make sure you have some quick lunch and breakfast foods on hand. It's very tempting to grab some junk food when you're in a rush. For example, I bought a turkey breast to roast for sandwiches, plus we over did the hard boiled eggs for Easter intentionally so we'd have some for quick, peel and eat breakfasts and egg salad for lunch (chop eggs, add a little organic cream cheese, chopped pickles, and paprika).
7. Keep your pantry well stocked with the basics. Keeping plenty of whole wheat flour, quinoa, steel cut oats, whole grain pasta, brown rice, dried beans and lentils, yeast, organic sugar, real chocolate chips (yes, these are a basic in our house), local honey and other dry ingredients you love to use makes shopping much easier. Then I only have to pick up the meat, produce, dairy, eggs, and the few premade organic ingredients we purchase. Plus, it's cheaper to buy in bulk.
8. Don't be intimidated to try something new, even if you have a picky family. I'm sure you've heard that it can take a bajillion (okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration) times of trying a new food to actually gain a taste for it. Your family won't starve if they don't like the meal you've prepared. Just keep at it. They'll get hungry enough to give it a go eventually.
9. Your favorite search engine can be your best friend while meal planning. Use it to find new recipes, how to properly cook ingredients you've never used before, and find healthier alternatives to the foods your family already loves. You can also get connected with like-minded locals and get the skinny on local real food sources (a lot of real food must be local since it isn't held in stasis by preservatives).
Do you have any meal planning tips you'd care to share? Leave a comment! By pooling knowledge and resources, we can work together to make eating real food more practical for every family.
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