THE FIVE STEPS OF MEAL PLANNING

Have a monthly meal calendar (you can download a 2010 calendar here) and your monthly schedule out at the same time. Decide how many meals you want to prepare. For a month I usually plan for 15-22 meals (the average for me is usually 18).Decide what days are your busiest days. Elect those days as a crock-pot meal, a bundled meal or prepared meal frozen but not cooked. Then look at your folder of recipes and decide what new recipes you might like to try and then select the rest of your recipes from your favorite recipes, or favorite cookbook that you will be making.

Examine all your recipes and divide them into 4 weeks. WEEK 1, WEEK 2, WEEK 3 and WEEK 4. Designate all the recipes with the freshest ingredients in WEEK 1 and WEEK 2. Use a plastic report binder that has about 30 laminated pages to store your recipes in and put it on your kitchen counter. When putting your recipes in the binder keep them in order according to the week that you are going to make it. Put all Week 1 recipes first, then Week 2 recipes and so on..

Make a grocery list (can use a preprinted one here) or make your own. Lay out your list the way you shop. For instance at my grocery store, the deli meat, cheese would be in the same section as the produce, so I would list them all in the same section. I would keep dairy together, canned goods together and frozen items together.

Step Four and Five are probably the most time consuming and can take a good 4-5 hours if not more, but the time spent in this one day will be your savings grace the rest of the month!

Try to shop on the first of the month each time. Depending on what your pay schedule is probably depends on how many times you go to the store. If you are paid monthly then you can make one big trip with one small trip at the two week mark. If you get paid every two weeks you may have to have a Big shop every two weeks. No matter when you shop you still need to plan the entire month. If you happen to be on the bimonthly schedule and have to go every two weeks then you will already have your plan and lists made. You will be in the store and out of the store. STICK TO YOUR LIST!

When you come home examine your recipes. Prep your food. Divide the meat and cut it according to each recipe. Dice chicken, cut steaks, mix meats for meatloaves. Label each Gallon size freezer bag with the meal name as well as the week it is designated for, (Sweet and Sour Chicken Wk2). Look at the first few days of your plan and dice up ingredients that you might need. Say you are making tacos one night (bag the portioned out cheese, cut lettuce and onions and tomatoes and put them in smaller baggies, add all small bags into a large storage bag for fridge and label tacos). If you are having sausage and pasta (cut sausage pieces into chunks, dice your onions and peppers and put ingredients in a gallon size storage baggie and label sausage and pasta). Say you are making chili, mix all the spices ahead of time, label them chili spices and use them when you are ready to cook the meat). Do as much as you can for each recipe and this will save you a ton of time each day. You mostly will just be adding bagged ingredients into your recipe. Make up any bundled meals you have such as chicken cutlets, chicken parm, meatballs and meatloaves. Freeze and then arrange your meals in the freezer. Week 1 and Week 2 get upper shelf and Week 3 and Week 4 get lower shelves.

Step Six is the most rewarding step!!!!!!!!!!

Sit back and enjoy not ever having to think this month what you will eat. When you try a new recipe and like it, make a favorite binder (a simple 3 ring binder with plastic sheet covers. Slip the recipe in there so you know where it is next time. This is your new favorite recipe binder. If you didn’t like the recipe, THROW IT OUT!!!