Simple Menu and Meal Planning Tips

There are many simple menu and meal planning tips that can give you more time with your family and less time in the kitchen. A little planning is the first step in pulling it together.

There are many benefits of meal planning. Everyone seems to have a busy schedule these days. Meal planning and a few of these ideas might just make your weeknights a little less hectic.

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What is Meal Planning?

Meal planning is setting aside a little time to figure out what meals you want for a certain time period. When you plan meals all at once, you save yourself a lot of money, time, and mental effort. You may also find that you cut down on fast food.

I like to do my meal planning by the month so I don’t have to worry about it. While I am on a roll planning one week, I go ahead and plan the others.

Plan your meals in a meal planner book or keep it online. I keep my monthly plan online, but at the start of the week, I jot the current week’s menu down on paper. This just helps me keep it fresh in my mind.

You can be very flexible in your planning. For instance, each week I try to plan:

• The main dish for weeknight meals
• Something easy on Fridays
• Leftovers and eating out on the weekends
• As many 30-minute meals as possible

Each family is different with different likes and needs, so adjust accordingly. You may want to:

• Include weekends
• Add quick breakfast options and lunch ideas
• Plan for less days depending on your weeknight schedule

I will say that I do like to “double dip” some of the work. You will notice a few notes about making extra for the next day or later in the week. Why do the work twice?

Get Weekly Reminders

You can see an example of the monthly plan I send out at the beginning of each month right here. I also send out menu reminders for the upcoming week each Monday morning in the Apron Strings & Blessings newsletter.

You can use these menus and weekly meals like they are, use them as a guide for meal ideas, or come up with your own meal plans.

I would love for you to join me each week for faith, family, and food ideas. Join below and also receive a variety of meal planning charts.

Keep the Pantry Stocked

Keeping the needed ingredients on hand is of the utmost importance when meal planning. Not having one item can throw your whole plan into confusion. Here are a few ideas to help:

• Keep staples on hand (baking items, seasonings, etc.)
• Be sure to have all of the needed ingredients for the week or month.
• Keep some easy throw together meals on hand for a backup plan.
  • Sandwiches
  • Salads
  • Frozen Pizza or other Frozen Meals
  • Pre-packaged Meals from the Deli
  • Easy Soups
• Purchase items you know you will need when you see them on sale.
• Buy healthy choices for snacks.

Shopping

• Buy in bulk when possible.
• Look at the monthly meal plan and make a grocery list of all items you can get in advance. If possible, buy all of these items once instead of making multiple grocery trips. (Grocery Delivery is wonderful too! Walmart+ has been a lifesaver for me!)
• I do the majority of my shopping online. As soon as I run out of something, I add it to the cart. This keeps me from trying to remember what it was I needed. (It is still easy to forget at times though.)
• Look at your weekly meal plan over the weekend, and write out your weekly shopping lists so you can make one trip to your local grocery store or farmers market to get fresh produce and other items you will need.
• Keep a master list of the main grocery items you use on a regular basis. Having a ready made grocery shopping list can save you time, and help you remember items you need to purchase.

Meal Prepping

A few extra preparations for the month or even the week can really save you some time. For instance, if you have to dice an onion every time you need one for a recipe throughout the week, your time spent on that alone will really add up.

Instead, set aside time at the beginning of the month or week for meal prep. Look at the items you will need for the time period and:

• Chop or slice vegetables (not all vegetables can be prepped early – ex. potatoes)
• Divide bulk items and freeze if necessary
• Look for meals with the same protein to put together during the week. For example – if you plan for two meals with ground beef, you can cook it at the same time and divide it for the two meals.
• You can also prepare freezer meals ahead of time and just pop them in the oven.

Other Meal Planning Tips

• Print or take a photo of the meal plan and keep it visible during the month.
• Don’t forget to plan for special occasions.
• Make yourself a note on your calendar to lay out frozen meat ahead of time. (This tends to be my downfall.)
• Have a great time getting your family involved in the planning (and preparing).
• If you are only cooking for one or two people, you can make smaller portions or freeze extra leftovers for super easy meals later. (Homemade TV dinners!)
• Don’t forget to use a slow cooker, Instant Pot, and other kitchen appliances that simplify meals.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment with new recipes.

Favorite Kitchen Items

Click the links below to get the details on each item.

• Meat Chopper – This saves me on a regular basis when I forget to thaw ground meat.
• Jalapeno Corer
• Food Chopper
• Taco Stands
• Stainless Steel Strainers
• Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

Planning with Friends

It is always fun to collaborate with friends and family members while you are planning your meals. If you are fortunate enough to have someone close by, work together. Each of you can make a double portion meal and share them. Each person cooks once but has two meals with little effort!

I hope some of these meal ideas work for you and your family on your busy days. They are easy to tweak to meet special needs.

If you have other quick and easy meals, I would love to hear from you. Please share.

Ideas from Pinterest

You can find so many ideas on Pinterest, as you probably already know. I have several ideas pinned on my Main Meals Board. Feel free to take a look.

Related Posts

• My Favorite Easy Homemade Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
• Easy Monthly Menu Ideas for August
• Coco with The Crowned Goat has some wonderful tips for How to Meal Plan by the Month!

See the importance of family meal times at the table at this post: Easy Ideas for Family Meals and Game Time

Until next time,

disclosure: Amazon affiliate advertising program (and other affiliate links) are used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure and privacy policy on the website. 

“Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything.” Genesis 9:3