I wasn't really planning on blogging about this, but I've gotten a few questions on Instagram about monthly meal planning.
Morgan and I wanted to make our food budget a priority this year, so starting in January we started with a monthly meal plan. Basically, I plan every meal -- breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- every day for the entire month. Almost all of our shopping {except for some weekly staples} is done in one large trip at the beginning of the month.
Then, all of our dinner prep is done in one day, separated per meal into freezer bags, and popped into the freezer. When we are ready to eat, we take it out and either heated up, cooked in the oven or throw it into the crock pot. After a month, I'm completely hooked.
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Morgan and I wanted to make our food budget a priority this year, so starting in January we started with a monthly meal plan. Basically, I plan every meal -- breakfast, lunch, and dinner -- every day for the entire month. Almost all of our shopping {except for some weekly staples} is done in one large trip at the beginning of the month.
Then, all of our dinner prep is done in one day, separated per meal into freezer bags, and popped into the freezer. When we are ready to eat, we take it out and either heated up, cooked in the oven or throw it into the crock pot. After a month, I'm completely hooked.
So, here's how to do it {or at least how this newbie does it}:
- Print out three blank monthly calendars -- label them breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Collect meal ideas.
For breakfast and lunch we pretty standard list of things that we eat on a regular basis. List them all out by meal. For dinner, I turned to Pinterest or Jayne at The Naptown Organizer. When I'm searching, I'm looking for meals that are specifically meant to be made in larger quantities and frozen. There are tons out there -- just search freezer meals.
- Figure out meal quantities.
This is a little trickier for dinner. I have to ask myself, how much do I want to eat this meal, and how much does the recipe make. I try for meals that I can eat 2-3 times per month, no more. I roughly plan for around 1/2-3/4 lb of beef/pork/turkey per meal or 2 chicken breasts -- and realistically split from there. Then, list quantities next to the meal list. Ensure you have enough meals to cover all the dinners you need for the month.
- Place the meals on the calendars.
- Create a list.
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- Shop -- buy everything on your list {and a treat for being awesome!}
- Cook and Freeze.
When everything for a meal is done, put it into a freezer bag. Label the bag and include any extra instructions {cooking times, etc.} to the outside of the bag. Place in freezer. Continue for every meal/recipe.
- Eat!
Enjoy the fruits {and veggies} of your labor for the next month! Yes, its a lot of work ahead of time, but then you're pretty much done for the whole month! One tip, make sure to move your meal for the NEXT day to the fridge the day before you want to eat it. That way, you don't even have to worry about defrosting your meal, just cook and eat.
So, that's how this newbie does it! Any questions? Or tips from experts? I would love to hear them!
