Menu Planning 101--what would you cover? *current lesson outline included*

[NayneeNoo]

The first Wednesday of May, I'm teaching a lesson on menu planning to my MOPS group. The objective for this meeting is covering different ways to menu plan, as well as methods to stretching a grocery budget (many of our members have expressed during previous discussions that this is an area where they struggle). I won't be reading this word for word, but I'm a fast reader and can scan the sheet as I go through it, but if I don't write it all out, I'll leave out stuff! Here is my currently outline of what I'll be covering:

My weekly grocery budget is $150 for a family of five. This includes household cleaning supplies, diapers, pet food, and paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels. If I didn't menu plan, there is no way I'd be able to make this grocery budget work!

I’ve done my menus several different ways:
-No planning at all- Going to the grocery store and picking up whatever sounded good in the moment.
Pros: Not having to factor in a planning session into my week
Cons: I couldn’t stay on budget; lots of junk convenience food ended up in my cart; I always ended up forgetting an ingredient or two, causing me to make another trip to the store and spend more money

-rotation of “x” number of weeks worth of menus (I’ve done 6, 7, 8, and 12
weeks)- I assembled so many week’s worth of menus, and corresponding shopping lists. Each week I only had to pull up the week’s shopping list, write down what I didn’t have and I was done. (**Current method**)
Pro: Menus and shopping lists are already compiled for you no need to reinvent the wheel every week; no getting stuck in a menu rut since it’s already planned out and every meal comes around sooner or later; since I knew my shopping lists ahead of time, I was able to buy bulk ingredients when there was a really good sale—especially for meat and canned ingredients.
Cons: Extensive initial planning ( I stayed up really late night after the kids went to bed, compiling my menus and shopping lists. Perhaps 4.5 hours? It would depend how many weeks you're planning at a time.)

-Shopping twice/week, for 3-4 days at a time- I planned menus two days a week, shopped two days a week
Pro: Less food waste especially with produce since I only got 3 or 4 day’s worth of groceries at a time; when I stuck to my list, I spent less since I was only getting a little; if I forgot something it wasn’t that big a deal.
Cons: When I didn’t stay on my list, I was more likely to break my weekly grocery budget; I had to menu plan more than once a week.

-Planning one week at a time, using categories: chicken, pork, beef (or for us, ground turkey since Matthew can’t have beef), soup, meatless, pasta, seafood. Each day had a different category. I separated my recipes based on their main ingredient and pick one recipe from each category for the week. I keep the list visible and decide each morning which of those meals I’m going to make that day. I cross the choices off as we use them. It usually takes me snippets of time 2-3 days a week to get these menus and grocery list done—usually while the kids are eating lunch or I’m making dinner waiting for water to boil, the oven to heat up, etc.
Pro: I can cater to family members’ food wants each week; I can factor in ingredients that we already have to help lower my budget
Cons: Reinventing the wheel every week, sometimes I get "menu block" and the week ends up being really bland and boring because I'm just not feeling it.

-Planning one week at a time, with specific meals on specific days.
Pro: No thinking required about our menu every day. I just had to check what was on my calendar and go with it.
Con: I was inevitably not in the mood for what I had planned that specific day; I ended up working for the system instead of making the system work for me.

-Methods I’ve never done but I know they work for some people: Once a month menu planning, with major shopping all in one trip, with smaller trips for milk and produce as needed. Freezer menu planning, cooking everything at the beginning of a week or the beginning of the month. E-mail programs or websites that menu plan for you and tell you what to buy. Theme days (Mexican day, Italian Day, Leftover Day, Breakfast for Dinner Day, etc).

My current method: I currently use a combination of a few of the methods. I have a 7 week rotation of menus; each week has a meal from each category (chicken, pork, beef, soup, pasta, seafood, meatless). The 7 week rotation is already written out. On my planning days, I take the corresponding menu and, taking into account what is going on that week, I write out what we'll be eating that week. I plug it into my app and then write the menu choices on the chalk board. As we go through the week, I mark off the menu choices I've used.

I plan everything- breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus snacks for each day. My weeks run from Thursday to Wednesday.

My breakfast and lunch menus are on a daily rotation, but I have three rotations for each. The only thing I don't have on a rotation is our snacks as they are usually the same every week. I keep a list on our chalk board and mark off the choices as they are eaten. There’s two items I end up buying weekly (Cheddar Bunnies & Pirates Booty), but the rest usually last a
few weeks before I have to buy more.

For dinner, I have one meal from each category (chicken, beef, soup, etc). If I don’t use an item that week (unexpected eating out or Matthew is working late), then I just move it to the next week and plan 6 menus instead of 7. I almost always have a carry over from the week
before. If an item gets carried over more than one week, though, chances are we just aren't in the mood for it and I just scrap it. I freeze the ingredients I can and move on to the next full menu. Although I don't do exclusive freezer meal planning, I do keep freezer bags on hand. If I make a meal and we only eat half of it, I freeze the other half. Or if we skip a meal
and I have the time to go ahead and cook it, I prepare it then freeze it. The next time that meal comes around on the menu rotation, that's one less meal I have to buy ingredients for, which keeps my budget down even further! I keep a post it note taped to the fridge with a list of what I have in the freezer, marking things off as I use them.

No matter how you decide to menu plan, keep a running list of past menus so you have a fall back when you are stuck or in a rut. In the past, I've kept this “past menu” list in my paper planner, in a spiral notebook, and electronically (my current method is a hybrid of paper planner and electronically).

Remember that menu planning can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. Start out simple. Start with planning 3 or 4 meals for next week. Work your way up to however many meals you want to make a week.

If you want to do a rotation menu, gather your menu over several weeks if you don't want to plan it all in one fell swoop. For the next however many weeks you want menus for, menu plan every week, then save that week's menus in a spiral or on the computer, however works for you. In 6-7 (or however many you want) weeks you will have that many menus to set into a rotation.

I keep a list of breakfast, lunch, and snack options my kids enjoy so that I don’t have to remember them. If the rotation gets boring for them, I keep the peanut butter sandwich options (PB&J, PB Banana, PB & Honey) and change the other 3 days. This usually shakes it up enough for them.

To help me menu plan without spending hours searching through cookbooks, I’ve stored my recipes several different ways:
-In a binder, with page protectors, organized by category (breakfast, appetizer, main dish, dessert). I also kept my list of breakfast, lunch & dinner ideas in the front of this binder.
- On notecards & a binder rings (this was the most tedious method--I don't recommend it.)
- Electronically, using apps (I’ve used Evernote, Pepper Plate and Menu Planner—currently using Menu Planner because it also has a shopping list function that you can enter prices, so you know approximately how much your bill will be before you get there.)

Use paper, a Word document, or app (I’ve used Out of Milk, List Ease & currently MenuPlanner) to keep a price list if sticking to a budget is important for your family. I’ve done a price list a few different ways- I took a trip by myself with the sole purpose of writing down the prices of the items that I used most and then put the list alphabetically into a Word document and printed it out—when I planned my menu and made my shopping list, I pulled out the price list so I could make sure I stayed in budget. If a price went up, I either looked for a substitute or if I could eliminated the item from my list altogether. A price list also helps me know if the sales price is really a good deal or not. If you don't have time to do this, just start taking your receipt when you get home and writing down the prices of the items that you have bought. I recommend keeping your list alphabetical for ease of use. Right now I’m using an app that keeps track of prices for me. At first, I put in my paper version of a price list. This built up my price list without much more effort. Now, as I’m shopping, if a price has changed (not on sale), I correct it in the app. If I don't know how much something is while making my list, I estimate how much it cost, then change it in app while I'm at the store. That way there are no surprises at the register.

Answer any questions the moms might have.

Discussion Questions:
Do you currently menu plan? Briefly, what does that look like for you?
What is your biggest struggle with menu planning?
For you, what is the most stressful part of getting a meal on the table?
What is your favorite meal to use when you are short on time?
Share strategies for grocery shopping that help with menu planning.


Our meetings are roughly an hour and 15 minutes long by the time everyone drops their kids off, gets in the room, and we do announcements.

Thoughts? Is there anything you would add? Anything I went into way too much detail on? If you don't menu plan, would you find this helpful or do I need to tweak it? TIA!

[mummy2boys]

I don't menu plan and I found it VERY helpful

I am going to print it off tomorrow and use it as a guide. Thanks

[Marrae]

Great post, thanks!

[NayneeNoo]

Ok. Thanks ladies. I feel more confident about my lesson plan, then. Behind the scenes planning is my strong point. Planning the actual lesson and discussion is a little more nerve wracking! Lol


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[bliss]

That is a really great lesson! I grew up with the natural order of things being 'every penny is pinched until it screams' and it's always so foreign to me to run into people (DIL for instance ) who just go to the grocery store and pick out whatever looks good (andthen invariably get to the last week or more of the month with no money).

[NayneeNoo]

I wasn't taught homemaking skills growing up, so I had to teach myself. Still I, too, am shocked at the number of people that don't plan and don't understand planning a menu, but I'm always glad to teach them...but usually one on one, instead of in front of a group of 11+ people.

ETA: Usually the non planners are those who don't understand how I make $150 work for a family of five, but still cook from scratch and buy all my household stuff, too.


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[charla]

I think it's awesome information.

[sara1215]

This sounds like a super helpful lesson! I "sort of" meal plan and have been trying to stock up on things I can freeze, such as meat and cheese, when it is on sale.

[houseforjoy]

i think it sounds great. when i am "on my game" so to speak i print off a calendar and do a month long meal plan--and i also include all the meals and snacks and make a grocery list for each week, and knowing we are going to be eating ground beef 4 times in a month lets me buy it during week 1 when it is on sale, even if we don't need it till week 3 and 4.

in the beginning it does take having a bit extra to spend so you can stock up when things are on sale, so you might want to mention that, although by the end of the month it tends to even out -unless you buy more so you have some extra on hand for the next month, so you might want to add that into your con list-- that you do tend to spend more at first, so that you can save in the long run

[esperanza]

I also think you have a great outline! I didn't see anything related to this, so you might want to include the idea of buying one big piece of meat (like roasting a chicken) and then making a few different meals with the meat and broth. Sorry if I missed that in your outline.

[NayneeNoo]

Helpful additions, ladies! Thanks!

[houseforjoy]

Originally Posted by esperanza

I also think you have a great outline! I didn't see anything related to this, so you might want to include the idea of buying one big piece of meat (like roasting a chicken) and then making a few different meals with the meat and broth. Sorry if I missed that in your outline.

that probably doesn't ping her radar anymore (i know it doesn't mine) family of 5 = 1 roasting chicken and sides completely demolished all i can do now is take the carcass and make stock. but i do remember those days when i could put a roast in the crock pot or a chicken in the oven and have enough leftover to make an entirely different meal --instead of the end of the week "leftover night" when we pool the weeks worth of odd and ends that survived

[NayneeNoo]

Originally Posted by houseforjoy

that probably doesn't ping her radar anymore (i know it doesn't mine) family of 5 = 1 roasting chicken and sides completely demolished all i can do now is take the carcass and make stock. but i do remember those days when i could put a roast in the crock pot or a chicken in the oven and have enough leftover to make an entirely different meal --instead of the end of the week "leftover night" when we pool the weeks worth of odd and ends that survived

Actually, I do this when I need more chicken broth. I make 2 whole chickens one night, we eat most of one one night (my younger two are not big eaters), then I pick what is leftover and use it in later recipe that require pre-cooked chicken. Then make broth with the carcasses.

That said, there's only 3 of us in a group of 19 that 3+ kids, so I'm going to mention it.

[houseforjoy]

jealous!! the times i tried making 2 chickens everyone just ate more i dread the teenage years

[LilacPhoenix]

Here's how I do mine How I Organize Meals and Recipes http://cmlhealth.blogspot.com/2013/0...d-recipes.html