For a while, I put the evening’s menu on a dry-erase whiteboard. It was fun and cute. (And occasionally, I still do it.) But it wasn’t a functional way to actually plan a week’s worth of meals. Now, I use a Google Calendar, and it’s been great for our family. Here’s how to use one easily in your home.
Focus on the Food, Not Recipes
Getting Out of a Food Funk
Here’s something interesting, I’d think, holding a vegetable we haven't had in a while or a tempting marinade or sauce. Then, I'd consider different preparations ... pasta, stir fry, tacos, the grill. Followed by: Who cares? It’s not like my boy will eat it anyway.
Between my son’s allergies and his pickiness about food (yay, toddlerhood!), I get into rut after rut.
3-3-1 Meal Planning
In my house, we are creatures of habit. With a toddler, routines and patterns are important, and frankly, my husband and I like our routines too. There’s benefit in mixing up the routine, of course, but there’s comfort and efficiency in sticking with a routine.
I still fall behind on meal planning regularly. But I do have a system that — if I do it — works really well for me. So, I thought I’d share it in case it helps someone else.
Product Love: Meal Planner from May Designs
I've tried a variety of tools to help me stay organized with meal planning for my family: apps, notebooks, whiteboards, my brain. These days, I'm loving a custom notebook from May Designs.