Meal Planning ...

[Linda]

for a whole year?

Here's a woman who meal plans for a whole year at a time. I think I do well when I plan for a whole week lol...

Interesting idea, but I'm not sure it would work for me or not.

First thing that comes to mind would be, what about days where you are invited somewhere for a meal (ie to someone's home, or to a special event dinner etc.). The meal/food for that day would not be used. Or......you wanted to have someone in for a meal (which I guess you could still serve that meal, but she is going on the premise of buying ingredients ahead when they are on sale and / or in bulk, so if you were to have someone in, you would need double the meat etc. and wouldn't that take from another meal using those ingredients?).

Also, what if one saw new recipes they wanted to try ..... with a plan made out for the year, it wouldn't leave any room to add these in.

On the other hand, it would save a lot of time....both in weekly meal planning (once you finished the yearly plan there would no longer be the need to do it every week) and in grocery shopping....if you could buy enough as it went on sale....it would eliminate most of the weekly shops saving some time.

As well, I guess you could tweak it a bit and leave a couple or a few days per month 'open' just in case you're invited out etc.

Not sure where I stand on the idea ...but interesting idea...

www.phillyburbs.com/information/guides/parenting/parenting_details/article/249/2010/march/01/mom-plans-meals-for-entire-year.html

Thoughts?

Linda

[violet]

Ok, my first thought is: why do people put an apostrophe where none is needed ("taco's", etc.) ??

But I will force myself to ignore that and address the concept.

I think it's a brilliant way to save money, because you're only buying what you need. Everyone knows exactly what's for dinner, and I would assume she'd have included everyone's favorites.

The downside is that if anyone's sick, or anything unexpected crops up, as Linda mentioned, there is little flexibility.

There are nowhere near enough vegetables for my liking in her plan, and it doesn't appear to allow for seasonal variations in available vegetables. That's a minus to me because whatever is in season is freshest and cheapest.

To allow for storage, I assume, most of the meals are far too heavy on carbs for my liking. There's also a bit of ham and pork, which I don't eat or cook.

While I have often aspired to be a good menu planner, and have done so in the past, I prefer a looser structure. I need to cook more protein on the days that people are at the gym, and more vegetables when they're not. Extra carbs when younger ds has boxing or is running. Meals that can be reheated when someone's going to be late home. Extra red meat when dd's iron levels are lower than usual.

Because none of these things happen at the same time each week, each day is a bit of surprise package.

That said, my grocery bill makes my eyes water. I don't know what the answer to the vexed question of how to feed the family for less is. I try to buy a selection of meat, veg, legumes, pasta and rice, plus oils, etc, when I shop, based on the price and quality of the goods. That way I've got enough basic ingredients to be able to make a variety of different meals, as the whim takes me. ;D

Elisa

[Linda]

Apr 10, 2010 15:41:51 GMT 11 violet said:

Ok, my first thought is: why do people put an apostrophe where none is needed ("taco's", etc.) ??

Elisa

'cuz I think they missed English class the days that topic was discussed..... ;D lol


I also thought there wasn't a lot of fresh vegetables in there as well. She has a lot of pre packaged box items in there too (like Hmb Helper etc.) and while those are really handy, they tend to bother my stomach a lot.... so we don't use them anymore.

The flexibility thing was the largest downside I noticed too. Sometimes, for whatever reason, a vegetable or fruit may be really reasonably priced for a long run. I like to be able to take advantage of that (or vice versa...there may have been a freeze in Florida which makes the produce too expensive/not very good/not available etc.).....so there would go those plans.

Sometimes too....we may just not feel like eating a certain meal on a particular day too.

I clicked on all of her months...and she seemed to know months ahead they'd be out of town for a ball tournament or a vacation. I'm not that well organized....and we rarely (if ever) know at the beginning of the year all the weekend aways that will be happening.

But that said...like you Elisa, my grocery bill makes my eyes water (and bulge too....like this guy here -------> ).

I do try and do a weekly meal plan (although since I've been sick, even this has fallen through because some days I haven't been able to stand in the kitchen long enough to make dinner....so dd makes what she can). I usually just plan 7 dinners, buy the items needed (or perhaps I have some in the pantry) and then pick one each day according to what we feel like eating that day.

But still....interesting idea to plan for the whole year. Just wish I could make that work.

Linda

[braided-rug]

Since I am on my third fortnight of $21 challange, and have been to the grocery shop very little since November I think, I am thinking between Christmas hampers and my pantry I must have had a lot of food. It is actually nice to see the pantry not so over stuffed.

I am seeing empty packets of things like coconut milk now, knowing they have to be replaced.

Linda yours is a plan and I think yours too Elisa, I think.

My plans I don't stick to the day I have beside it necessarily. Usually order the fruit before I do the plan. Once the meat is in I finalise it. Can't use the local shop as they don't have everything there all the time. However on the pantry challenge they usually have basic items that I have run out of, but not always.