Meal Planning Tips + FREE Printable

Posted by My Dallas Mommy on Monday, September 26th, 2016 at 6:35 PM
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One thing families struggle with is keeping the grocery bill under control. Going in without a list and buying the first thing that looks good is no fun, and ends up costing way more in the end. Learning how to meal plan and sticking to it is easier than you think. Follow these simple tips to easy meal planning and a cheaper grocery bill.

  • Assign Each Day A Theme – This could make meal planning so easy! Salad Sundays, Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesday, Wild Rice Wednesday, etc. There are so many options and making out your weekly grocery list would only take a few minutes. Make it fun for the whole family by asking the kids to pick their favorites!
  • Pinterest – This deserves it’s own category. Spend a few minutes daily searching around on Pinterest for great recipes. Pin these to a board called “Dinner,” or something similar. When it is time to prepare your grocery list, all of the recipes will be pinned in your folder.
  • Prepare Your Meat Ahead – When you are cooking, it is easier to prepare almost all of your meat at once. If you are going to be using a lot of chicken, it is easy to clean and dress it all at once, properly freeze and pull out what you need for dinner. This saves time during the week, especially for busy moms.
  • Don’t Forget the Sides – While making out your meal plan for the week, also include side dishes. There is nothing worse than having every night’s main dish planned out, but no sides. What I like to do is make side dishes that can use a lot of the same products.
  • Get Help – It get’s hard trying to figure out something to cook every night of the week, get the kids and spouse in on it. Ask them what their favorite meals are or if they have any suggestions for dinner. You would be surprised at how many great ideas they can come up with!
  • Keep Stocked Up – Keep a stock of basic supplies, both in your freezer and pantry. A few extra bags of frozen veggies or extra rice and cream of mushroom soup can make a big difference. No matter if it’s extra company or an emergency backup, it is great to have a nice stock.
  • Write Your Meal Plan – Having your meal plan listed in a central location will stop the confusion of everyone asking what’s for dinner. A great idea is to print out a free meal planner printable, frame it and hang in the kitchen. Easily fill it in every week and you are ready to go.

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I hope these tips help make planning dinner and cooking dinner just little bit easier. To help you prepare this coming week’s meal I am going to share with you a sample of one of my weekly meal plans. You can also print this PDF “What’s On The Menu” that you can print out and hang on your refrigerator or hang in the kitchen. Hope you enjoy!

Monday – Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Tuesday – Healthy Beef Stroganoff

Wednesday – Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches with Coleslaw

Thursday – Chicken Marsala with Fresh Garden Salad *I use chicken stock instead of wine*

Friday – Southwest Stuffed Acorn Squash

Saturday – Chicken Fajita Pasta

Sunday – Grilled Ribs with French Fries and Steamed Broccoli

Print your Free Meal Planner Here

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