How To Organize Your Menu Planning 10 Simple Meal Ideas

Apr 3

Does it ever seem like the tasks of menu planning, grocery shopping, and meal preparation take far too much time?

Do you feel like you live at the grocery store, always running to get that one thing you lack in a recipe, or the main ingredient in what you spontaneously decided to have for dinner?

You're not alone - many of us feel overwhelmed by the tasks involved in meal preparation. And in the middle of all that, it's supposed to be healthy, right?

To help you with this frustrating problem, here are some tips on menus and meal planning, and how to organize family meals so that everyone is eating healthily and you're not exhausted all the time.

Organize your menu planning

The List

You probably already have a grocery list - but is it organized?

It can really help if the list is laid out in the order that the store is organized. If the produce section is the first thing you see when you walk in, for instance, then "produce" should be the first category on your list.

If you have trouble remembering the layout, snap some pictures of the store directory or the aisle headers to help you remember what’s were.

Include coupon notices on your list, too. If you have a coupon for an item, mark it in some way (maybe put a star or a "c" in a circle next to the item) so that you don't forget.

This can be especially handy if you go to a store where you use electronic coupons that are loaded onto your shopping card where you can't see them.

The Kitchen

It's a good idea to get your kitchen organized. Few things waste time like hunting for items that you can't find, and few things waste grocery money like buying something you forgot you already had.

Keep things like salt, pepper, sugar, and condiments you use a lot within reach of the stove.
Canned goods can be kept in the same general area and organized according to type.
Pots, pans, and appliances that you use often can be stored on the countertop, while less-used ones can go in cabinets.

Preparing the Meal

When you prepare the meal, try measuring out ingredients first, then mixing them. Multi-tasking can come in really handy - for example, boil pasta while preparing the salad, or bake the potatoes while you're grilling the chicken breasts.

Another idea for quick meal preparation is to use the oven for more than one thing. Many dishes can be tweaked to accommodate a hotter or colder oven setting.

Make ahead whatever you can - chop vegetables and refrigerate them for use during the week, for instance, and make foods that can be used for other dishes during the week.

Bake a chicken on Monday night, for instance, and plan for chicken salad on Tuesday. Yesterday's meal can be your made-ahead ingredient.

Delegate

When you're planning your weekly or monthly menus, try to break down some of the meal preparation steps and see who else in the family can take over those tasks. Esspecially right now, while we’re all home on coronavirus lockdown. Involve your family as much as possible and make this time together a blessing and not a curse.

For example, if you're having tacos one night, then assign the grating of the cheese and shredding of the lettuce to one of your kids or your spouse; another family member can get the taco shells out and placed on plates; you can be responsible for browning the beef. Breaking down meals into simple steps that can be shared helps a lot.

10 Simple and Tasty meal Ideas

What are you serving for dinner tonight? How about lunch on the weekend?

It can be a daunting task to come up with meal ideas especially if you have kids. Here are ten quick ideas for family meals try one tonight.

Spaghetti: - It’s easy to quickly boil noodles and simmer some spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti has so many add-ons your family will enjoy: Italian sausage, hamburger, diced vegetables and a variety of herbs and seasonings.
Tacos, Olay! - If your family likes Mexican food, whip up a batch of tacos for dinner. Use hard and soft shells for variety. For family menu planning, dice the fixin’s ahead of time so you can just pull them out on taco night.
Macaroni and cheese - What kid doesn’t like this as a dinner main dish? Spice it up with diced tomatoes, crumbled bacon, sliced hot dogs or hamburger.
Pizza - This is not the store-bought or the delivery. Keep several prepared pizza crusts on hand. We like make our pizza dough but when we don’t have time, Pillsbury is our favorite. On pizza night, let the entire family choose which toppings they want on their pizza. Prep time is fun and it only takes about 20 minutes or so to bake.
Skewers - you can create tasty chicken, pork, seafood or beef kebobs quickly. Skewer the meat and your favorite vegetables and place them in a sealed container until meal day. This is the benefit of meal planning - getting prep work done early. Cook your tasty kebobs on a gas grill or use a grill pan indoors.
Hot dogs and mashed potatoes - Nothing could be easier than throwing them in a pot of boiling water or grilling them up. For the health-conscious family, use light franks or turkey franks by Oscar Mayer or Ballpark.
Chef salad - Salads are always quick to fix but they usually lack something in the taste department. With a chef salad you get your portion of protein from lean ham or turkey. The taste comes from the add-ons: bacon crumbles, parmesan cheese, tomatoes, shredded cheese, black beans and cucumbers. Use anything that your family likes.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich - Dinner doesn’t need to be a four-course meal. For a new taste, add deli meat or a juicy tomato. Our local deli makes an amazing grilled cheese panini with three cheeses, bacon & tomatoes on sourdough bread with a pesto sauce on the side…YUM! It’s one of my favorites.
Tortilla wraps - Create delicious quick sandwiches with your favorite flavor of tortilla. Glaze with mustard or low calorie mayonnaise. Add crunchy veggies and diced chicken, pork or beef and some hot sauce to spice it up.
Leftover creations - Use leftovers to create salads, casseroles, sandwiches and soups. Don’t let anything go to waste if it can be used for new meals. Let these ideas spark your interest in having a great meal with your family.