Bonus List: Ideas for Dinner

Meal planning is an essential part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. It involves planning your meals in advance, usually for a week or so, to ensure that you have healthy, nutritious meals available to you throughout the week. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits and importance of meal planning and some tips on how to get started.

First, it is important to recognize that what works for one person may not work for someone else. If a suggestion seems impractical for you and your family, you can adjust and change it. Some people plan a weekly menu, and others meal plan for the entire month.

We will discuss the benefits of meal planning and why it is important. These are the reasons to meal plan. And then, I will give you step-by-step tips for developing and maintaining a meal plan.

The Benefits of Meal Planning:

Meal Planning Saves You Time

If you are like me, you probably stood in front of your freezer or refrigerator for 30 minutes before dinner, thinking, “What should we have for supper?” Just the time spent trying to figure out dinner is overwhelming. You could probably write a novel with all the time you devote to figuring out what to make for dinner. Furthermore, knowing what you intend to have for dinner every night in advance means you can food prep. This is a great way to save time. If you have carrots three times during the week, you can cut all the carrots at once.

Save Money by Meal Planning

By planning your meals, you can save money by buying groceries only once a week and avoiding last-minute takeout meals. This will also allow you to save money at the grocery store because you won’t be popping in just to “grab a few items.” We rarely eat fast food anymore. Have you seen the cost of a meal at McDonald’s? Avoiding fast food is great for weight loss and being healthier overall. Additionally, sticking to our food budget means we have more money for fun activities or travel!

Healthier Choices

Meal planning allows you to make healthy meals by choosing fresh, whole foods and avoiding processed and packaged foods. When you start to prepare home-cooked meals, not only will you realize the money (See #1) you are saving by preparing your foods, but you will also begin to understand just how processed our foods really are.

Reduces Food Waste

Planning meals helps reduce waste by allowing you to buy only what you need and use leftovers creatively. Furthermore, I buy less food because I have a plan for all the food I buy. I have become very creative with using leftovers so they don’t seem like leftovers and instead are “new meals.” Soup one day becomes a sauce or gravy for another.

Reduces Stress

Knowing what you’ll eat ahead of time reduces the stress of deciding what to cook each day and ensures that you have everything you need.

Healthier YOU

Poor food choices lead to health problems. If you have specific health issues check with your healthcare provider (or the many specialists online), who can help you select more nutrient-dense foods to overcome your health issues. I know many people diagnosed with diabetes who can go off medications because their sugar levels are under control with healthier meals and food choices.

Tips for Meal Planning

Start Small

If you’re new to meal planning, start by planning just a few dinners per week and gradually increase as you become more comfortable. Personally, I don’t operate in this manner. My philosophy is to go big or go home. It doesn’t take much time to figure out the entire week. However, many people report that when they saw how easy two or three meals were to plan, they were more likely to expand to a weekly meal plan.

Plan Your Meals Around Your Schedule

Consider your weekly schedule when planning meals, and choose quick and easy meals for your busy schedule. A nutritious meal can be made in little time. On super busy days, make sure to plan easier meals such as toasted cheese and tomato soup or pancakes and sausage. Plan the pizza night when you are especially stressed to reduce dishes and the stress of getting dinner ready.

Check Your Weekly Grocery Sales

We get our grocery stores weekly specials in our mail. However, if you don’t received them, you can still find them online. Using the weekly flyers create meals based on what is on sale. This is one of the best ways to save money. If carrots, broccoli, and pot roast are on sale this week, you know that your meal plan should include those items.

Know the Sales

Did you know that there is a rotation of sale items? All stores have a rotation of items they place on sale. Knowing when the sales are helps you plan and save money. If you know that every 12 weeks, frozen broccoli will be on sale, then you can stock up. Go on over and check out this post about the sales cycles.

Create a Master Meals List

I have created a master list of all the meals I cook. As a bonus, I have detailed them below. Some are a once or twice-a-year meal and others are a weekly or biweekly meal. Some of the meals, I can double and have freezer-ready meals. Then on busy days, all I have to do is grab a balanced meal out of the freezer the night before and defrost in the refrigerator to pop in the oven the next afternoon.

My master meals list includes family favorites. When we have something at someone else’s house that my kids or husband likes, I place it on my master list. When my son-in-law says, “I would like to try…” I pop it on the master list. I am constantly updating and improving my master list.

Watch for “Food Ruts”

When I get in a food rut (making the same 3 or 4 meals repeatedly), I go to my master list. If nothing suits my fancy (which is nearly impossible as I have so many meals on there), I know it is time to look through a few cookbooks or Pinterest to find something interesting to try. When I come across a new meal in my Facebook feed, I pop it on my master list along with the website.

Make Your Grocery List

After I check my grocery store sales and consult my master list of meals, I make my grocery list. When grocery shopping, it is wise to follow a list. This will ensure you don’t overbuy or buy something because you are hungry. Furthermore, I have also had my husband begin shopping because I know I impulse buy too often. I send my husband with a shopping list, and we don’t overspend or buy foods that end up in the trash.

Be Flexible

Don’t be afraid to change your meal plan if needed. Life happens, and sometimes plans need to be adjusted. In fact, I usually plan a meal each week that says “out to eat” or leftovers, depending on the week.

What if I plan a day to go out to eat, and it just doesn’t work out? No worries! If we don’t go out to eat, that is the day that we open the refrigerator and pull out all the leftovers from the past several days and have a potluck meal. Everyone gets something different.

Get Creative

Experiment with new recipes and ingredients to keep your meal plan interesting and exciting. Everybody needs food variety. Having a healthy diet is important, but having new and exciting recipes is also important.

Prep Ahead

Spend some time on the weekend prepping ingredients, such as chopping vegetables or fruits, to save time during the week. In fact, I have found that washing and prepping vegetables right when I get them home from the store helps save time, but also refrigerator space.

Consider batch cooking

Sometimes I make pulled chicken in bulk and freeze a portion for the next several weeks. I have also been known to make “chicken nuggets” in batches. In the long run, it saves me time and money (and time is money).

First, to accomplish this, I buy chicken in bulk when it is on sale, and then I batter and pan fry 10 lbs. at one time. The following meals can be prepared with chicken nuggets: chicken nuggets and fries, orange chicken and rice, sticky chicken and rice, garlic-honey chicken, chicken stir-fry, chicken, broccoli, & rice, salad with chicken nuggets, chicken nugget parmesan, chicken tacos, Thai coconut peanut chicken, chicken peanut sesame noodles, apricot glazed chicken, chicken & pasta alfredo, chicken marsala, chicken in lemon-wine sauce, chicken teriyaki, fried chicken and waffles, Asian-Honey chicken, etc. As you can see, you can make sure a variety of recipes from “pan fried and then frozen chicken.”

Get Your Family Involved

Everyone needs to eat! Do you know the story of Chicken Little? Chicken Little wanted help getting the wheat, taking the wheat to be ground, making the bread, baking the bread, etc. But nobody would help with the meal preparation. However, everyone was willing to eat the bread when it came time to eat.

Our household rule has always been that if you don’t help, you don’t eat. Enlisting family members in meal prepping ensures you teach your children cooking skills and healthy habits. When your kids can make their own meals, you will know that the time invested has paid off.

Another benefit of having your family help is that you may find one of your children is a budding chef!

If you need some help, try some of the meal kits to get you going. Meal delivery services cover menu planning and portion sizes with simple tips and steps to help get you started. My husband had never really prepared a meal outside of eggs, pancakes, fried bologna, hamburgers, and hot dogs. Using meal kits helped him gain confidence and see how easy it was to make a meal.

Don’t wait until the start of a New Year

Many say, “I will start meal planning in January after the holidays.” Start now. One of the top benefits of meal planning and healthier eating is that you will learn to pass up the processed foods loaded with chemicals and food dyes. Meal planning also allows you to “plan” for those night outs and parties when you end up overeating.

My Master List of Dinners

Chicken Meals:

Orange Chicken

Coq Au Vin

Thai Coconut Peanut Chicken

Thai Chicken Peanut with Noodles

Chicken Teriyaki

Whole Roasted Chicken

Grilled chicken with cider/bbq sauce

Apricot Glazed Chicken

Peanut Sesame Noodles with Chicken (or Shrimp)

Chicken Sandwiches with Rub

Chicken Francaise

Coconut Chicken Tenders

Asian Honey Chicken

Roasted Garlic Chicken

Barbecue Chicken

Baked chicken Legs wrapped in Bacon

Chicken Teriyaki/Rice/Broccoli in Instant Pot

Crispy Sesame Chicken with Sticky Asian Sauce

Cheddar Broccoli Chicken & Rice

Wings

Fried Chicken & Waffles

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

Rice Krispy Chicken

Beef Meals:

Beef Bulgogi

Tacos

Philly Cheesesteak

Meatloaf

Hamburgers & Fries

Pot Roast

Prime Rib

Beef Burgandy

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

Sloppy Joe

Chili

Pork Meals:

Pulled Pork, Coleslaw, Corn Bread

Sausage, Peppers & Onion Sandwiches

Ham Dinner

Kielbasi

Seafood Meals:

Fried Fish

Baked Fish

Blackberry Haddock

Salmon

Tuna

Buttered Cod

Low Country Boil

Shrimp Scampi

Coconut Shrimp

Pasta Meals:

Lasagna

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Shrimp & Pasta

Baked Rigatoni

Fettuccini Alfredo

No Meat Meals:

Stuffed Zucchini (this can be made without meat or with sausage stuffing).

Toasted Cheese & Tomato Soup

Macaroni & Cheese

Pizza

Other Meals:

Lamp Chops

Lamb roast

Eggs/Toast/Bacon

Pierogies

Pancakes/Bacon

Charcuterie Board

Quiche & Soup

Fondue

Salads:

Cole Slaw

Asian salad

Roasted Pear Salad

Caesar Salad

Soups:

Cream of Mushroom Soup

French Onion Soup

Baked Potato Soup

Tomato Soup

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Chicken & Rice Soup

Wedding Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup

Sides:

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

Fried Brussels Sprouts

Candied Carrots

Roasted Peppers

Rice

Ratatouille

Red Lobster Biscuits

Green Beans

Green Bean Casserole

Corn on the Cob

Mashed Potatoes

Roasted Potatoes

Yams

Baked Potatoes

Potatoes Au Gratin

Scalloped Potatoes

French Fries

Grilled Pineapple

Applesauce

Baked Apples

Cooked Apples

Cooked Pears

Roasted Pears

Grilled Peaches

Desserts:

Bread Pudding

Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookie Bars

Beignets

Carrot Cake

Hostess Cupcakes

Andes Mint Cake

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake

Orange Creamsicle Cake

Pizzelles

Kolachi

Kolachi Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Brownies

Angel Food Cake/Strawberries

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ho-Ho Cake

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Roll

Texas Sheet Cake

Chocolate Cake/Chocolate Icing

Inside S’Mores

Apple Pie

Brazilian Lemonade

Caramels

Peach Cobbler

Sundae Bar

Cookie Bar

Appetizers:

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Cheese Fondue with Pears, Green Apples, Beer Bread, Carrots, Cauliflower

In conclusion, meal planning is an excellent way to eat healthy, save time and money, and reduce stress. With some planning and creativity, you can create delicious and nutritious meals that will keep you satisfied throughout the week. So why not try meal planning and see how it can benefit you and your family?