Meal Planning

This past winter I got pretty good at meal planning. It's one of those small changes that really made things run a lot smoother around here. Not only did we have a plan in place every night (no more staring into a half-empty fridge at 6 p.m. with no idea what to make), we started eating healthier, wasting less food, and saving money at the grocery store. Weeks when I don't have a plan in place, like this past week, our dinners really fall apart - we don't eat dinner until 9:30 at night, or we have toast for dinner, or like last night we spend $45 on two take-out salads from Mandy's (I love Mandy's but $45 for 2 salads?!?). A little planning really does make a difference.

Every Monday, after a quick peruse of the fridge and pantry, I sit down and make a dinner plan and grocery list. My husband and I have made a goal of trying to eat more plant-based meals, so every week I follow pretty much the same formula - I plan for 1 - 2 fish/meat dishes a week, a large Sunday dinner that yields leftovers, 1 cheat meal, a weekly 'shop the fridge' night, and the rest of the week filled with simple vegetarian meals.

I know there are lots of apps and hi-tech ways to do meal planning, but for me I find the old-fashioned way works best. I bought a little notebook from the dollar store, and in it I write down my weekly meal plans and grocery list. I also keep a running list of meal ideas, so if I'm stumped while planning I can find a bit of inspiration. I do use the Wunderlist app for groceries though. I keep both a running Costco list and grocery list, both which are shared with my husband, which makes it easier for trips to the grocery store.

A couple of sample weekly menus:

WEEK 1
Tuesday - Tomato and zucchini pasta + salad
Wednesday - Shop the fridge
Thursday - Chicken/fish with cauliflower rice
Friday - Falafel wraps
Saturday - Spring frittata + salad
Sunday - Chicken/fish with mashed potatoes and green beans
Monday - Leftovers

WEEK 2
Tuesday - Quesadillas + salad
Wednesday - Shop the fridge
Thursday - Chicken/shrimp stir fry
Friday - Sweet potato frittata + salad
Saturday - Broccoli pasta + salad
Sunday - Coconut curry
Monday - Leftovers

Now that it's summer though, I'm struggling a bit with coming up with easy vegetarian meals. I don't feel that we can make some of our favourite standbys - like frittata - as it's too hot to use the oven, or even cook in the house some nights.

Any suggestions? Or meal planning tips? I'd love to hear!

XOXO