Comments on: Managing Your Time In The Kitchen: Menu Planning

By: Meal Planning 101: Getting Started | Food on the Table Blog

Meal Planning 101: Getting Started | Food on the Table Blog — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 13:06:08 +0000

[...] Lynn of Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures started meal planning because she needed to save money. Now it saves her time and avoids the 5:00 panic. When you’re getting started, she recommends: [...]

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:51:13 +0000

@Jendeis, If my husband was in charge of the cooking, I doubt he would plan either.

By: Jenny

Jenny — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:37:53 +0000

I am extremely guilty of eating out if I don’t have a plan. We live near far too many great places to eat on the cheap, but most of them aren’t as healthy as I would like. I found that we were doing that two or three times a week and I put a stop to that and started meal planning.

I take care of a little girl with special needs and during the school year, I don’t get home until after 9. That’s late to be eating dinner, let alone start it! My husband is thankfully very supportive and usually had dinner done when I got home. I love cooking though, so I found I was missing out on the aspect of wife-dom that I love the most. On Sunday afternoon, I spend a lot of time cooking several meals at once and freezing them. I have worked out a great system! Of course, there are a lot of things I can’t freeze, like the fixings for tacos or other fresh ingredients I need, so planning for those definitely comes in handy!

By: Catherine Berner

Catherine Berner — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:58:56 +0000

I menu plan mainly because it saves me money. I always base my menu plans on what I already have at home and by what’s on sale at the store that week. That way I make sure I’m not letting the ingredients I have at home go to waste, and I’m making the most of my grocery budget. And that way I also don’t just go throwing lots of random things in the cart thinking, hmm maybe I’ll use that in something this week!
Catherine Berner´s last blog ..Sunny Day Chicken Salad

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:06:57 +0000

I menu plan – cause if I don’t we end up going out to eat waaayyy more than we should! It also helps keep the meals balanced. And like lots of other people have said, it allows for requests from other family members to be fulfilled.

By: Jendeis

Jendeis — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:14:45 +0000

We used to menu plan and I think it was good for us for all the reasons people have listed. When my husband goes through a bout of unemployment, however, the meal planning drops off as he takes over the household chores and doesn’t like to plan.
Jendeis´s last blog ..70-000

By: Shelly

Shelly — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:10:05 +0000

I agree that a plan helps! I do try to plan. Sometimes, I do better than others, and I work every other weekend, SOOOO the kids really like it if I have something already thought up, or else hubby makes fishsticks.

My only issue with planning lately is that hubby is in sales and summers are SLOW for commission, so grocery shopping is funky at our house right now. We have been doing a LOT of just eating our stockpile.

I cant wait to read about how you plan, and I have enjoyed reading your recipes! Thank you for sharing your ideas with us!!

By: Anna V.

Anna V. — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 11:24:07 +0000

I also do menu plan because I need to create healthy foods for my family, I have a ‘menu journal’ , for me it’s my guidance to literally see what am serving, and I also do a lot of research.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:02:57 +0000

@Vicki, I feel the same way. I am lost without a plan. And can I just say those calzones look so good!

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:01:57 +0000

@sarah k. @ the pajama chef, I agree about the requests. I often ask my kids what they want, and it will go on the plan. I helps work in meals that everyone will enjoy.