Comments on: Meal Planning

By: Kathy Gillen

Kathy Gillen — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:38:19 +0000

Thanks for your ideas. I’m also a meal planner. Something I didn’t do until at least the third child arrived. Now I have four and can got to the store once a week with a good list and menus and have it taken care of. I run into problems when my kids see the list and protest any of the menu items. But it usually works.
Kathy
http://www.lessonsfromthelaundry.com

By: Marriage

Marriage — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 19:14:23 +0000

Thanks for some great tips and links. I am having to revamp my meals plan due to my health and like you mentioned, the metabolism sure changes, especially when you hit menopause (mine do to surgery) — but I am there, hot flashes and all.

Thanks again! Kathleen http://strandedinthemountains.blogspot.com/

By: Karen

Karen — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:49:30 +0000

I grew up with a mom who made a menu each week and her grocery list from the menu, so that’s what I do. And it works very well for me.
I love thinking about “What’s for dinner?” only once a week!

By: Connie

Connie — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 11:20:32 +0000

I’ve just recently put all my cookbooks ‘in the kitchen’, instead of an out of the way bookshelf. I find myself grabbing a cookbook and just sitting down and browsing through and getting all kinds of great ideas for new meals.

By: Laura

Laura — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 03:37:01 +0000

I seriously don’t know how I ever survived without menu planning. I don’t enjoying cooking but menu planning makes it almost tolerable for me. No more frantic last minute fridge raids.

Thanks for the link!
Laura

By: Laurel Wreath

Laurel Wreath — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:51:27 +0000

Nope you stay in the kitchen, because you have such awesome ideas there Great suggestions girl.

I have a “fat, or non-diet” book and a “I want to lose weight” book. I think I need to get the second book out.

By: KT

KT — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 16:40:02 +0000

I literally threw all my cookbook magazines and cookbooks out. I know sounds horrible, but not really. I never used them, they just made me hungry. I did recycle them though. Instead, I use allrecipes.com and I have my “recipe box” on there. You can click on the recipes you would like to make and it will make a shopping list for you. I also use kraftfoods.com as well. I save what I like and I can look up anything. My computer is in the kitchen so it’s easy access.
I too have picky eater, we use to tell them that everything was chicken. It worked. They are 7 & 4 and we just tell it like it is and if they don’t eat it they go hungry. They aren’t starving because I know they get milk and a slice of bread. They know the hungry feeling so they know that inorder to not be hungry they need to eat and they are actually coming around and willing to try more. They are both boys, so I am seriously not sweating it, they will be eating me out of house and home in a few years.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:13:46 +0000

I love these ideas. Meal planning is my nemesis. I have such picky eaters and I buy so much food that nobody eats! It’s frusturating and wasteful. There are some weeks where we eat frozen meals 3 times and eat out 4 times. I know we need to change this but I just don’t know how. I’m really looking forward to hearing what others have to say!

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:40:13 +0000

I find making a double batch of meals whenever time, and ingredients allow makes a huge difference on those days where an hour before dinner you remember your family needs to eat. Also, I notice on days I GUBC (get up before children) things go A LOT smoother in the food prep. department. Gives me time to throw the ingredients in the bread maker and set the timer, and to pull out the ol’ crock pot. Other days….we eat hot dogs!!

By: Leah

Leah — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:18:45 +0000

Hey Dee Dee!
My tip for next weeks grocery shopping article:
When making my grocery list, I always write down: Snack food for kids.
Then, while perusing the isles of HEB, I grab plenty of healthy snacks for the kiddos. We have four, and those snacks go fast.
I also write: Fruit.
Then while in the produce, I find the least expensive fruit–usually what’s in season. I make sure to bag plenty of apples and banana’s, as they are the staple fruit in our house.
With those two things in place, I can pretty much stave off the “I’m hungry’s” for two weeks!
Leah