Menu planning

Hamsterjam

Out to lunch
Do you all menu plan? I've been doing SW for 3 weeks now and we've been consciously menu planning and it's helped with cutting waste and overspending as well as focussing what we are going to eat on each night. Last week was chaotic with after school stuff and late meetings so this really stopped us from the 'I can't be bothered, we'll just have.................' method of meal planning.
 
That is SO good! I'm not organized enough to do that. I generally just buy a few core things and then tweak my shopping list. I suppose that's sort of planning, but I don't write anything down. I always have big bags of prawns and tuna steaks in the freezer,(farmfoods are great and cheap for this) plus lean mince and chicken, and have pasta and rice around. And lots of chillies (I grow them) and spices.But it's easy for me as there's only the 2 of us.
 
I'm about to sit down with the recipe books and magazine to menu plan for this week as I need to do a 'big' shop
 
I too also menu plan. Normally on a SUnday morning (my shopping day) I sit down and write out my 3 meals for each day as well as some snacks and then I write my shopping list from that.

I also cook at least one new recipe every week so this time gives me the opportunity to sit down and go through my magazines and books.

I find planning keeps me on track and stops me wasting loads of food.
 
I do, on a wednesday after class, i sit down with all my recipe books and plan the meals through to the next tuesday. Really helps, since we have pack up for all 4 of us to factor in too, and then we know what were having all week.
 
I never plan my menus, my eating is ruled by my appetite.
If I plan I end up not wanting what i was meant to have.
I just make sure that I have all my SW favourites available and choose on the hop.
Sometimes I have what I'm making for the family but more often Ihave what I fancy.
 
well this week we are having

Fillet steaks with a peppercorn sauce and new potatoes
Chicken Dinner with Yorkshire Pudding
Fish and Chips
Beef Lasagne with Salad
Mediterranean Lamb Tray Bake
Cottage Pie with fresh veg
Chicken Kiev with salad and chips

plus chicken pasta and sausage paste lunch bowls, sandwiches and Jacket Potatoes!

yum yum yum
 
Wow, well done! I am trying to get to that point as well. We were out today and I ended up being really hungry (and didnt' remember to bring anything with me to nibble on) and I almost caved. Luckily we came home for lunch. I am really trying to make sure I don't waste food and save some £. I am going to try cooking mutiple meals on a sunday and freezing them. Dinner tomorrow is left over homemade chilli that my hubby made. Lush!

xx
 
i do fortnightly shopping, I have no treats in mind as it is a weakness for me, however I have given up chocolate until xmas as I dont find it filling and I always want more, more, more:)
 
I plan my menus but don't for Dean and the kids as they eat differently. I just make sure I have various stuff in for them. On Mondays I sit down and work out my weeks Dinners and Teas and make sure there is a new recipe in there for a Saturday when I get more opportunity to cook. I am toying with idea of planning the kids/Deans meals too - maybe! I do my main weekly shop Tuesday mornings.
 
Hey

In our house, the kids eat one meal (they normally cook themselves now theyre older...9 and 11). My partner eats another, unless I make a SW cottage pie or similar and I eat another.

I dont tend to plan for the week necessarily, I lie in bed at night and plan for the next day, write it down and once its passed my lips it goes on my food diary on the laptop and on here.

But, I eat very boring simple meals, pretty much the same each day.

eg

Jacket potato
omelette
fruit and muller for brekkie
pasta and sauce
mugshots
bolly
cottage pie
nutella sarnies lol

so its quite simple for me :)
 
That is SO good! I'm not organized enough to do that. I generally just buy a few core things and then tweak my shopping list. I suppose that's sort of planning, but I don't write anything down. I always have big bags of prawns and tuna steaks in the freezer,(farmfoods are great and cheap for this) plus lean mince and chicken, and have pasta and rice around. And lots of chillies (I grow them) and spices.But it's easy for me as there's only the 2 of us.

I'm just like you Judi...Except that plants die the moment I touch them! ;)

Oh and I have my 14 y/o son to feed but he's no trouble.
 
I used to plan for the week ahead but don't anymore.
I only buy SW friendly foods.
We have two small fridges and a freezer and all of them are jam packed.
I thought to myself just yesterday that before SW they were all part empty with junk and ready made meals.
The one fridge only contains muller lights, activia and oodles of fruit. The other has the other cooking basics.
My cupboards are full of syn free rice, pasta, cous cous and tins of beans etc.
So when it comes to meals we pick out what we want, and make sure we have enough for the week. Just topping up each shopping and it's easy.
 
i started off doing weekly plans but now im so used to buying all of the right stuff i just plan the night before or in the morning. Going to start mixing things up a bit though as im in a bit of an EE rut, so will start planning again
 
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