meal planning 101

So the lovely Beth from Achoo You is keen to know how I do the whole meal planning thing.  While I'm certainly no expert, I am totes organised/OCD/OTT when it comes to all things of a housekeeping nature, so brace yourself peeps, for some hardcore Meal Planning tips and tricks....

Step One:  Preparation
Get yourself a meal planner.  Mine's from Kikki K, although I have seen similar ones sold at Target and Kmart.  I like this one, because it has a massive magnet on the back, which means I can stick it to the fridge to refer to during the week.

Step Two:  Planning

Actually planning the meals takes me about 10 minutes.  And here's how I do it...

1.  I grab my planner and any recipes that I might like to use for the week ahead.  

2.  I only plan for dinners, which leaves the breakfast and lunch sections free to write notes etc in.  I usually write in any appointments/after school activities etc that we might have that week in the breakfast section, just to remind me of what the hell is going on!  Then I just sit and think about what I feel like making each night.  Sometimes I'll ask the kids if there's anything they would like and I almost always drag out a recipe book and have a crack at whipping up a dish I haven't made before.  This is the recipe book I'm using this week...(I'm going to throw together a baked lamb curry on Friday night.  Page 81 for those of you playing along at home.)

3.  Once I've asked the kids what they would like for dinner**, flicked through a recipe book or two and had a bit of think, I fill in the meals for each night...

**FYI:  asking the kids what they want for dinner, doesn't mean they will actually get that meal.  I just like to ask them to a) involve them, b) get ideas & c) keep on track with my never ending quest to win Mother of the Year.

While I'm filling in the meals, I make a list in the lunch section of any ingredients that I might need and then transfer that little list to a notebook that I carry in my handbag (like I said earlier, I'm totes OTT) which I refer to when I'm doing the actual shopping.  Here's what the planner looks like when I'm finished....

All up the process takes me about 10 minutes.  And saves me about 100 bucks at the supermarket cos I'm no longer wandering up and down the aisles wondering what the hell I'll cook for dinner each night and aimlessly throwing stuff in the trolley.  And, I'm in and out of that supermarket in under 35 minutes.  Cos I'm totes a power shopper.

How about you?  Did you find that helpful or were you totes rolling your eyes at me and my OTT Meal Planning abilities?