Hello, dear readers of Homemaker Recipes! I wanted to share a meal plan I created for a family of 5 who is busy all week and seeks comfort on the weekends! Meal planning is a staple in our home so I love sharing dinner ideas with you! Meal planning, for me, is a lifestyle change that can bring about remarkable benefits, from saving time and money to reducing stress. To demonstrate this, I’ve put together a family-friendly meal plan for a week, featuring favorites like pasta, chicken, shrimp, and tilapia.
Monday: Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry: stirfry that has vegetables and shrimp and served over rice or noodles.
Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Alfredo Pasta, steamed broccoli, and garlic bread
Wednesday: Grilled Tilapia Tacos and chips with homemade queso
Thursday: Baked Spaghetti, side salad, and garlic bread sticks
Friday: Homemade Pizza! Do one large one or make personal pizzas for everyone! This is a fun meal if you time to let the kids help! Everyone can build their own pizza!
Saturday: Beef Pot Roast with cooked carrots and mashed potatoes
Sunday: Baked Tilapia with Lemon Butter Sauce, grilled shrimp (optional), cajun pasta, and garlic bread
How I Meal Plan:
The best ways that I have found that make meal planning easy for me are a few simple things:
- I have a meal planning template that is appealing to my eyes and leaves me room to write me schedule on the side
- Before planning any meals I write to the side of the planner what I have going on during any evening that will put me home late, therefore needing a quick dinner option for that night. I also write down when my bonus kids come home so I can make sure I make their favorites while they are with us!
- I then add in any meals my husband or kids have told me they wanted for that week.
- I look at the weather! My hubby works outside in a very very cold location so I like to look at the weather to see when it's going to be the worst weather so I can make sure I make him a comforting meal to come home and get warm with.
- Finally, after I have all my variables, I go look in my freezers, fridge, and pantry to see what I need to use up. That is my last step because that is where my meals are formed!
Meal planning is a lifesaver, especially for bustling households. Here’s why:
1. Saves Time and Reduces Stress: Knowing what’s for dinner each night can eliminate the daily decision-making and last-minute grocery runs.
2. Healthier Eating Choices: Planning helps you to create balanced meals, ensuring your family gets the necessary nutrients.
3. Budget-Friendly: Buying only what you need for your planned meals can help cut down on impulse purchases and food waste.
4. Variety: Meal planning encourages you to try new recipes, preventing the dreaded dinner rut. We can only order pizza so many nights! We can only make tacos so many nights!
If all of this still sounds super intimidating, let me talk about a product of mine super fast! My Meal Planning Binder, a digital download designed to help you efficiently plan your meals each week. This binder comes with a template, over 500 dinner ideas broken down into pages and categories for all 7 days of the week, quick dinner ideas for when life happens and we need a quick fix, side dishes, lunch ideas for your kids, AND lunch ideas for your husband! It’s user-friendly, adaptable to your family’s needs, and an invaluable tool to transform your mealtime routines. All you have to do is:
- Purchase it HERE
- Print it
- Then I laminated mine and put it in a binder so when I want to meal plan all I do is open in, use a dry-erase marker to circle what meal I want that day, and DONE! My week is planned!
Meal planning is a journey towards a more organized, stress-free experience in your home. It’s about making mealtime a joy rather than a chore. I love to cook and bake! I grew up in the kitchen! However, when I started having to cook every night and struggle to think of what to make, I started hating the idea of cooking! When I picked up meal planning, it gave me back my joy in the kitchen and my food got BETTER! With the Homemaker Recipes Meal Planning Binder, you’re not just planning meals; you’re crafting memories, one dish at a time. Check out my link and see for yourself!
Happy meal planning, everyone! Share your meal planning successes, challenges, or your favorite weeknight recipes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Thank you for reading! Follow me for more dinner ideas, cooking tips, recipes, and health benefits we can get from our favorite foods!
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