I have always been interested in the blogs and websites dedicated to meal-planning on a budget and with a busy schedule. I find pins on Pinterest and pin them to my boards and then never make them or find that they aren't really what I am looking for, they don't sound appetizing to me, I know my children won't eat them, or they are all one type of approach, like all freezer meals or all crockpot meals, they are mostly frozen foods or processed foods, they just haven't been right for my family.
We are a family of soon to be six. We are a blended family. We are a busy family. We have a 10 year old, 8 year old, 15 month old and another baby due in April. My husband and I both work and we have lots of extra curricular activities going on with my husband's fishing and my children playing the sport of the season, at the same time but in two different places.
We all have different needs and I try to keep our meals on the healthier side but balanced, I still use canned goods or boxed rices and pastas but prefer to make it homemade or semi-homemade when possible. I like to bake and make sweet goodies that aren't the best for us but they sure are delicious! I am not the Mom who makes their kids eat everything in their plates, nor do I tell them they will go hungry if they don't eat what I serve. I do however require them to try new foods but I always make sure that I have made something they like to go with it. So far it's worked for us, I have one pickier than the others but for the most part they all eat a good variety of veggies and proteins without fuss and I'm proud of that. And then there's my 15 month old who is probably the best eater of them all. I also have to take into account a toddler friendly menu for him. So yes, sometimes I have three different menus going on, but they all include the same basic ingredients and really it's not too hard to have slight variations going on that make everyone happy. I enjoy cooking so that's probably the key to that.
My Goal:
-To post the planning menu for the week, pics, recipes, and learnings from this project.
-To be able to replicate a week's plan later on so that there is less planning.
-To also include healthy lunches to take to work for myself and my husband so we aren't spending extra money on food on the go that is probably not the healthiest of choices.
-To keep a budget in mind, and this is the hardest goal for me I think, but I'm trying to stick to a budget of $100-$125 a week.
The cost: the cost for the week will include all things that will be used up or perish in the week's timeframe. It will also include per piece costs of items from my pantry and freezer. I'm sure I will get better at this as I go.
The approach:
-Things I take into consideration when planning, what's already in my fridge, pantry, and freezer.
-Leftovers, not just reheating and eating but recreating when it makes sense.
-Trying a new recipe at least twice a month. I tend to get bored and I'm always looking for new ideas.
If I get this down I will not only have weekly menus to replicate but I'll have all of next year's meal planning done before January 1st.
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