Titus 2 Homemakers
The Kitchen is the Heart of the Home => The Cook House => : gaggleofseven May 30, 2014, 09:46:45 AM
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Does anyone use a meal rotation menu plan? I'm thinking if I could consistently use a two-week rotation, it would greatly simplify my planning, make grocery shopping more efficient, and reduce my budget as well. If you do this type of meal planning, what types of meals do you include in your plan? I'm thinking of dinners right now.
Thanks for any advice you can offer!
Jennie
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Hi Jennie!
We don't do a strict rotation, but I have several dishes that I make that don't need a recipe and use the same main ingredients. For instance, we almost always have an Italian meal each week - lasagna, skillet lasagna, pasta with meat sauce, spaghetti squash lasagna. We usually have a Mexican meal - tacos, burrito, nachos. Same with a chicken meal - baked chicken, chicken and noodles, chicken in a soup, and so on. This way, I know that I need to buy ground turkey, chicken breasts, etc. and if I buy special ingredients to make a different variation, great, but if not, I can just use what I typically have on hand. This also gives us a variety of meals without having a huge variety of groceries.
I also plan my menus loosely at the end of each week (for the following week), and keep a running list of meals we've enjoyed in the past to choose from.
I hope this makes sense!
M
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I like your idea, Mandy, and loosely use that plan as well. We usually have breakfast for dinner once a week as well as some type of pasta. I usually plan one meat, potato, veggie meal which may be chicken, pork chops, etc. I also usually have either a pizza or sandwich night.
Like Mandy, I mostly buy ingredients that can be used in a variety of ways. I always have chicken, ground beef, fish, shrimp, pork chops, stew meat, roast, Italian sausage, some type of breakfast meat, eggs and various types of beans for our protein portion of the meal. I also always have onions, potatoes, garlic, carrots, frozen peas, frozen green beans and frozen corn and various canned tomato products. I keep a variety of fresh produce which varies according to the season. I have a few types of pasta and rice as well as a variety of dried herbs and spices and various condiments such as mayo, mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, salsa, etc.
With the above ingredients, I can make a large variety of meals with very little planning. If I see something I want to make, I usually have most of the ingredients and only need to get one or two things.
A two week rotation would not work for me because we would get bored. I would have a mutiny on my hands! 😄 I do repeat a few meals on a regular basis but sometimes drop those for a bit because of boredom.
Denise
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I need a two week rotation desperately. We are too busy right now and I no longer want to think anymore 😬
Wish I could do breakfast for dinner. Hubby wouldn't go for that.
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I am similar to Denise in that I keep the pantry stocked to where I can usually cook about any meal we eat. A few exceptions there, such as holiday meals or new recipes, but our normal meals. I'm not sure my family would go for repeating as soon as two weeks aside from a few favorites, but it could definitely make life easier at times.
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Jennie ~
trying to think of some ideas so I googled ;)
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/menus/strictly-pantry-menu (http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/menus/strictly-pantry-menu)
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/menus/summer-menu (http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/menus/summer-menu)
http://theartofsimple.net/menu-planning-resources/ (http://theartofsimple.net/menu-planning-resources/)
http://girlsguidetobutter.com/2012/06/simplifying-family-dinner-with-a-wekly-meal-schedule/ (http://girlsguidetobutter.com/2012/06/simplifying-family-dinner-with-a-wekly-meal-schedule/)
http://www.freetimefrolics.com/2013/02/5-week-meal-rotation-calendar.html (http://www.freetimefrolics.com/2013/02/5-week-meal-rotation-calendar.html)
http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/Wisconsin/cacfp-menu-planning.pdf (http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/hsmrs/Wisconsin/cacfp-menu-planning.pdf) - page 77 starts summer rotation
http://goodcheapeats.com/2012/10/meal-planning-101-make-a-two-week-rotation/ (http://goodcheapeats.com/2012/10/meal-planning-101-make-a-two-week-rotation/)
http://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2013/03/23/simplify-menu-planning-with-rotating-menus/ (http://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/2013/03/23/simplify-menu-planning-with-rotating-menus/)
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Oh, now I've got some reading to do! I'm wanting to simplify my menu planning too! :) Thank you. ;)
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Oh, now I've got some reading to do! I'm wanting to simplify my menu planning too! :) Thank you. ;)
me too ;)
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Thank you, everyone! And thank you for these links, Cathie!
Jennie