So many people ask me about all my cooking and what I make each week...
So here is a step-by -step example of what I do on a weekly basis to plan our lunches and meals each week. I do this to save on time during the week. It seems like I would spend way too much time in the kitchen every day and this means I only spend approx. 2-3 hours in the kitchen to cook everything 1x per week. I cook every Monday afternoon for a couple hours.
Step 1: I begin with a notepad, note on my iPhone or iPad, or even just take mental notes. Here's my notepad that i purchased from Target.
Step 2: Pick a couple recipe books, apps, or even fun finds on Pinterest. At this point you need to know what you would like to eat. Lunches need to consider how packaging will work and also, dinners should consider how the storage will work out. For my husband and I we have salads for lunch and dinners usually consist of a soup or even some sort of warm dish for the evening. From these sources I create a list of what i would like for lunch and dinner that would be easy to individually pack or pack in large quantities.
Here's an example of these written lists. Notice that I have short hand ways of figuring out where each recipe comes from.
Step 3: So, from this I sit down and make a grocery list using my grocery app on my iPhone and will then check my pantry and fridge for what I already have. I will post a screen shot of this next time i actually have a list... I just went shopping yesterday and there is currently nothing I need to buy, hence, no list.
So that is how I shop for the week.
PLEASE NOTE: My husband and I eat the same meal for lunch all week and the same dinner for three nights in a row. We rarely get sick of the food we eat because i change the recipes each week. Keep in mind too that occasionally portions need to be adjusted to make the recipe last for the entire week. Additionally, if a recipe is vegetarian, I often add some form of meat.
Hope that this may help someone. I know many people are turned off by eating the same meal everyday, however this saves money and time and truly doesn't get old. Happy planning!!!
