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Post by freecharlie on Mar 7, 2021 17:19:01 GMT
plan? What intervals?
What dishes are regular?
What is on you menu this week?
(Yes I'm looking for inspiration)
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Post by gar on Mar 7, 2021 17:23:11 GMT
Yes I almost always do. I do it on Sunday for shopping on Monday. I just love that I don’t have to think and ponder everyday about what to cook. This week Tuna bake, colcannon, homemade fish and chips, roast chicken, baked avocado and prawns, pork stir fry, vegetarian bolognese and mustard-y chicken.
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,418
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Mar 7, 2021 17:26:08 GMT
We usually do a vague weekly plan after DH does the grocery shop on Saturday. He buys for Sat - Tues normally, then I shop Wednesday to get us to the end of the week. This week we have: grilled steak and baked potatoes, pork chops with sweet potato slices and salad, chicken fajitas, pesto tortellini - that gets us to Tuesday night. Wednesday is undecided, Thursday will be something vegetarian, but I haven't decided yet, and Friday will be seafood curry laksa (a spicy Malay style noodle soup). At the moment, Friday is fish/seafood, as we are Catholic and it's Lent. We have a few regulars, but we also have a bit of a seasonal rotation. Summer is more grills with salads, winter more stews, soups and other hearty dishes.
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Post by chaosisapony on Mar 7, 2021 17:27:02 GMT
I'm going to start trying to do better with meal planning. Since I'm single and live alone I find myself lately just making a lot of convenience foods and I miss the days when I would cook a lot of real food. This is what my plan is for today:
Marinate and grill chicken that can be used in tacos, nachos, burritos, etc. This will be frozen to use later. Grill hamburger patties and make potato wedges. This will be dinner for tonight and a couple of lunches at work this week. Slice up cucumber and put in single serving bags for a healthy snack. Slice up green and purple onions and store in glass jars. It's easier to cook after work when a lot of the prep is already done and I have found onions keep really well this way.
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Post by femalebusiness on Mar 7, 2021 17:34:12 GMT
I only plan dinner the morning of. I don't know what I will feel like eating days in advance. If I do plan earlier than that I usually end up changing my mind. My husband is the same way. We like choosing the meal depending on what we are hungry for.
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Mar 7, 2021 17:34:39 GMT
I don't "meal plan" per say.
I bulk cook. I do not enjoy cooking, so when I cook, I make a lot so I can freeze some for later. I buy ready to heat type stuff
Individual hamburger patties (so all I have to do is defrost and put the on grill). Roasted vegetable assortment Pancakes Breaded chicken strips Shredded chicken Pot Pies Taquitos Pasta Meatballs Soup Taquitos
So at any given time, I usually have a variety of individual meals in my freezer.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 7, 2021 17:38:59 GMT
I only plan dinner the morning of. I don't know what I will feel like eating days in advance. If I do plan earlier than that I usually end up changing my mind. My husband is the same way. We like choosing the meal depending on what we are hungry for. how do you get meat to thaw fast enough?
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Post by littlemama on Mar 7, 2021 17:40:27 GMT
Every week before grocery shopping, I figure out what we will eat the next week. I always have emergency items in case plans change. To me, that is just what you do as a normal part of life.
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Post by femalebusiness on Mar 7, 2021 17:47:22 GMT
I only plan dinner the morning of. I don't know what I will feel like eating days in advance. If I do plan earlier than that I usually end up changing my mind. My husband is the same way. We like choosing the meal depending on what we are hungry for. how do you get meat to thaw fast enough? Every morning we talk about what sounds good for dinner and I take meat out to thaw. I sometimes use the microwave to thaw meat that lends itself to nuking it. If it is a big roast or something like that, I will plan a day ahead and thaw it. eta: A lot of times between morning and dinner time we will change our mind. I am known to put stuff back in the fridge when we change our mind. Then we eat it the next day.
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Post by ~summer~ on Mar 7, 2021 17:51:45 GMT
No I don’t plan more than a day or two in advance. A typical week I’ll probably try 1-2 new recipes, make 1-2 “fall back” recipes. And do take out 1-2 nights.
Fall back recipes include chicken curry, paneer curry, spaghetti, tacos, kale and sausage soup, and salads with a protein thrown in.
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Post by myshelly on Mar 7, 2021 17:55:27 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week?
I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible.
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J u l e e
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,531
Location: Cincinnati
Jun 28, 2014 2:50:47 GMT
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Post by J u l e e on Mar 7, 2021 17:58:10 GMT
I do. I rarely feel like eating anything and if I left it up to each day, I’d end up just skipping dinner altogether or throwing something unhealthy together.
I make a huge plain salad (lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots) and we eat that at dinner or take for lunches as long as it lasts. I’ll throw pasta/tortellini in it or roasted tofu, etc. to make it more like a lunch, or have a little as a side with whatever’s for dinner.
We aren’t big meal eaters. We go for healthy but quick and simple. This week is quinoa enchilada casserole, rice and bean “chipotle” bowls, sheet pan veggie-sausage/peppers/baby potatoes, homemade pizza, and soup.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 7, 2021 18:06:19 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible. we buy meat from local people so we bug a dife of beef and half a pig at a time. Chicken I buy whenever and put in the freezer. We have stapes in the pantry and front closet as well as items in the freezer. Our milk is delivered Depending on the meal, the only thing I may need is fresh fruit of vegetables. So the staples are here, I just need ideas of what to do with them. When I grocery shop it can go two ways, I can just buy stuff and figure it out or have a plan. Some weeks I don't do a big trip and just hit the small local market on the way home for whatever I need.
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Post by gar on Mar 7, 2021 18:06:39 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible. Before I planned....You buy stuff you fancy, ideas come to you as you ‘walk around the store’ as we used to do. Oooh, pork steaks...haven’t had those for a while, that’s one, a chicken ...that’ll do for roast and then risotto etc. Most basics are already in the fridge or cupboard and the worst that happened was that I either popped out because I didn’t have any spinach (or whatever) or I picked a different recipe if I was missing an ingredient.
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Post by catmom on Mar 7, 2021 18:08:00 GMT
I plan about a week to 10 days out to reduce grocery trips. I also roughly meal plan lunches because I'm terrible at thinking of something in the moment and will end up eating popcorn. Note that I get 3-4 recipes and food from GoodFood (like Blue Apron) each week, so half the week is always covered. This week is pil pil shrimp, scallion & cheddar risotto, seared sausages with mustard braised lentils, herbes de Provence chicken, garlic crusted lamb and roasted vegetables, salmon with radicchio and pine nuts, and ordering in one night.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Mar 7, 2021 18:08:02 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible. I hate to grocery shop. Like major anxiety hate it. I buy a lot of stuff and stock up when I do go. Like I keep canned beans, rice, chicken/beef stocks, pasta, cheese, eggs, etc. And I have a big freezer for meat and frozen vegetables. Plus you would probably laugh at my obscene collection of assorted oils and vinegars and spices and seasonings. And I've been growing my own herbs too. So when I need something special or just some fresh veggies/fruits and milk, I send Jeremy to pick up a few things. He doesn't mind stopping on his way home from work. But when I shop, I shop like I'm not setting foot in a store in another month.
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Post by ~summer~ on Mar 7, 2021 18:09:44 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible. I buy meat from butcher 1-2 times per week along with fresh produce. I have a fully stocked fridge and pantry to cook most things we eat. My menu also revolves around what is in season in stores or farmers market.
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Post by whipea on Mar 7, 2021 18:15:58 GMT
Meal planning for me consists of opening the refrigerator seeing what is in there and eating it. Currently do not really eat meals, just eat whatever when I need to. D/H eats meals and grocery shops but what he eats is way to heavy for me.
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Post by myshelly on Mar 7, 2021 18:29:35 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible. Before I planned....You buy stuff you fancy, ideas come to you as you ‘walk around the store’ as we used to do. Oooh, pork steaks...haven’t had those for a while, that’s one, a chicken ...that’ll do for roast and then risotto etc. Most basics are already in the fridge or cupboard and the worst that happened was that I either popped out because I didn’t have any spinach (or whatever) or I picked a different recipe if I was missing an ingredient. Ok. It sounds like the people who don’t meal plan do all the things I would saw off my pinky toe to avoid - walking around the grocery store or shopping multiple times per week 🤣🤣 Having to shop for produce on the way home every day sounds like the third circle of hell 😬
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Post by ntsf on Mar 7, 2021 18:31:34 GMT
I plan the day of.. or I have leftovers I plan to have for dinner.. sort of catch as catch can.. I live near to lots of stores. so I have stuff in freezer and pantry, I make it up as I go along.
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Post by gar on Mar 7, 2021 18:35:10 GMT
Before I planned....You buy stuff you fancy, ideas come to you as you ‘walk around the store’ as we used to do. Oooh, pork steaks...haven’t had those for a while, that’s one, a chicken ...that’ll do for roast and then risotto etc. Most basics are already in the fridge or cupboard and the worst that happened was that I either popped out because I didn’t have any spinach (or whatever) or I picked a different recipe if I was missing an ingredient. Ok. It sounds like the people who don’t meal plan do all the things I would saw off my pinky toe to avoid - walking around the grocery store or shopping multiple times per week 🤣🤣 Having to shop for produce on the way home every day sounds like the third circle of hell 😬 Oh gosh no, that’s not my idea of fun either 😊
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kibblesandbits
Pearl Clutcher
At the corner of Awesome and Bombdiggity
Posts: 3,305
Aug 13, 2016 13:47:39 GMT
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Post by kibblesandbits on Mar 7, 2021 18:36:31 GMT
I put together a plan for the week, lay out a tentative plan for what we will eat on which day, and what days are "leftover days".
This week I'm making a pork tenderloin and rice, chicken soup, fried rice (with the pork leftovers) and egg rolls, a pasta dish of some kind, and sandwich night. I make a big salad at the beginning of each week, and boil a bunch of eggs to have around.
Other than that? Cereal lololol
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scrappinwithoutpeas
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,998
Location: Northern Virginia
Aug 7, 2014 22:09:44 GMT
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on Mar 7, 2021 18:36:49 GMT
We do a weekly meal plan on Sunday for the coming week, then grocery shop accordingly. We usually make the grocery list at the same time, with things needed for the upcoming week added to the running list we keep going for staples we run out of during the week. I actually bought a meal planner ( like this) that hangs on the fridge so we can see at a glance what we're having for the week, the running list of groceries, and recipe ideas & notes for future meals with new things we want to try. We also wrote out a list of our family favorites (our repertoire, so to speak) that we keep with the cookbooks so we can be reminded of something we might not have had in a while. All of this has made things so much easier! I did not meal-plan before the pandemic & have always hated grocery shopping, so the daily "what should we have for dinner?" anxiety was much more of a PITA. I won't go back to not planning ahead even after things get back to "normal" (whatever that is, LOL). We still sometimes change something around mid-week if needed, but for the most part we stick to it. I still hate grocery shopping, but DH usually does it (he's way faster and more efficient than I am). I've gotten much better about making detailed grocery lists too so he doesn't have to text me while he's in the store to ask about stuff. Another plus is that we don't run out to the store multiple times in a week anymore like we did pre-pandemic. It was easy because we live very close to our preferred grocery store so it was easy to justify...but no longer!! We go no more than once a week (often every other week), and Costco is only once a month or less. We have not done this week's full meal plan yet, but I can tell you we're having grilled salmon with lime tonight, and the week will include chicken parmesan, and probably a pizza night.
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Post by myshelly on Mar 7, 2021 18:43:04 GMT
Ok. It sounds like the people who don’t meal plan do all the things I would saw off my pinky toe to avoid - walking around the grocery store or shopping multiple times per week 🤣🤣 Having to shop for produce on the way home every day sounds like the third circle of hell 😬 Oh gosh no, that’s not my idea of fun either 😊 Someone else mentioned it as their solution. I never want to walk around a market or even go inside one, much less multiple times a week.
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Post by peano on Mar 7, 2021 18:51:37 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible. I don't meal plan. I wake up, drink some coffee, and figure out what flavors I'm in the mood for. I walk my dog, then go to the store and buy whatever ingredients I need. It's not unusual to do 3-4 grocery visits per week. The advantage is, I'm always in the express lane, and my produce is super fresh.
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QueenoftheSloths
Drama Llama
Member Since January 2004, 2,698 forum posts PeaNut Number: 122614 PeaBoard Title: StuckOnPeas
Posts: 5,955
Jun 26, 2014 0:29:24 GMT
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Post by QueenoftheSloths on Mar 7, 2021 18:58:02 GMT
I always try to meal plan. Step 1, check for things we already have that need to be used up. Oh, this pack of bacon expires this week. Must choose recipe to use up bacon. Step 2, read grocery ad. Oh, bags of spinach are buy one, get one free. Let's have something with spinach this week. Step 3, fill out the rest of the plan. Monday I will be working a long day and I'll be tired. Let's make something on Sunday that will leave leftovers for Monday. I got a new recipe in an email today that looks good, let's have that this week. DH, do you have a craving for anything this week? I haven't picked a pasta recipe this week, I'll choose this one.
yes, step 3 is where it gets tricky.
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Post by chaosisapony on Mar 7, 2021 18:58:22 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I HATE grocery shopping (and by grocery shopping I mean staying in my car and doing drive up at Walmart...I can’t even remember the last time I walked through a store with a cart and a list...nothing to do with the pandemic, I was pick up only for years before Covid), so I plan as much as possible to do as few trips as possible. I just keep a fully stocked kitchen and pantry. I hate grocery shopping too (and pick up doesn't exist much where I live) so I tend to go on big shopping trips a couple times a month and that's it. If I find I really crave something that I don't have the ingredients for I'll just pick up the missing ingredients in a couple weeks the next time I'm at the store. Maybe this is easier because I'm just cooking for one person and not a family. I'll buy say, a 6 pack of buns, keep a couple out and toss the rest in the freezer so they don't get stale and I won't have them later. Almost all of my fresh produce will easily keep in the fridge a couple of weeks (I buy heads of lettuce not bagged salad as that goes bad almost immediately whereas a head of lettuce will last a good while). And for about six months out of the year I have a garden I can get fresh veggies out of.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Mar 7, 2021 19:00:44 GMT
I plan dinner for Saturdays-Thursdays. (We go out to dinner on Fridays... take out during the pandemic.) I plan/make the grocery list on Friday night, shop Saturdays, but sometimes visit another store mid-week if my Saturday store was out of something.
This week's menu is: S: Burgers (saturday is usually burgers). S: tacos (per SO request) M: stuffed shells T: baked eggs (new recipe, assuming mid-week store has puff pastry) W: chicken nachos R: gyros. from a box.
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Post by lucyg on Mar 7, 2021 19:07:22 GMT
I only plan for a couple of days at a time. My fridge, freezer, and pantry are really well stocked, so I’m able to put together most of the meals we like from what I have on hand. Otherwise, if there’s something missing that we need or want, I pick it up the next time I get groceries. I’m not a big fan of grocery shopping, but I do like to wander the aisles of Costco and find things I wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.
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Post by femalebusiness on Mar 7, 2021 19:14:26 GMT
No snark, but if you don’t meal plan, how do you grocery shop? Like how do you know what to buy to make sure you have all the ingredients for dinners that week? I have a fully stocked pantry. I always have all of the ingredients to make anything that I want to. When I shop it is to replace the back up that I have to open. I don't shop because I am out of anything.
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