Menu planning advice please

[sweetnlow30]

Due to circumstances in our family, we are going to be on an even tighter budget that we have been, until I get my degree in December and start working again. We are going to have to make some serious cutbacks in September and I am a little worried about how it is all going to work out. I have been working on a stockpile the last couple months so that is going to help us quite a bit. We are mainly stocked up on lunch box items for the children, condiments, soup and toiletries.
I know that a lot of families on a budget, plan a weekly menu. I am looking into doing this but I am not sure how to make the most of it so we save money and still eat healthy. It is a little more difficult since I am on a somewhat calorie restricted diet and my husband is slightly picky . We try to restrict carb heavy meals like casseroles and pastas to once a week. I like to make lean meats on the BBQ with potatos or brown rice, fish or dishes with ground turkey in place of ground beef etc.
Can you possibly give me some tips, or tell me what works for you to help start me off on the right path. I am going to try to work in some flexibility so if I am having a busy day, I won't be stuck cooking for an hour as well. Please share your menu strategies
Thanks for the help!

[erinjuly4]

Hey!

I have recently completely reconstructed my diet since moving in with my boyfriend. He has always been a HUGE health nut, and I've needed to gain weight my whole life, and surprisingly I have gained almost 10lbs so far!! Which is astronomical for me as I have been 80-90lbs in my teens for years. I'm now 21 and finally looking better.

The easiest thing you can do I would say..is make meals simple. My boyfriend owns a butcher shop so we get our meat for free which is great- but- we keep them simple. Often nights we'll have fresh veggies and dip with a steak, followed by a fruit smoothie for dessert. You'd be surprised at how full you get!! The other thing too, is by shopping at a butcher, these days they are running cheaper prices on meat, that is 100% better. It makes a hell of a difference getting meat from a butcher. Cut better, taken better care of, grain fed, soooo many benefits!

Absolutely stay away from sugary items, and decrease bread intake. I was reading a book about the Paleo diet, and in that diet, breads are baddd haha. and in all truth, I haven't eaten bread or grains in about a month now, and I'm feeling great!

But like I said, keep it simple. I tend to bbq like 5 chicken breasts at once, eat 1 for dinner, and put the other in the fridge to eat for lunch the next day, or even in a salad or on a wrap. Its the easiest way. My boyfriend has lost plenty of weight, and we're both so much more toned now.

Hope that helps

[OctoberSun]

We meal plan similar to what Erin does cook multiple chicken breasts on the bbq or oven eat some for dinner with some cooked veggies, the next day cutting one up and having chicken ceaser salad and for dinner having chicken & veggie stirfry with your leftovers from the previous day. You really only had to prepare and cook everything once but it doesn't feel like your eating the same old thing because you keep changing up the flavours of each meal with minimal effort.

We also make big batches of soups, stews, chili, and spagetti sauce and freeze them in individual or family size portions so on busy days you can pop one out of the freezer and eat right away but its super easy and is still homeade.

I would also sit down with your family and see what they would like to eat and try to accomodate that into your new meal plan and see what meals can flow into one another for less cooking later.
I would also make a calander that shows what you will be eating on which days and try and coordinate with your families activities like on your busy days knowing ahead of time you will be defrosting your frozen soup the night before and having it ready in the fridge when you get home so you can quickly heat it up and go.

What really makes a difference in our house is waking up a little earlier and setting the table and having the pots that you will use on the stove, the spices laid out on the counter and the table fully set for what your eating. Those few extra minutes in the morning make the extra difference after work when your rushing to get home and go somewhere.

[sweetnlow30]

Thanks for the tips

[dreamcatcher1962]

We buy chicken in bulk when it is on sale and skin it and debone it ourselves.
Saves alot of money. Then we make soup stock from the bones. We clean the remaining meat off the bones after it has been cooked and use it in the soup.

Just as an example, NoFrills had chicken breasts on sale last week for 2.27/ lb.
This week Sobeys has Maple Leaf Prime Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts on for BOGO 9.98 /lb.
9.98/2 = 5.49 lb (divided in half to get bogo price) - 2.27 /lb = $3.22 per lb saved
So if you bought 30 lbs of Chicken Breasts at No Frills at 2.27 /lb and skinned it and deboned it yourself, you would save $96.60
30 x $3.22 = $96.60
You are still paying for the bones, but certainly not $96 worth.
In my books, for the little bit of time that it takes to debone the meat, it's definately worth it.

[FallenPixels]

As far as the actual menu planning side, it never worked for us when we said we are having x on Monday, y on Tuesday etc. We make a list of 14 meals for 2 weeks and do the shopping for them (I usually make the list once I have seen that week's flyer and know what is cheap), we stick the list on the fridge and cross the meals out as we make them to ensure we have ingredients for all the other stuff. That way, we only have to buy bread/milk until the next shop

[Insane]

I have a piece of paper on the fridge labelled Sunday through Saturday. I write the meal I am going to cook each day in and then shop for that week. I never have to think about what is for dinner. It's worked super well for us. And we eat out A LOT less because it's all planned out for us.

One thing I am really into lately is once a month cooking. I'm not so dedicated to actually do the entire month at a time, but I pick recipes here and there and do them. My favorite website is www.onceamonthmom.com They have vegetarian menus, gluten free ones, whole foods, ect...

[FallenPixels]

I also double up on recipes (easy since its just the 2 of us) and freeze the extra portion

[Lua]

I guess my main tip is like others.

I sit down and make a meal plan every Friday to cover the next Sat-Fri worth of meals. I usually base my meal plans around what is in the flyers and what we may already have in the house. Creating a grocery list that ONLY includes what you will need for your meal plan helps immensely in keeping the costs down. Be a littler more adventurous and try more vegetarian meals to help keep the grocery bill down, cook from scratch and only buy meat if it's on sale. we will NEVER pay full price for meat and will always pick something up if we notice a sale or a "pink/yellow sticker" even if it's not on the list. THat's what the freezer is for.

I've been doing this method for the past few months now and our weekly grocery bill (for the 2 of us) averages from $50-$60 a week! (this includes making extras at dinner to provide for DH's lunch the next day)

[juniperjune]

I have a food saver. When meat is on sale, I stock up and freeze it. Price matching at Maxi makes it a breeze. I do not have to run around wasting time and gas.

[Insane]

I have a food saver. When meat is on sale, I stock up and freeze it. Price matching at Maxi makes it a breeze. I do not have to run around wasting time and gas.

I love, LOVE LOVE my Foodsaver. It is fantastic. I buy trays of meats and freeze into smaller portions. Same with like raisins and other staples!

[blueeyetea]

I know that a lot of families on a budget, plan a weekly menu. I am looking into doing this but I am not sure how to make the most of it so we save money and still eat healthy.
Thanks for the help!

What you want to think about is how to make your meals more filling, and you can do that by increasing fiber-rich food into your diet, like beans, for example. Your stomach feels full quicker and you don't need as much food to feel satisfied. Baked beans with sausage is a good combination. Chili is another one. Bean soups are out of this world, IMO. Beans that you buy dried and cook yourself taste much better than the canned beans. The dried beans are also much cheaper than canned, and can be ready in 1/2 hour if you cook them in a pressure cooker. (Speaking of owning a pressure cooker, that's a kitchen tool that's invaluable if you want to save money.)

Vegetables are another way to increase your fiber and some vegetables are better than other. Forget lettuce if you want fiber to make a salad. Go for the heavier stuff: carrots, cucumbers, peppers, celery, cabbage, broccoli.

Keeping this all in mind, when planning meals, meat is always the big ticket in a grocery bill, so shop the sales for that, but also look at ways to replace or reduce meat in your meals by making soups and casseroles. (BTW, ground turkey or chicken is about the same as ground beef calory-wise.)

[blueeyetea]

Another suggestion is to keep a well-stocked pantry, if you don't already have one. Instead of planning your menu using this week's specials, stock your pantry and freezer with foods that come on sale and plan your menus on what's in your pantry. For example, chicken breasts are on sale this week? Buy as much as you can store in your freezer. You have enough room for 4 packs in your freezer? Then that means you have enough chicken breats for the next 4 weeks (if you eat it once a week.) Make a list of meals that your family eats on a regular basis and keep the ingredients on hand.

You'll discover that cooking from the pantry also saves time, because it takes less guesswork when you plan your groceries every week. If you already have the main ingredients, all you really have to worry about is fresh produce and fresh milk.

[blueeyetea]

Here's a recipe that represents what I've been saying in my previous posts. Except for the fresh peppers, I always have the ingredients on hand. I prefer fresh peppers, but when I seen them on sale, I'll buy the jars of roasted peppers for my pantry for when fresh is too expensive (in winter.)

This recipe can be ready in 30 minutes and feeds 4 (YMMV) when served with a salad. Freezes well, so recipe can be doubled or trippled. As well, one de-seeded jalapeno pepper can be added for anyone that likes a little bit of heat.

Turkey Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
2 red peppers, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Salt & pepper
Sour cream and/or grated cheese for garnish (optional)

1. In large frying pan, cook the chopped onion and peppers until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink.
3. Add the chicken stock, garlic, cumin, oregano and drained beans. Mix well.
4. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes, until the beans are warned through.
5. Serve, garnishing with sour cream and/or shredded cheese if desired.

[blueeyetea]

Here's another recipe that tastes so good, it's hard to believe it's so easy. Serve 4 (YMMV) when served with a salad. Can also be ready in 1/2 hours. The secret to this recipe is to let the onions brown, contributing lots of flavour.

Sausage with Beans

2 medium to large onions, sliced.
1 to 1 1/2 pound Italian Sausage, mild or spicy.
1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed.

1. In large frying pan, on medium-high heat, cook the onions until they soften and start to turn golden, about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, remove the sausage meat from the casing. When onions are starting to change colour, add the meat to the frying pan, breaking the sausage with a wooden spoon. Cook the meat and onions until meat is cooked through.
3. Add the drained beans to the pan and cooked until warmed through.
4. Serve.