Meal planning is definitely harder with a kid. Not only is there less time to plan and prepare, but the grocery shopping trip every single weekend is a dreadful imposition on precious family time. I'm trying to create a swift and simple routine. Less variety. More convenience. And really, really, need to get costs down.
BREAKFAST
Oatmeal
Cereal
Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Yogurt & Granola
LUNCH
Sandwiches
Leftovers
SNACKS
Cliff Bars
Apples & Peanut Butter
Pears and Cheese
Chocolate and Almonds
QUICK DINNERS
Tacos
Spaghetti
TJ's Salmon Burgers
TJ's Chow Mein
TJ's Eggplant Parmesan
TJ's Enchiladas
TJ's Marinated Meats
BEVERAGES
Coffee
Milk
Tea
This will be the recurring list of staple items to have on hand. The once a month we will also do a big freezer meal cookoff with the Zenovichs to have a variety of nutritious convenience meals on hand. We also have the produce deliveries coming every other week for a constant stream of side dishes.
I hear you on getting costs down. Good grief. But I promise that cooking will get easier, especially when Caitlyn is eating what you are eating. I find myself getting super motivated to cook a variety of things now that Wesley is so interested in food. And so far, it's turned him into a good eater.
ReplyDeleteI still meal plan, but I plan with recipes that have canned goods in them, like chilli or sausage/spinach soup, so that if I'm too tired to cook, the ingredients can last at least a few days until I can get to them. :)
Good luck! It sounds like you have an awesome plan for your family's food habits. xo