I started on my menu planning journey by making a master list of all the things I could think of that my kids eat. Now when I have to make a menu, I will just pull one thing from each section of the list, add sides, and be ready to go off to the store. One of the hardest things- decision making- already done!
Now this isn't a food blog, so I am not going to post recipes or links or how-to's, but I will share our master list with you. I will be adding to it as we try new things and decide if they are "list worthy" or not.
Our basic week goes like this-
Sunday: Breakfast for dinner
Monday: Croc pot meal
Tuesday: Mexican (we use that term pretty loosely)
Wednesday: Italian or pasta (again, pretty flexible definition)
Thursday: Chicken or beef (usually some sort of casserole)
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: Other, anything that we want to eat that doesn't fit in the above plan
And here is a copy of our "meals my kids will eat" list. Some things are healthier than others. I wish there was more variety in some areas. Some are like that because I just don't know how to make some things. Other areas are smaller or left out because my kids just won't eat some things (like beans). You can tell it is unedited because I left in the things like Hamburger Helper and frozen pizza instead of substituting something more interesting like veggie burgers or roasted asparagus or something. So, keeping the above disclaimers in mind, here is our menu planning list!
Meals my kids eat:
Chicken: Chicken noodle soup; Chicken spaghetti; Chicken taquitos; Chicken enchiladas; Chicken salsa tacos; Grilled chicken; Chicken alfredo; Chicken patty- marinara sauce, bbq sauce, plain; Chicken drumsticks; Creamy chicken pockets w spinach and tomatoes; Mandarin chicken salad; Chicken salad sandwiches; Chicken stove top casserole; Chicken and rice bake; Chicken wraps; Chicken nuggets –scratch or frozen; Chicken tenders – honey bbq, marinara, crackers, cereal, buffalo, frozen; Chicken lasagna- frozen; Chicken breast w seasonings or gravy;
Baked chicken w/seasoning
Mexican: Beef tacos; Chicken salsa tacos; Taco salad; Beef taquitos; Nachos; Beef enchiladas- rolled or layered; Rice and chicken quesadillas; Cheese quesadillas; Bean burritos; Bean dips w Spanish rice; Soft tacos w beef or refried beans; Breakfast burritos; Chicken taquitos; Fajitas- chicken or beef; Homemade tortillas; Taco casserole; Fried bean roll ups; Crescent roll taco ring; Chicken and cheese enchiladas
Italian: Lasagna-scratch; Lasagna roll up; Frozen lasagna- white or red; Spinach pasta toss; Spaghetti; Chicken alfredo; Stuffed shells/manicotti; Chicken gnocchi soup; Chicken Parmesan; Ravioli (frozen); Tortellini (frozen) with red or white sauce; Hamburger helper; Lasagna pasta toss
Pizza: Traditional toppings; Bbq chicken; Chicken alfredo; Cheeseburger; Taco; Can crust balls; Cheese breadsticks; Rolls ups; Calzones; Bread dough roll up or braid; Monkey bread pizza bites; Bread sticks; French bread pizza
Chinese: Stir fry- chicken or beef; Noodles; Fried rice; Teriyaki rice bowl; Frozen meals; Spring rolls;
Beef: Beef and barley stew; No water beef stew; Meat balls-bbq, spaghetti, meatloaf; Meatloaf; Hamburgers; Chili; Sour cream noodle bake; Pot roast; Beef stroganoff; Hamburger stew; Bbq beef sandwiches; Steak; Steak kabobs; Shepherd’s pie; See Italian; See Mexican
Other: Hot dogs- plain, pigs in a blanket, chili dogs, beanie weenie; Corn dog muffins; Fish sticks; Baked potatoes w ham, cheese, broc; Grilled- cheese, turkey, ham, pbj; Chef Boyardee; Canned soup; Soup in bread bowls; Sausage and potatoes; Scalloped or augratin potatoes with ham; Pork chops; Tuna/chicken helper meals; Chef Salad w/ eggs, ham, turkey, cheese; Cheese and crackers plate; Sandwiches- rolls, bread, bagels, pitas, tortillas, waffles, English muffins, croissants
Breakfast: Eggs and veggies and ham crescent braid; Oven pancake; Pumpkin pancakes; Oatmeal apple pancake; Skillet apple pancake; Waffles; Eggs; Potato casserole; Broc ham egg quiche; Crepes; Eggs in a nest; Cinnamon rolls; Scrambled eggs- cheese, ham, sausage, veggies, etc; Fried eggs; Pancakes- fruit in or on top; Rice pudding; Oatmeal; Baked French toast; French toast; Muffins; Coffee cake; Cereal; Frozen waffle sandwiches; Yogurt w fruit and granola; Smoothies; Egg/ham/cheese muffin; Bagels; Biscuits and gravy;
Sides: Hush puppies; Rice a roni; Pasta roni; Mashed potatoes; Smashed potatoes; Steak fries; Sweet potatoes- casserole, fries; Rice- butter, cheese, salsa, etc; Couscous; Gnocchi; Macaroni and cheese- box or scratch; Cottage cheese w fruit; Garlic bread; Rolls; Boxed pasta salad; Mozzarella sticks (frozen); Cheese bites (frozen)
Fruit/Veggie: Steam in bag veggies w/ sauce; Corn on the cob; Steamed fresh or frozen veggies- corn, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, acorn squash, green beans, carrots, cauliflower; Fresh veggies for dipping- celery, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower,peas, cucumber; Zucchini strings; Fried squash or zucchini; Salad- greens, shredded carrots, diced tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, add dressing, cheese, and croutons; Baked apples; Applesauce; Fruit salad; Canned fruit- peaches, pears, oranges, pineapple, etc; Fresh fruit- apples, pears, pineapple, mango, peaches, nectarine, banana, berries, strawberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, kiwi, grapes, plums; Frozen berries in yogurt, cereal, smoothies, pancakes, or just eaten; Fruit or veggie kabobs w/ dip.
Now you know more than you ever wanted to about our family's eating habits. It is a start right?
Here is our menu for this week.
M- chicken spaghetti, salad, bread (Pioneer Woman Cookbook)
T- Taco Salad, fruit or melon wedges (Taco Supreme from Mels Kitchen Cafe)
W- lasagna rolls, salad, bread (copied from a meal brought by my friend Kathryn after I had a baby)
T- hamburgers, curly fries, fruit salad
F- pineapple chicken sandwiches or corn dog muffins (idea from my friend Sue)
S- beef and barley stew for church picnic (recipe ripped from a parenting magazine years ago) (and I'm really nervous about this one, I usually sign up to bring watermelon or cupcakes, things I can't mess up)
S- French toast bites
So far, one week into my meal planning adventures, and I am doing well. Grocery store this morning took an hour and 15 minutes, but I figure that is good enough for having all 4 kids with me. And I spent $165, with $200 the before discount total. Could have done better saving. Next time.
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