If you’re like me, your kitchen appliances (dishwasher included) are getting quite the workout these days! Keep reading to see how I am handling meal planning while social distancing!
If you’ve been following me on social media for long, you know meal planning isn’t new to me. Basically, if I don’t plan, we eat cereal or takeout. About a year ago, I did my first round of Whole30 to discover what ingredients or types of foods were bothering me. Because meal planning is pretty much a necessity for Whole30, I had to get serious about planning out meals out in advance. Fast forward a few more Whole30 rounds later, and I’ve greatly improved my meal planning, prepping, and cooking skills! While I don’t follow Whole30 to a tee anymore after learning which foods to avoid, I stayed in the habit of planning our weekly meals as a way to stay organized, keep my family fed, and waste less money and food.
Meal Planning A Month Ahead…
It’s been even more important to incorporate meal planning while social distancing! While my meal planning routine hasn’t changed much since we started social distancing and sheltering in place, what has changed is how far in advance I’m attempting to plan. Instead of going grocery shopping weekly, I’m trying to play for 3-4 weeks ahead to limit our store runs as much as possible. This doesn’t mean things don’t change slightly, but when I have my plan in place, I know exactly what I need from the store when I go, and we waste way less food and money.
Take Inventory, Allocate What You Have, Then Shop
If you’re new to planning, I recommend you first take a good inventory of what you have. I started by literally pulling every single thing out of my freezer and pantry (not at the same time). Then I threw away anything bad and jotted down a list of all the possible entrees and side dishes I could make with what I already had. Next I made a list of things that were almost out. Then I started pairing side dishes with entrees. I split these into two different lists: regular dinner ideas (ones that take a little longer to cook) and quick ideas (super fast pop in the oven and you’re done dinners or quick ideas for lunches). Then I made a grocery list of things I’d need to make complete meals out of items I had left over.
Planning Monthly Versus Weekly:
On a monthly calendar, I scheduled out meals for the month, but I wrote in pencil so it could easily be changed. You could also laminate and use a dry erase marker on your fridge, too! Having this calendar CHANGED THE GAME in terms of how many times a day I was hearing “What’s for Dinner?”
I scheduled meals that used our fresh produce first so the produce wouldn’t go bad, and I left in days for leftovers based on how much I know we normally eat. I did not schedule out lunches and breakfasts, but I do frequently refer to the “quick ideas” list for ideas for those. After planning the month, I used weekly sheets to plan for the week, and put those on the fridge for my family to reference.
Free Printables to Help:
For a while, I used notebook paper for these tasks, but recently, at the request of several followers, I made these FREE PRINTABLES for meal planning that I’ve now been using! Click here to get on my email list if you aren’t already to access all of the freebies on my website!
The Simpler, The Better:
I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t get a lot of joy out of cooking. It’s not something I find super enjoyable, and I really have to be in the mood to bake, which usually only happens around holidays. When looking for new recipes or meal ideas, I go for as easy as possible. I live for crockpot meals where all the ingredients are dumped in. Occasionally my husband and I will try a new multi-step recipe together, and while it’s fun to do it with him, it’s not something I can do every night or even multiple nights a week. I’m also not opposed to sprinkling frozen meals in throughout the month either. I can slap some veggies on the side and still feel like I’m serving a healthier meal than takeout.
Dinner Ideas:
While I’m at it, I don’t profess to be a good food photographer. But for example purposes, I did snap a few pictures for you below. You can look at my entree lists to see how basic we are on a usual-day basis! I just add fresh veggies to these-most of the time oven roasted or dumped in the crock pot with the meat. In terms of seasonings? You guessed it….I’m also basic there too. I pretty much use salt, pepper, and paprika on the regular, unless a recipe calls for something else.
- Chicken thighs (baked, barbequed, sprinkled with Shake n Bake, grilled
- Breakfast for Dinner (waffles, pancakes, eggs, omlets, turkey bacon)
- Talapia (roasted, broiled, or grilled)
- Fish Tacos
- Salsa Porkchops
- Tacos with rice and beans
- Chicken Quesadillas
- Cubed Steak
- Spaghetti
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Salmon Patties
- Grilled Steak
- Goolosh Casserole (some people call this Hamburger Supreme)
- Grilled or Baked Salmon
- Shrimp & Zucchini Noodles
- BBQ Pork Chops
- Chuck Roast in the Crock Pot
- Chicken & Wild Rice Casserole
- Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings
- Chicken Fajitas
- Baked Pork Loin
- Hamburgers
Quick Meals:
While I try to limit the frozen and processed foods, there are times when I need something quick and easy. We sprinkle these in our meal planning in moderation, but there’s really no shame in our game when we do incorporate these some:
Quick meal ideas:
- hotdogs/corndogs
- sandwiches
- Pizza Pockets
- Chicken strips
- Tuna or chicken salad
- Soups
- Cereal nights (my kids love these)
- Pizza
Healthy Snack Ideas:
Here’s my list of Healthy Snacks on the fridge for my kids:
- Bananas with peanut butter (add sprinkles and they’ll think it’s dessert) Also works with apples!
- Turkey wraps
- granola bars
- fruit (grapes, strawberries, apples, oranges)
- Applesauce
- Drinkable yogurts
- Veggie straws
- Goldfish crackers
- Raisins/craisins
- Cheese sticks
- Boiled eggs
- Fresh veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, etc.)
A Few Extra Tips:
What about you? Are you meal planning while social distancing? Do you have any tips that work for you? Add them to the comments below!
