Plan your menus on paper Turns out planning dinner menus is a little more complicated than it first appears—but becomes easier with experience. All it takes is a little thought and planning. When I wrote my cookbook, “Mealtime Magic: Delicious Dinners in Half the Time,” I took many factors into account when planning menus to create new meals using leftovers. Now I'll share which factors I considered to plan over a hundred meals so you can use these guidelines to plan your own tasty, satisfying, and people-pleasing dinners.
What to Consider When Planning Dinner Menus
Plan a variety of protein: meat, beans, cheese and nuts. Limit red meats: beef, pork, and lamb. Eat more white meat: chicken, turkey, fish, and seafood. Add a starchy side dish: potato (sweet or white), corn, rice, pasta, or grain, and a vegetable (raw or cooked) in a variety of colors: green, yellow, orange, red, white, and purple. Include a different tastes: salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and savory. Include different textures: crunchy, chewy, crispy, juicy, creamy. Use a variety of cooking methods: braising, boiling, steaming, broiling or grilling, roasting, sautéing, and pan or deep-fat frying.
Dos:
Take time to think through and plan menus
Include foods you and your family enjoy eating
Plan a variety of cultures, tastes, and textures
Look in your pantry and freezer to incorporate those foods into your plan
Review grocery ads to take advantage of discounts
Plan balanced meals that include: a main dish protein, a starchy side dish, and a vegetable
Plan ahead by making a weekly list of dinner menus
Refer to your menu plan to make a grocery list
Plan quick and easy meals for busy days
Alternate spicy foods and mild foods, comfort foods with lower calorie favorites
Don’ts:
Wait until you are hungry to plan a menu
Rely on your memory—write down your menu plan
Plan two starchy foods in one meal (no pasta and mashed potatoes)
Plan food all the same color
Plan to eat the same meal night after night
Plan the majority of your meals with unhealthy methods of cooking
Plan meals that encourage overeating
Plan time-consuming meals on busy days
Go grocery shopping without a list
Go to the grocery store when you are hungry
Click the link to visit Money Saving Mom® and upload 11 free menu-planning pages:
http://moneysavingmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/msm_menu_planning_pack.pdf
Dos:
Take time to think through and plan menus
Include foods you and your family enjoy eating
Plan a variety of cultures, tastes, and textures
Look in your pantry and freezer to incorporate those foods into your plan
Review grocery ads to take advantage of discounts
Plan balanced meals that include: a main dish protein, a starchy side dish, and a vegetable
Plan ahead by making a weekly list of dinner menus
Refer to your menu plan to make a grocery list
Plan quick and easy meals for busy days
Alternate spicy foods and mild foods, comfort foods with lower calorie favorites
Don’ts:
Wait until you are hungry to plan a menu
Rely on your memory—write down your menu plan
Plan two starchy foods in one meal (no pasta and mashed potatoes)
Plan food all the same color
Plan to eat the same meal night after night
Plan the majority of your meals with unhealthy methods of cooking
Plan meals that encourage overeating
Plan time-consuming meals on busy days
Go grocery shopping without a list
Go to the grocery store when you are hungry
Click the link to visit Money Saving Mom® and upload 11 free menu-planning pages:
http://moneysavingmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/msm_menu_planning_pack.pdf
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