By Becky J. Beall
When my children were all
youngsters, (and I have four that are very close in age) meal time in general
was somewhat hectic. Planning what to cook only to discover a missing
ingredient seemed to be a normal thing, along with all the last minute trips to
the store to “grab a few items.”
By the time my children
were all school age, I figured out a simple plan that saved me the most time
and money of likely any other thing that I did as a mom. On Sunday afternoons I
would sit down, plan out dinner for every night of the week and post it on the
refrigerator. I would know in advance which days might be extra hectic and plan
to cook things in the crock pot for those times. This did three things for my family: it took the
guess work out because half of cooking was deciding what to cook; it allowed the kids to see what was in store for the
week; and lastly, my shopping list was made as I bought only what I needed for
each meal. No more missing ingredients…no more walking aimlessly through the
aisles trying to come up with dinner solutions in my head…and no more
overspending on things I bought “just in case.”
I came up with menus that
were a combination of healthy foods, old standbys (yes, macaroni and cheese
often doubled as a veggie) and some desserts as well. Over time that menu was
iconic on our refrigerator and the children absolutely loved it. I most
remember my son exclaiming to his 7th grade football coach, “Coach,
we gotta get out here…we have beef tips on the menu tonight!”
I have a sample menu below
to get you started and of course, you will know what your family likes so you
can taper the menu. I always try to have something everyone likes on the menu.
Good luck!
Sunday: Grilled barbecue
chicken tenderloins, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn on the cob, rolls and
brownies.
Monday: Ham steaks
(broiled in the oven with honey and brown sugar glaze), mac and cheese, steamed
broccoli, carrots and sliced cucumbers.
Tuesday: (Crock pot night)
Beef tips, rice, green bean casserole and low fat chocolate pudding.
Wednesday: (Church night
so had to be quick) Baked chicken nuggets, baked French fries, broccoli with
cheese sauce and applesauce.
Thursday: (Crock pot
night) Pot roast with potatoes and carrots, green beans and rolls.
Friday: Poppyseed chicken
casserole, green beans, mac and cheese and Rice Krispie treats (homemade not
out of a box).
Saturday: Grilled steak
and chicken (some like one, some like the other), salad, baked potatoes, baked
beans and fruit salad.
Other menu items that
rotated included spaghetti, lasagna, chicken pot pie, meatloaf,vegetable soup,
taco soup, potato soup, squash and other seasonal veggies, apple cake, and
chocolate chip cookies.
Becky Beall is an area freelance writer and blogger for Birmingham Parent.
