Family Meal Plan #1

I’ve been meaning to start blogging our Meal Plans for a while now and I’m finally getting around to it now! I’ve meal planned for years, though I kind of ‘fell off the wagon’ so to speak for a while after the baby was born. But meal planning is a must for me. I have so many things to think about, that sorting out the weeks meals ahead of time saves me a little brain space! If I don’t plan, it always gets to 4pm and I have that panic of ‘oh crap! what can I make for dinner tonight?!’

I’ve also found Meal Planning means we eat better – because I’m not rushing to think of something to make, or having to make something quick at the last minute we eat a bigger variety of meals {rather than the same thing every. single. day} and they tend to be healthier {as I don’t have to just throw something from the freezer into the oven}. Currently, I meal plan a week at a time, though in the past I have meal planned for a month at a time. I only plan our evening meals out – basing them around kiddos groups and evenings when G is at work. There are times of course, when something unexpected comes up and the meal plan goes out of the window. But they are few and far between, and my pantry is usually pretty well stocked so there is always something I can rustle up for dinner in a flash!

Breakfast

Breakfast is usually a ‘help yourself once you’re awake’ arrangement for us. We’re not big morning people, so it’s rare for us all to sit down to breakfast together. Breakfast usually consists of cereal, toast, fruit, yogurts… Beastie likes a little platter – he’ll have a few berries, a banana, a yogurt and either a small bowl of cereal or some toast. I’ve been making overnight oats lately {to combat my toast habit} and they are so yummy! Sundays I tend to make pancakes and/or waffles for us all!

Lunch

Lunch is mostly a buffet style meal – it’s easier for everyone to help themselves than me make a whole load of different sandwiches! So we’ll put out wraps or bread rolls, cheese, ham, salami, houmous, a big plate of salad, a bowl of crisps. Sometimes I’ll make some falafel or cook some fresh chicken strips. If there are leftovers from the night before they’ll usually get eaten up with lunch. Sometimes I’ll make a pan of tomato soup, or beans on toast, or bacon butties.

This week’s Family Meal Plan

So what’s on the Menu this week…

Monday – Pesto Pasta, with sweetcorn, tomatoes and grated cheese. Served with some part-baked seeded rolls.
Tuesday – Roast Chicken, new potatoes, broccoli, chantenay carrots, peas and gravy.
Wednesday – Chicken {leftovers from yesterday’s roast} with couscous in a creamy spiced sauce
Thursday – Spaghetti and {veggie} meatballs. Garlic Bread
Friday – Chilli and Chips
Saturday – Sausages, roast potatoes, corn on the cob and carrots
Sunday – Make-Your-own-Pizza night {making these flatbread pizzas}

I do my weekly shop online – usually with Ocado. It’s far less stressful shopping online than taking four kiddos {and a husband} to the supermarket. Plus I find it far easier to stick to my shopping list and not be tempted meaning I spend less too. My online shop usually arrives on a Monday, and I pop into a supermarket towards the end of the week most weeks to stock back up on fruit/veg/bread for the weekend.

What are you eating this week?