MENU PLANNING Making Menu Planning Work You can probably identify the reasons why menu planning can be helpful. It can help you stay on budget, include healthy foods, stay organized, and decrease restaurant and impulse foods. Even though these benefits are easy to come up with, it can be difficult to integrate menu planning into your weekly routine. This is a step by step guide to change the way you think about menu planning and make it a realistic process for you. When meal planning, consider your lifestyle and the food preparation that it requires. Be realistic about your patterns and the amount of time you are willing to spend. You will have to make some changes, but don’t expect to switch from take-out food every night to spending an hour preparing each dinner. Thinking this through beforehand sets you up for success and makes your food planning experience seem worthwhile! Below is an example of how this might work for lunch and dinner. www.ymcatoledo.org STEP ONE: Consider Your Week 1. What is your schedule like this week? What events are coming up that will have an impact on your meals? You will need quick preparation foods, assembly foods, or leftovers for these evenings. 2. Do you have meetings or appointments over your lunch hour? You will need to pack foods that will be appropriate in the meeting setting. 3. Will you be traveling or attending parties over the weekend? You will need to pre-plan foods that are portable and can be eaten without mess or fuss in the car. 4. Do you have a weekend at home coming up? Plan to prepare some meals for the week ahead on that weekend. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Lunch Doctor’s Lunch Family Appt Meeting Picnic/BBQ Dinner Mom’s Dance Class Football Zumba Game STEP TWO: Plan the Protein As you plan out your week, start by deciding which meals will include chicken, fish, beef, pork, and vegetarian proteins. This helps to make sure you have variety throughout the week. You should also consider items you currently have in your freezer. If there was a sale on chicken breasts and you stocked up, you might want to feature chicken a few times in the coming week. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Lunch Frozen Meal Doctor’s Appt Leftovers Lunch Leftovers Deli Family Meeting Sandwich Picnic/BBQ Leftovers Frozen Meal Dinner Mom’s Chicken Dance Class Beef Football Whole Salad w/ Zumba Game Chicken Leftovers Crock-pot Fish Veggie Protein V011020 www.ymcatoledo.org MENU PLANNING Making Menu Planning Work STEP THREE: Plan the Side Dishes, Consider Recipes When you think of chicken on the grill, do you automatically think of grilled asparagus? Think about the food combinations that you enjoy eating. This is a great time to check out new and healthy recipes. You can also modify old favorites to make them appropriate for your health goals. STEP FOUR: Set Yourself Up For Success Plan out the meals and snacks that need prepped for the week. For example, if you need to thaw something overnight to decrease the amount of time for preparation, make note of it on the menu. If you need to portion leftovers into individual containers for the next day’s lunch, it may be a good idea to do so the night before that way you’re not rushing in the morning. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Lunch Frozen Meal Doctor’s Appt Leftovers Lunch Leftovers Deli Family and Orange Chicken and Meeting Kebabs, Sandwich Picnic/BBQ Leftovers: Veggies and LF String Thin, Roast Fish, SF Pudding Frozen Meal Cheese, SF Beef, 2% Veggies, Cup and Apple w/ Pudding Swiss, Spicy Rice PB2 Mustard Fresh Berries Dinner Mom’s Chicken Dance Class Beef Football Whole Salad w/ Zumba Baked Game Chicken Leftovers Chicken Pork chops Cubed Beef Veggie Roasted in Whole Grain Fish Breast w/ and Kebabs with Burger w/ Oven Crackers (broiled) Marinade Sauerkraut Cherry LF Cheese, Quinoa w/ Frozen/ Roasted Bell In Crock-pot Tomato, Lettuce, Mixed Fresh Pepper, Side Salad Onion, Tomato, Veggies Steamed Onion, w/ Light Mushroom Onion and Broccoli, Asparagus Dressing Baked Potato Mustard on Instant Deli Thin Brown Rice and Grapes Prep & Package Package Package Package Prep Package Plan Leftovers for Leftovers for or Freeze Leftovers for Chicken Leftover Lunch Lunch Leftovers Lunch (brine or Chicken for season) Tomorrow Thaw Thaw Pork Thaw Beef Chicken for for Tomorrow Tomorrow Prepare Crock-pot for Tomorrow www.ymcatoledo.org STEP FIVE: Prepare Your Grocery List A thorough grocery list ensures that you have all the ingredients to put your plan into action. Based on your menu, write down and organize all the food you will need to purchase. Start by marking off all the products that you already have. Then list the other ingredients you will need for meals and snacks. The more detailed your list, the less likely you are to engage in impulse buying when you’re at the store. Stick to the list! You will also find that eating healthy doesn’t have to be more expensive than your regular grocery trip. A blank grocery list is provided below for you to use with your own menu. Remember to be specific with the amount of each ingredient you need, so you purchase enough to follow the recipe properly. For example, if you write down “chicken breast”, make sure you record how much the recipe calls for and if you are featuring it more than once in the week. STEP SIX: Try It Out and Be Ready to Re-Evaluate! As you practice menu planning, you will get better at gauging how much time you must dedicate to meal prep. You will also get used to planning. Don’t be afraid to fine tune and tweak your routine and menus as you go along. This is just a tool to help you stay organized and on-track; it is not intended to be limiting and confining. Step by Step Interactive Guide 1. Consider Your Week: What events are coming up in your schedule this week that will have an impact on your meals? List them and then include them on the menu attached. 2. Plan the Protein: What protein foods would you like to include this week? Consider the amount of time each type of protein requires to prepare and arrange them in agreement with your Step 1 events (above). 3. Add the side dishes/recipes that you’d like to try. 4. Note the additional preparation and planning that you may have to do on any given day to set yourself up for success. 5. Prepare your grocery shopping list. Enjoy! www.ymcatoledo.org MENU PLANNING WEEKLY MENU PLANNING Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Breakfast Lunch Dinner Snacks Prep & Planning www.ymcatoledo.org MENU PLANNING GROCERY SHOPPING LIST Meat & Dairy Produce (fresh Grains (bread, Canned Goods Condiments, fruits and veggies) pasta, cereal, rice) Spices & Beverages V03042020 www.ymcatoledo.org.