Let’s be honest, no one REALLY likes to meal plan. It’s the one job each week I dread. I have watched videos, read blog upon blog and I still don’t enjoy it. I think part of the reason I don’t enjoy meal planning is that some of my kids (Rosalynn in particular) have sensory issues when it comes to food. What does this mean? There are many foods that she will not eat. I know some people would just make her eat whatever they serve but that’s not how things work in our home. I try and meet the needs of my kids in all that they do. Does this mean adjusting our meals to their eating? Yep, sure does. So how do I do that? I’ve created a basic template that we eat around each week.
What does this template look like?
Well, it goes like this…
Mondays-Meatless Monday. Generally, this includes beans and rice. My family enjoys red beans and rice but I’ll change it up sometimes and try and get them to try something new. That doesn’t always work, but it’s worth the try.
Tuesdays-Taco Tuesday. Does this mean that we eat tacos every Tuesday? NOPE! It can be anything that can be taco-inspired. We’ve done taco spaghetti, taco rice, tacos, nachos, and a family favorite, taco skillet.
Wednesdays-Wednesday nights can get busy around our home. It’s the night before our trash gets picked up so I like to do what we call Refrigerator Pull. It’s when we pull all the things out of the fridge and turn that into dinner. Sounds exciting right?
Thursday-I like being able to make a one-dish meal now and then and for whatever reason Thursday seems to be the day that this happens. It can be anything from a one-pot pasta meal to a casserole or something in the InstaPot or slow cooker.
Friday-We always have a nicer meal on Friday nights for Shabbat. We pull out the dishes that we got for our wedding and even the kids use these dishes. It tends to be a slower meal for our family as we spend time together. I try and make it something special, that I know everyone will enjoy.
Saturday-Weekends get crazy, I’m sure this is true for everyone! This is when I will let Nathan smoke or grill for us, or if he’s got other things going on this is when I will try a new recipe out.
Sunday-More times than not we are having dinner with my parents on Sundays. If something happens that we won’t be eating with them then I’ll do something like spaghetti and meatballs.
What about breakfast and lunch?
What you may have noticed is that I haven’t listed anything for breakfast or lunch. This is because we go through phases with these two meals. I do sit down and eat both meals at the table with the kids because we use this time for some school lessons. Breakfast is a great time to start Morning Time in our home. The kids are captive, the littles are listening in and it’s just a nice start to the day.
How does meal planning look like for you?
What is meal planning like for you? What are some of your family’s favorite meals? I’m always looking for things to try.
It’s very interesting. We use the Mediterranean way it’s based on a food pyramid. If you are interested I can send you a link. We love eating fish and beans.
That sounds interesting! I would appreciate information on the Mediterranean way of eating. We live near the Gulf Coast so fresh fish is pretty abundant around here.
Fresh fish is awesome… I reaaaaaally love eating sparus aurata…. we have all the food categories….. it may seem to you like a lot to organize when you start this way, but to us its a way of living. Take a look at my post https://inspirationisawoman.com/mediterranean-diet/ if you would like and you will understand everything. If you ever wanna try it you will see that it’s easier than it looks and of course it’s super healthy. Contact me if you need something.
Meal planning certainly feels like a never-ending chore, but it really doesn’t have to be. I love the system you’ve created while allowing some variations to suit for diff. needs. Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks on how to meal plan for a large family!
It really is a never ending chore. I think by turning it in to a system that is replicated is helpful.
Meal planning is a chore for me. I have a template similar to yours and change it around every now and then. I however love to try new things so you will find me going through blogs to discover new meals to add to our menu.
What is your current favorite meal? I would love to try something new around here.
Meals is always my biggest struggle! Sometimes I make it and sometimes I kind of don’t. Sometimes it’s at 5 and sometimes 7. I just strive to keep them fed. lol
I like your one night, one theme idea. I will try it! 🙂
Oh let me know if it works for your family!
Getting creative with feeding your family can get hard! We do burger night fridays and watch a family movie and my kids love this! We also batch cook and eat lots of leftovers! Thanks for sharing that tips!
Burger night Fridays sounds like lots of fun. What is your favorite movie to watch with your kids?
Meal planning is a must in our family. Thank you for a great read and sharing what works for you. I like the idea of a weekly slower, nicer meal. Will need to try this!!
That meal has really changed our family dynamic. We do no electronics at that meal, and the kids all help get it ready so they have a vested interest in the meal.
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I love meal planning! It makes me feel so much more organized. We typically do an easy 30 minute meal on Tuesday nights and leftovers for Wednesday night, but other than that, I love trying new recipes the rest of the week. Great read!
What has your most recent new recipe been that your whole family liked?