Meal planning part 1

So I am new to meal planning. I used to balk at the idea, but I have begun to figure it out over the past few months and have found it saves money and makes life a whole lot simpler. This is true especially when it comes to cooking a meal for the evening. Here is what I have been doing.


Weekly menu planning ideas: One of the things I do is buy a large piece of meat and spread it over 3-4 meals. This works great for whole chickens, large roasts and bone in ham. Here is what I do with each one:

• Cook a large turkey breast or a whole chicken in the slow cooker for 4 to 6 hours (your slow cooker must be large enough of course). Keep the seasoning basic by using salt, pepper and garlic. With my chicken I am usually able to make the following meals after de-boning the meat.

1. Serve sliced turkey or chicken for dinner that evening with veggies and rice or a salad.
2. Make a turkey or chicken stir-fry with chopped veggies of your choice and coconut milk over cooked brown rice. Season with ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
3. Make tacos with shredded or chopped meat. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and salsa.
4. Turkey or chicken salad sandwiches made with mayo and lettuce. Side of tortilla chips 
5. Chicken soup.

• Cook a beef chuck in the oven on low heat (around 250 degrees) until done.  You should have enough meat for 3-4 of the following meals:

1. Pot roast with side of your choice. I usually do baked sweet potatos and peas. 
2. Baked enchiladas in tortillas with homemade enchilada sauce, refried beans and brown rice.
3. Beef salad with salad toppings. Serve with olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
4. Beef sandwiches served with horseradish or mustard. Side of coleslaw.
5. Chili with cornbread

• Purchase a ham bone-in. Roast in oven according to directions.

1. Serve sliced ham with mashed potatoes.
2. Ham sandwiches with sliced tomatoes, mustard and mayo.
3. Split pea soup made with meaty ham bone for lots of flavor.
4. Omelet with ham, green pepper, onions. Side of potatoes cooked on your griddle.

To prevent meat boredom I often freeze part of the meat and plan on using the meat the following week for when I am doing soup, enchiladas or tacos. That way we can eat two nights of chicken than change it up with two nights of pot roast and then a vegetarian meal or two. I found most of these ideas reading the book "Eating Well on a Budget", which I checked out from the library.

Resources for meal planning:

It's frugal being green

Tips for grocery shopping on a budget