Do you write out a meal plan for the week ? Let me hear from you . . .

[Bertha Venation]

Do you cook on the weekends and package it all up in individual portions for the week? Do you plan each day's lunch and pack it up in the morning? Do you plan snacks into your day?

[Heidi]

1. I only shop for groceries once a week, so yes.

Neither CMW nor I are lunch eaters, so we don't knock ourselves out preparing stuff in advance for ourselves. But one of us cooks every night and we always sit down for dinner together. :hi:

However, I do plan ahead for Ginger. I buy packages of four fresh chicken breasts, split each one, and put each piece in a plastic Zip-Loc freezer bag for boiling when nothin' but freshly-boiled chicken breast will satisfy the king. :eyes:

[carlyhippy]

2. I also shop for groceries once a week

so by Monday morning, after work I have my list ready to go shopping. I buy the usual snacks, and just some lunch meat or hot pockets for lunches for the DH or kid for lunches, some eggs, milk, bread and all the ingredients for dinners, and I am done. I like taking a list, it saves on money for me as I don't impulse shop that way. I keep the list on the fridge so I can remember during the week what I am making ha.

[hippywife]

3. No but I keep saying I'm going to.

I really need to do this but I usually end up going to the store, also once per week, with no list or a partial list. :eyes:

:hi:

[demtenjeep]

4. I plan a menu for all month

it is flexible, but it gives me a guide line.

I find I spend less at the store as well.

I do not cook all weekend, I get home early enough to cook before my SO comes home.

[Cairycat]

5. Yes, to better accomodate once-weekly shopping

My basic plan has been 2 vegetarian entrees, 2 poultry entrees, 2 fish entrees and 1 red meat entree. I write out a plan of which meal for which night, accommodating work schedules and planned activities, but am flexible, because with two adults and three teenagers, it's needed. I also keep some things in the freezer and pantry so a quick meal for some family members (or all) can be quickly substituted.

I don't really cook on the weekends to have all week, don't know too many recipes that reheat well. I eat leftovers at home for my lunch. My husband eats the same basic lunch every day: sandwich, yogurt (plain yogurt mixed with homemade jam or maple syrup), fruit, and tea or vegetable juice. I put this together in the morning.

Planning snacks into the day ... a necessity with teens around. I just buy fruit, crackers, chips, etc. so they can get it for themselves. The 16 year old loves to make brownies from mix, but he purposely waits for an evening when we are all together to enjoy them. :9

[triguy46]

6. We have a plan that works for us:

Sunday dinner is big enough for leftovers for Tuesday.
Monday is a meal sized for minimal leftovers or just enough for wife's lunch next day.
Tuesday is the leftovers from Sunday
Wednesday night we eat at church, then stay and clean up
Thursday is "breakfast", i.e. eggs, bacon, pancakes, that sort of stuff
Friday is wine night: bottle of wine, cheese, olives, fruit, bread or crackers, maybe bruschetta, maybe a little salami or proscuitto.
Saturday is something special, determined friday night.

Good luck.

[unpossibles]

7. not usually, but I also make small trips to the local store for produce

and tend to only buy enough food for 2-3 days of meals. I suppose I will plan on a meal or two when I go, but it's often informal and based on what produce looks good that day, is in season, etc., and pretty spur-of-the moment.

I do cook more on weekends and save leftovers for lunches and/or quick dinners.

[MrMickeysMom]

8. Sort of...

I make enough that the left-overs will go into another meal. I like to keep it simple and low on the food chain. You can do meals around that method.

I do this more in the spring through fall, when I can use my smoker for things like chicken, which is very versatile.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. Plan? What is this plan of which you speak?

Meal planning for me consists of waiting until I'm really hungry, then standing in front of an open refrigerator, wondering what I can make with raspberry yogurt, Greek olives and lefse.

[supernova]

10. Yes, I sorta plan to cook for 3 or 4 days at a time

Shopping cooking for one was a real pain until I realized that since most recipes are usually for 4-6 people. I just go ahead and make a full recipe, then freeze the unused servings to have later, either for a quick supper or for lunch.

For instance, I might make a big batch of ratatouille because eggplants and tomatoes are on sale. I get the individual GLAD containers and portion out the rest that I don't eat right away.

Generally I plan for a couple of poultry meals, a couple of veggie meals, usually based on legumes, lentils are my faves. Fish is in there somewhere too, but I try to buy it and cook it the same day. I don't make it wait. That usually turns out to be a weekend thing.

The only thing is, you have to get used to the idea of eating the same things for three days in a row. I'm fine with that, though. So, all in all, I wind up cooking breakfast every day and lunch or dinner about every three days.

[Skittles]

11. aw fuck no

that would require discipline

[mickwallion]

12. No special planning..on sunday.

I plan only on Sundays because I am not married, still a bachelor. I will do whatever I want and it completely depends on my mood on that day.

[Bertha Venation]

15. welcome to DU, mickwallion!

:hi:

[noamnety]

13. I do that for lunches

I get into routines from time to time. Lately mine's been to make a couple jars of yogurt on the weekend, then on weekdays put that into a lidded container, add a large scoop of applesauce I canned in the fall, and bring a small bag of granola to dump on top.

Before that I was in a cheese stick and almond rut, 2 cheese sticks, small bag of almonds.

I bring any work snacks (bag of almonds usually, nothing I'm tempted to binge on) because the vending machines at work only sell complete crap - which is sad since we're a high school.

[Arkansas Granny]

14. I used to, when I had kids at home. That was the only way I could stretch the food budget

to cover everything. I watched the paper for ads and coupons and planned my menu around what was on sale. I would spend one day of the weekend cooking ahead so after work I just had to heat something up, fix a veggie to go with and we had a meal on the table.