Meal Planning

How does a busy family keep supper meals organized?  I am sure there are many methods but this is the one that has worked for our family for quite a few years.

It is simple to do, and has many advantages:
#1 You can start with what you have in your pantry and know what you need to purchase to fill in for the week.
#2 No wondering what do I fix tonight?  You will already have it planned and what you need for it.
#3 No one asking "Mom, whats for dinner?"
#4 The first one home can start planning.
#5 You can cycle your food so that you use up leftovers, such as I am doing this week with the chili on Sunday and chili dogs on Tuesday.

It requires space--either a cabinet, table, counter or what I use is a bakers rack.

You will need one tub for each day of the week, and some index cards.

On the tubs, label each one with a different day of the week.

On the index cards, put your meal or recipe.  You may want to laminate them, or leave as is.  I have them both ways.

Set them up in order.

Now, put your non perishable ingredients into the tubs on the night you want to prepare and eat them.  My Sunday tub is holding chili beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, angel food cake mix and a can of fruit.  Monday is grilled cheese and tomato soup and blueberry muffins.  Tuesdays card reads chili dogs (to finish up Sundays chili).  Nothing is in the tub (except for the index card reading chili dogs, and a can of corn) as the hotdogs are perishable and I have not made the buns yet.  Wednesdays card says biscuits and gravy and apple crisp, bacon and eggs.  Thursdays need to be changed to a card that reads pizza hut, Fridays is set up for home made chicken and rice soup with apple sauce, and Saturdays for tuna casserole.

So, simple.  What your are eating that doesn't have to be refrigerated goes into the tub.  You can even put a card in the Tuesdays tub that says to take the meat for the Wednesday supper out of the freezer and put in the fridge to thaw.