Meal Planning FAQ

This won’t work for me because….

I get bored of eating the same food all the time.

This is really up to you and what works for your family. The internet is full of meal ideas, and collaborating with some other mums is sure to give you further ideas. This is your chance for the less ordinary.

I like to buy in bulk to save money.

Perfect! If you decide to use my method of meal planning, and like me, plan for a whole season, you know what you will need. No unnecessary purchases! I recommend trying it for a month before you start bulk buying… just in case the meal you planned doesn’t meet your expectations.

I like to plan based on what’s on special. This is too restrictive.

It works both ways! If you know what you are going to cook in advance and there’s discount on an item, plan ahead, make the meal and freeze it if appropriate.

I’m too disorganized, I’ll forget my list.

Well, there’s always an app for that. Alternatively, save your work in the cloud to take along with you. Problem solved 😉

How will it help me save time? Looks pretty time consuming to me.

You’re absolutely correct. It is time consuming to get started. Once you have your plan mapped out and your shopping lists prepared – which takes most of the time, it’s a grab and go system.

I already meal plan, thanks.

No worries! I’m all for finding what works for you.

I like to entertain.

So do I! I love having good friends over for a meal and a chat. It’s good! If you’re referring to how do I manage this with the 4 weekly rotating system, I usually cook what I was going to make and then on the leftovers night we baked beans on toast it. My kids love it! Or whip something simple up with whats left in the fridge and pantry. A friend of mine has an “anything goes pasta” night. She cooks up pasta and displays a range of topings for her children to add to it. Simple and brilliant!

It’s too restrictive.

You’ve gotta do what works for your family.

How will this help me save money?

I’m so glad you asked! This is my favourite topic and I could talk your ear off on it! If you stick to your list, and check your fridge and pantry before you go shopping, and cook what you have planned to cook, you will not be buying unnecessary items. There will be less wastage. And after time you will learn what works best for you, boosting efficiency!

What happens when I just don’t feel like cooking?

Don’t cook. Adjust your next meal plan and shopping list to reflect what you have and need to use up.

My kid’s are fussy eaters.

Oh my goodness, mine too! We struggle with some sensory processing issues which encompasses food textures too. This makes things very tricky, I sympathize with you. I have found that planning this way, having a much larger variety of food, and being able to answer the “what’s for dinner” question a relief. I ensure that there’s always something that they will eat without fail on their plate as a backup plan. This is not difficult for me to do as I can add garlic bread for example to meals where there’s not always something. I’m not an expert in this field, and medical attention should be sought before taking what I’m saying here as gospel. This is what works for my family, it may not work for yours.

There may be circumstances where you simply can’t plan, hopefully there’s a way around that!

Any other questions I can answer? Let me know in the comments!

This post is part of a series, if you’ve missed the first few, you can catch up here.

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Disclaimer: this post is based on my personal opinion and experiences and may not be applicable to your individual circumstances.

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