How to Plan a Monthly Family Menu

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By Sharon Meier
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Family Dinner

Planning a monthly family menu will save you money and time. Your family dinners will become more enjoyable, nutritious, and stress free with some simple planning techniques. Meal planning should involve the whole family. Set up a meal planning binder with your monthly menus, grocery list, new recipes and pictures of your favorite meals and keep it handy in your kitchen. Planning your meals will get easier and faster throughout the year.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

CREATE A MENU BINDER
Your Family Menu Binder will be a central location to keep your monthly menus, holiday meal plans, party menus and quick fix menus. In this binder you should also keep a grocery list and some pictures of your favorite meals. Print out a blank calendar page to plan your menus. Start simple and let your binder evolve as you update it on a daily basis. A good way to start is with a simple binder, some plain paper, and a few tabs.
Step 2

CHECK YOUR EVENT CALENDAR
First thing that you will need to do is coordinate your event calendar with your menu calendar. Make a note on your menu calendar which days may need a quick and easy meal. Plan to use your fresh produce and meat close to your shopping date.
Step 3

BRAINSTORM
When beginning your family menus brainstorm with the whole family about who likes to eat what, what are the family favorites, who wants to help cook, and any special diets that family members need to follow. Make a list with as many items on it as you can and this will be your base for planning your monthly menus.
Step 4

THINK SEASONAL
Throughout the year your monthly menus will change to coordinate with the seasons. In the summer plan more fresh fruits and vegetables that you can buy at a farmer’s market, winter menus call for more hearty soups.
Step 5

PREPARE AHEAD
Many foods can be prepared ahead for the next day’s meal or kept in your freezer. For instance when making a ham dinner plan to use the leftover ham for a pea soup, scalloped potatoes, ham sandwiches, ham salad, or ham and eggs. Be sure to plan your leftovers into your next day’s menu.
Step 6

CREATE A PHOTO GALLERY
Create a photo gallery of your foods. A picture is worth a thousand words. Assign someone in the family to take daily pictures of your meals. You can either print these to display in your Menu Binder or just keep a file on your computer. When planning your next month’s menu review your pictures for ideas to create your new menus.
Step 7

GET HELP
Use the internet to help make your monthly menu plan.
A great resource is www.SavingDinner.com. You will find menu plans, recipes, and they offer a weekly menu plan with a grocery list that can be emailed to you. Start today planning your family’s monthly menu. Be flexible in your plans and persistence in getting your plan on paper. Enjoy the peace that comes with family meals shared together.