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The 5 Minute Reverse Meal Plan! (& why I always failed at this in the past!)
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2020
- Meal planning isn't rocket science but I could never stick with it in the past because I made it too complicated! Now that I've simplified how I meal plan, I can put together a meal plan in 5 minutes or less every week. The key? Using recipes that I know inside and out! It turns out, repetition is OK- your family will survive!!
R E C I P E S M E N T I O N E D :
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Soup: • 5 FAST Weeknight Insta...
Chicken Spaghetti (we often sub rice for the noodles!): thepioneerwoma...
Copycat Cracker Barrel Meatloaf: thecozycook.co...
Broccoli Rice & BBQ Chicken: this is from the Cook Once Eat All Week Cookbook
MY MEAL PLANNING SYSTEM VIDEO : • Simple Meal Planning y...
My favorite weeknight chicken recipes: • NEW!!! 6 Quick Chicken...
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#mealplan #quick #reverse
R E L A T E D :
Eliminate Paper Clutter Video Part 1: • Eradicate Paper Clutte...
Organize Paper Clutter Video Part 2: • Simple Paper Clutter O...
THE TRICK TO SIMPLIFY YOUR KITCHEN QUICKLY: • Simplify your Kitchen ...
KITCHEN TOUR : • Minimalist Kitchen Tou...
📺 P O P U L A R R E L A T E D:
Why I became a Minimalist: • Why I became a minimal...
The Best Place to Start with Minimalism: • Best Place to start wi...
What to do when You get STUCK: • Decluttering Sentiment...
Video FAQ: • FAQ from Previous Vide...
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How I store and organize kids clothes: www.theminimalm...
Baby Keepsakes- What we keep & how: www.theminimalm...
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Royalty-free music used with permission from the RUclips Creator Studio, Epidemic Sound and purchased from AudioJungle.net
THANK YOU for watching! If you'd like to see my favorite instant pot recipes (they're quick & easy!), you can find them here: ruclips.net/video/DbhGZ6hRGc0/видео.html
Love love my instapot and the PW chicken spaghetti i was thinking about the other day, I hadn’t made it in a while. I’ve not thought about subbing rice for the pasta. Gonna try it this weekend.
I got rid of my instant pot because I never used it. Hmmmm...
I put all my hamburgers on a baking sheet in the oven (like you would do with cookies) for about 20 - 25 minutes and it saves me time and taste good.
bittyfrog73 oh my word I use mine at least 3x a week. So many good websites and RUclips vids for it.
bittyfrog73 although much of it can also be slow cooked so not a big deal really. Six Sisters Stuff site has both slow cook recipes and instant pot directions
Food used to be guilt free. When I was a child my mother won a competition with Campbell’s Soup. The prize was a pantry full of cans of soup. Well that is what we ate for every meal for weeks. I have a friend who would make a giant pot of spaghetti on a Monday and that’s what the family ate every day with a salad until it was gone. Another friend who used to live in North Africa said they ate the same thing every day of their lives: a large bowl of spicy stew around which the whole family sat with a plate of flat bread each which they dipped into the stew until it was gone. All of the above had one thing in common...they were grateful just to eat. We’re just spoiled, spoilt for choice .
Agreed! Sometumes I just want to holler,
"It's just food, let's just be thankful and not complain that you are tired of this or bored of that." It takes away my enthusiasm for cooking dinner. Not to rant, I'm blessed with a thankful DH but still, I feel like I can be content with eating the same things repeatedly, you know?
I read, "the boy who harnessed the wind" and they ate the same meal 1-3 times a day every day all year (corn and mustard leaves). That's when I realized we would be just fine having the same few meals all the time.
Thank you all for your insight! Makes me feel better and almost cry. Hahaha total Overkill, but the mom guilt is strong I guess.
This! Like breathing, drinking and eating are not activities we do for pleasure. They are life-sustaining activities. People who refuse to drink water, pure and clean water, who always have to have flavored (usually sugary) water or at least carbonated water, drive me nuts. Do they refuse to breathe air that is not perfumed? That does not smell special? Not for very long. Same with water - drink it because you have to and you won't live long without it. Same with food - wholesome, nourishing food is all we need. Some days we eat what is in the fridge to keep it from going to waste, whether it appeals to our taste buds or not. We eat the crusts of the loaves of bread because they are there. It is just food, but it is FOOD. If you didn't have any, you would appreciate that it is FOOD.
Same. I still have the same thing until it is finished, regardless of the number of meals it makes. I don't get it when people say that they had had an ingredient in the afternoon or the day before, so they didn't want to have it again any time soon 🤷🏼♀️
I have been planning meals for 40 years and it feels like a chore but if I don’t plan it is chaos so recently I decided to make a month plan and just keep repeating it. Favourite dishes appear twice in a month and others just once. I no longer have to think I just repeat.
Yep - I have gone to monthly meal planning as well! Why do it 52 times per year when I can do it only 12? And we have been shopping for two weeks at a time lately, so there is still flexibility as we can do something different if we don't feel like cooking what is listed for that day.
Mine is the same monthly plan for every month so I never need to think again but I know it will evolve a little over time.
Ours basically ends up being the same meals, as we have 2 young-ish kids (7&8 yrs) so we "rotate" through the favorites.
I do something very similar. Having the same meal plan repeat you can perfect your grocery list and not forget things that you need for certain meals!
Um thats genius and simple. Why did i not think of this?!
Im 13 and have watched practically all your vids ! I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL
Brielle Joy Smids u r a smart girl!
@@DebbyeCannon Thank you ! I have already minimalized everything i own !
Good for you!!
@@lisalife7994 thank you!😀❤❤
You will always be so glad you have learned what Dawn teaches, Brielle! Way to go!
I've been watching you now for over a year and you just said the BEST thing! "You know what my mom did? We ate all the same foods pretty much all of the time and she never apologized for it". So...She used food and dinner mealtimes to create stability, home, familiarity, family, comfort, and safety. You came to expect the same and that "same" became a comfort to you. It sustained your "hierarchy of needs" that spanned 'physiological/safety/belongingness' that fulfilled all of those to make you who you are and what you can share with your children. You don't need a cookbook. Share with them what is in your soul. Your mom already gave you the answer.
You opened my eyes to the concept of how much inventory I have to manage. I grew up with a mama who lived through the depression and she pretty much saved everything! She was very organized so she could find it again but I learned those concepts of saving everything too. My hubby is the same way and in the last few years I've felt overwhelmed by the amount of inventory we have. He hasn't wanted to decrease inventory, in fact he seems to find it comforting so I've been on a mission to decrease MY own inventory: clothes, kitchen things, office things, food in the pantry, everything! Well, I still have a lot of books. :-) Now, since the quarantine, my husband had time to go through our 3 bay shop / garage which was packed. I've been introducing this inventory concept to him and because of how much stuff he had to go through in the garage, he's feeling it now too! He's starting to go through his things! Yay! you also helped one of my daughters. She's 11 years old and she watched quite a few of your videos with me and she's gone from a pack rat to someone who can pass things on. I won't call her a minimalist yet but she's working on it! LOL! Thanks for the help and thanks for another great video! :-)
It is good you were patient with your husband. Now you are reaping the rewards. We are all different. Although I love Dawn and everything she says I don't think I am a minimalist but an essentialist.
@@helenebennie3961 essentialist!!! That's perfect!!
Bravo!
I love this comment, because I'm a minimalist and my husband loves having lots of belongings. Extra inventory does not seem to cause him stress and use up his mental energy like it does for me. I am working to understand that difference, but it's still fun for me to simplify what I can! Congratulations to everyone else who's been successful, too.
Can I just thank you for being so "normal"? Finally, someone who is like a real person. You're awesome!
When my kids were little and I was working full time my least favorite words were, “What’s for dinner?” I cooked the same things on about a two week rotation. My kids laugh about it because now that they are working parents they understand! I feel good that I gave them home cooked meals every day. I saved money and they are healthier. Were they Pinterest ready? Of course not. Pinterest is overrated. 😂
"Overrated" is too kind a word for Pinterest.
I completely agree that our Mum’s had a handful of meals that they continually rotated through and we all sat up to them week after week, year after year without question. I think I had a honey sandwich every day at school my whole Primary school life and never thought anything of it. We have become over thinkers these days and it is not necessary. Thanks for the video.🦘🇦🇺🐨
I totally agree! We make it more complicated than it needs to be.
That’s kind of awesome you talked about that because honestly, I’ve never heard of a honey sandwich. I’ve had honey and peanut butter toast!!! Delicious!!!
And of course PBJ’s!!! When I was a child, like you, we always had what we always had to eat, and we always ate it!!
Nan ‘59 in Australia we don’t really do PBJ sandwiches. In fact I have never had one. A honey or jam sandwich is pretty standard though.
I had PBJ sandwich for lunch everyday for years in my early childhood. I rarely ever eat one now. They just became... Yuck.
Although part of that might of been because we bought cheap bread and cheap jam and they were just gross to begin with.
My husband has that issue with oatmeal. He was never allowed to add sugar. Or salt.
over thinkers... I like that..
AMEN, DAWN! Thank you for being a voice of reason in a kind of crazy making youtube wonderland! No extra freezer here, no couponing, no pinterest recipes, no apps, no making meals specifically designed for the freezer, no buying in bulk just because it's something to do. I don't "meal plan" or "meal prep" like so many youtubers talk about. I keep meals very simple and fresh, keeping to what's in season when I can. I have regular meals I rotate like it sounds like you do. It's easy, healthful and I don't have to think about food a lot, wins all around.
We call leftovers “encores” and they are scheduled into the week’ s meal plan. We will have encore night with a fresh salad. It works really well for us👍
I love the way you do things the simple way and you don't accept any shame for not doing things like everyone else does. You give me freedom to do what works for me. Whew! Thank GOD!
I read several years ago that the average family eats the same dinners every 14 days - since then I have never felt guilty about any lack of creativity! Also, your video points up the importance of knowing yourself, your life, and your limits. I have the advantage of being over 60, kids grown, etc., and finally learning that there are stages of life... I'm retired and enjoying the freedom to try new recipes in a leisurely manner. To everything there is a season... we need to enjoy where we are in the journey.
Love this! Was very helpful for me. Take hours to meal plan & write down a huge list of ingredients. It takes hours to find all ingredients at the store. Then I end up not having the motivation to cook the meals. There’s so much shame surrounding it
I’ve learned after being a housewife for 12 years that home cooking is very subjective and personal. The easiest is to go with the ingredients you’re familiar with and that you know your family likes and can be versatile in your creation. recipes are for referencing. Home cooking is all about using what we have on hand and tweak the recipe to suit our family’s taste. As my family grows, I have decrease in bulk shopping because like you said, it doesn’t work for us either and it adds so much stress and anxiety to me. Plus we live in town. If I must grab an ingredient right then and now, it isn’t a hassle at all. Over the past couple of years since I started my minimalism journey, I become more relaxed when things are used up and I can throw them out, make space in cupboards and fridge. So if I get something and use it up in the meal for that day, I actually feel more productive and satisfied, less anxious and grumpy because I have to find ways to store the open bag of whatever. Buying enough for the week and try to add in what is already in the pantry to make up for that week works way better for my family I’ve learned.
We haven’t had take away or eaten out in nine months! What started as a three month challenge to ourselves has become a habit. I’ve planned a monthly rotation and it works, I’m flexible with it, when I need to be. Sunday’s are roast pork/chicken/beef etc. Monday’s same as Sunday ( I make enough) Tuesday vegetarian (risotto, pasta, quinoa etc) Wednesday Fish, ( pie, fried, cakes.etc)
Thursday meat ( Stew/curry/bolanaise etc) Friday steak, chops, burgers, sausage. Saturday eggs ( quiche, omelette etc) or pizza.
The variety is then in the month, no one has complained so far! I make twice a much as I need from things like bolanaise /stews/ curries and keep for busy/ lazy days. 😀
Thanks for the Cheeseburger Meatloaf idea! Even without the cheese, just the idea of slicing burgers instead of forming them would solve a lot of issues in our home!! My husband and sons love thick burgers, whereas my daughter and I usually slice a burger pattie in half, nice and skinny, ala McDonald's kid burger. Meatloaf slices are the perfect solution - everyone gets their preferred thickness! Simply brilliant!! :)
Breakfast for dinner is always fast and I can use up random leftover produce in omelettes, stale bread in French toast and top it with whatever fruit needs used up. I hate being wasteful, so the fact that I'm able to throw it together quickly AND get rid of some things before I shop again is a win-win at my house. And yes, Dawn, we can all relate!
I once read research showing that in Sweden, where I live, the average household has 12-14 meals that they make and rotate between, however the average family with young children only rotate between 5-6 meals. I thought for sure I make more than 12 - 14 different meals, but listning everything I make on a reglular proved me wrong. I live on my own and my laziness now has me down to cooking one meal a week - that i eat every day until the next week.. If money and time can be saved, im on to it.
That's what I used to do when I was loving by myself. One meal was cooked on Sat and I would eat it till it was gone, I would freeze 3 portions and have 3-4 left fresh
I find that if I cook dinner in the morning my day goes so much easier! I'm cooking dinner while eating a light breakfast.
I'll cook the meat in a Dutch oven and leave the starch and veggies until just before dinnertime. It helps to have everything prepped in the morning (peel potatoes, put veggies in pot with water).
Do you then just put the meat in the fridge till dinner and reheat or in a crockpot on warm for the day? I have thought about doing this but never could wrap my mind around how to proceed after that lol.
Just leave it on the stove. The Dutch oven is the original slow cooker! Once the stove is turned off, the cast-iron continues to cook and very slowly cools down. When you begin to cook your veggies and starch, turn it back on medium heat and it will be perfect and no stress having to try and time 3 pots at once!
@@TexasGatorFamily thank you so much!
@@TexasGatorFamily I’m getting my first Dutch oven and love this tip. Please share more about it? Like how long do you leave meat in the oven? And what are your go to recipes? Thx
Great idea! For us Spaniards, our main meal is lunch. We have to cook lunch in advance as my husband takes it to work, so on weekdays I cook the next day’s lunch after having lunch myself. It really simplifies our evenings
Your comment, ‘that’s what my mom made - and she didn’t apologize!’ - spot on! Mom had a daily rota of meals, pasta, meatloaf, hamburghers, baked chicken, and one ‘good’ roast on Sundays (clearly an era when vegetarianism wasn’t widespread!). Why should she apologize?! It was good food, and we were grateful for it. Many Thanks for your dose of honesty!
When the quarantine started and one day started to blend into another, we started a theme for dinner/each day of the week. Salmon Sunday; Meatball sub Monday; Taco Tuesday; Wings Wednesday; Thanksgiving Thursday; Fish Friday; Soup and Sandwich Saturday. We even do theme music like Sinatra on Meatball Monday and Pitbull’s “Fireball” on Taco Tuesday lol
@_Lu_Lu_Belle_ Ewing what a great idea! I’ve done a couple of days before, but I love your plan, including music! Wishing you and your loved ones safety, peace, and as much lighthearted laughter as you can get in these very stressful times. Love from 🇨🇦
Well, this sounds like a fun home!
Tracey No Matter What thank you! ❤️
Mary Gallagher home is a good place!❤️
We have Fend For Yourself Friday. The goal is to use up all the leftovers and clean out the fridge. If there's no leftovers the teens go out to eat
Learning what works for us is what’s important-saving time, money, stress, effort! So you give everyone ideas but remind them that they don’t have to follow your method or anyone else’s. That’s valuable advice!
I’m 61, love Jesus and organization, but you helped me realize that it is better to give away things that we paid money for but aren’t using than keep them. They aren’t being used, cause stress just seeing them and others might can use them. Somehow, I hadn’t learned that earlier in life. I’m ever so grateful for that encourage!!! Now I share it with others.
I want a T-shirt that says, "I'm 53 and I love Jesus and organization."
@@Romans828girl Sounds great but what happens when you get older? lol
@@peggyblackwell2975 LOL good point. Maybe it needs to say, "I'm over 50 and I love Jesus and organization."
My mom only cooked what we would eat, in the 50’s and 60’s eating out was for people with more money than we had.
Meal planning has been so wonderful for our family. I absolutely hate making a grocery list, so I made a recipe database in Microsoft access, and every week, I select which recipes I’m going to make, click a button and it spits out a grocery list. I mark off what I already have, and it takes about fifteen minutes. :) One of the nerdier things I’ve ever done, my husband was quite smitten lol. But I love the suggestion of having a few quick and easy meals built in every week. I usually have a crockpot meal in there as well, because I know something will usually come up that will make me gone the majority of the day and it’s nice to have dinner cooking while I’m gone!
We created a constant meal plan. Us Spaniards cook lunch and dinner so it can get overwhelming.
We put all of our favourite simple recipes together and assigned a day taking into account how long it takes to cook them. I also made sure we got enough fish and vegetables and little meat for the sake of health, and legumes (a couple ot times a week) and pasta (once a week) for the sake of frugality.
So every Monday it’s pasta for lunch and fish for dinner, Tuesday we have lentils and omelette, Wednesday roasted meat with veggies and peas.... you get the idea. Grocery shopping is super easy this way, absolutely nothing goes to waste.
If we feel like trying a new recipe we simply do, mostly on weekends.
We keep extra portions in our freezer (all you have to do is double some recipe here and there) for those days we don’t feel well or are in a rush. Easy peasy
It’s too much to manage and I’m not good at managing it... so simple, yet so true!
I need to have this stamped on something that I see regularly!
It’s also good to come with cheat meals with already prepared foods such as frozen breaded chicken. Cheat chicken Parmesan is a family favorite using chicken patties, jar marinara and slice of mozzarella or provolone. Quick, easy and delicious. This type of meal gives me a break from the chore but keeps everyone happy.
Love it! I do the same thing with cheap veal patties.
Kathy B.
I have a list of about 15 meals that we just rotate through. No apologies that mom’s not a gourmet - you’re not starving, are you??? 🤣🤣🤣
I'm the same. I have enough for a two week rotation and I do try 1-2 new recipes a month. Some end up making the cut but most do not , ha!
Hahahahaha aw yeah
Index Card Menu
When my kids were little I made up 21-25 Index cards. On one side I listed the meal idea (Such as hamburgers with fries or chips, Stew, Mac & Cheese with Hotdogs, Chicken with Potatoes & Vegetables, etc.). On the reverse side I would list all the ingredients needed to make the meal. Every two weeks i would shuffle all the cards and my two kids would each pull 7 cards. They would then turn the cards over and make their shopping list. We would look to see what was on hand & on sale before heading off to the store. We only shopped at one store. They would look for and gather the items on their list. I taught them how to look for sales, compare prices and look for alternatives if we could not find an item. They would also help me make their meal. For fun we added “kitchen closed/night out” and the reverse side of the card said “your choice” and whoever pulled the card would choose where to eat (w/kids it was usually fast food). My kids are now adults and I recently came across the cards (while decluttering) I worked with my grandsons to review the cards and make up new ones. I plan on giving them to their mom/my daughter, in a nice box so she can use it with her boys. (My son is marrying a professional chef so I’m not sure if he needs them! 🤣👩🍳🤷♀️🤣). By the way, their favorite meal was chili, topped with cheese and sour cream. No utensils needed as we then used Fritos scoop chips to scoop the mix.
This is an awesome idea! Tfs
There is nothing wrong with having the same meals every week. Lots of us grew up like that! I do try to make something new every so often, maybe once a month, but life is crazy busy for most of us. :). We need to do what works best for our family.
My version of simplifying meals is to only cook three dinners a week (the rest is leftovers), and only have one or two simple options for breakfast and lunch. I find that adding repitition helps get ingredients eaten up and "batching" when I cook saves me a lot of time in the kitchen. Sometimes I'll even make breakfast to last the next few days while I'm making dinner, and then I can basically coast through the next day in the kitchen.
Having core recipes that allow interchangeable protein and/or veggies, is the best way to use what you have and is in season/on sale.
Indeed! 🌞
Agree so hard, I'm trying to get better at this!
Could you share examples of some?
Can you give us some ideas on some
Ham fried rice. Just use leftover protein and veggies to change it up. Stir frys. Same idea. Casseroles use leftovers.
I would love a video that shows your meals/recipes that are on YOUR meal plan.
I don't have the link but she did post the video, I'm sure it's searchable. It's what inspired my meal plan! I just tweaked her version so that I don't need to choose, I use a monthly plan with favorite fast ones repeated every other week (tacos, fajitas, burgers, etc)
Small win for our house! We haven’t eaten out since Thursday last week. Simple easy meals are the best. And just knowing how much each meal cost makes it worth the work. $7 for a meal we eat twice versus $25 for drive thru really drives me in the kitchen.
I totally want to try that broccoli chicken bacon. Yumm.
I’m reverse meal planning today because I have the remains of an 18 pound Canadian Thanksgiving Turkey to use up. I make turkey casseroles, turkey pot pies, turkey shepherds pies and slice some breast meat for hot turkey sandwiches of for toasted turkey, cranberry and Brie sandwiches or burritos.The carcass is used to make soup. Nothing goes to waste.
You just alleviated the guilt I've had about making the same meals each month. Thank you!!
When I got married I would try to make fancy meals, when he is a tator tots, mac and cheese type of guy. (frustrating). I have tried simpler meals and found a few "tried and true" meals that work for our family. I vary the recipes from here to there. It keeps everyone happy and keeps me sane, because I really like diversity and quality but my husband doesn't. The best way to have harmony about dinner time is to have grace for our family members and grace for ourselves. It also helps out alot that my husband took on dinner two nights a week. :) (Also remember the *KISS Method: Keep It Simple Stupid)
Thank you so much for keeping it so real- I’m in my 60s now and kids are all grown up but I remember the pressure I used to get under trying to plan and create perfect meals- and it was never my strength! All you young Moms out there- listen to this! Family meals shouldn’t be a source of major stress.
Thank you so much you made my day ive been soo stressed out over meals cuz i have so much food and im stressed about it but with the pandemic and with being a first time mom and in my early 20's plus my parents didnt have much food in the house growing up i finally realized that i didnt need as much food as i have (two freezers my fridge and my cupboards and i installed a shelf that full and boxes and boxes of food) my goal is now not to go shopping at least for a little bit. i struggle with this alot cuz i get super nervous when my fridge is getting empty so wish me luck
I always prided myself on keeping minimal inventory, keeping a weekly budget, and using up most things every week.... then BOOM quarantine happened and the grocery stores were so empty. I ended up having to go to multiple stores and spend premium prices for items. It turned everything upside down. Now I have been keeping a bulk store of things. 🤷♀️
Grocery delivery - $12/month
Never have to go to a store
Never shop anywhere else
Can juggle my list on my phone instead of in the isle
Running total so I stay on budget - no impulse buys
Yay!
what company do you use grocery delivery for 12/month?
nakeshiasdent - I live in Canada - my local grocery store Save-On-Foods delivers - they deliver for $4.95 as long as you don’t pick the busy times (my math was wrong - I shop 3/month = $15). The groceries don’t cost anymore and the drivers are not allowed to accept tips. I love it - my mom and sisters think I’m crazy because they love to shop.
Skippy W I started doing WM pick up again...we live too far for delivery but same applies. It’s SO WORTH IT.
In Nashville, Walmart unlimited delivery is $12.95 a month, as often as you need, with I think a $35 minimum per order. The food itself is more expensive than Aldi, though, and unfortunately for my husband, I'm a big tipper.
I use google calendar... For five days a week, I assign a different starch to repeat on that day of the week (rice, beans, pasta, bread, potatoes) with the last two days being breakfast or leftovers. Then, I grab a piece of paper, and for each starch, write out as many loved dishes as I can think of.
Then, I set repeating events for each dish based on how many dishes are on a certain starch - for instance, if Pasta is on Wednesdays, and I have five pasta dishes my family loves, then I set one pasta dish on the first Wednesday to repeat every five weeks, the second pasta dish on the second Wednesday on a repeat of five weeks, the third pasta dish on the third wednesday to repeat every five weeks....and so on. If there's only three items on the list, then it repeats every three weeks, etc.
Every 14th of the month, I set a recurring event that says Anniversary - we normally order in or go out that day. And then household birthdays have a yearly repeat on that calendar too, for the same reason.
I also share this calendar with everyone who has a device in my family, because it cuts down on the "what's for dinner?" question; it's just important to note that you should share it and revoke their rights to change the details of the calendar. Viewing only!!
Because we get a CSA box of random meat cuts, I never mark down proteins or vegetables in a dish. This method has allowed me to cut down the decision-making process of what to cook with what I have. If it's spaghetti night and all I have is cube steak, I cut up that cube steak nice and fine and throw it in instead of hamburger, and add whatever is on the veggie list needing to go first that fits. If it's burrito night and we are out of sour cream... we add sour cream to the shopping list for next time and do without. If it's breakfast night, I check the bread bin and see if I have odds and ends; if not, we have waffles or pancakes. This has REALLY cut down my stress for cooking, and it's super easy to just zap an event off the calendar if plans change or a holiday is coming up.
I guess I'm a minimalist menu planner? I definitely second the reverse-meal-planning you've laid out here. It's literally how I determine what we need at the grocery store. Look at calendar, note dishes, see what we have that matches or can be substituted in, buy the rest!
I like to pick a theme for a week, so everything goes together and ends up as cohesive leftovers by the weekend. If it’s Mexican week, for example, we may have enchiladas one day (which I always make a double tray of, keeping the second in the freezer for “emergencies”). Then tacos, chili, and nachos (dumping all the leftovers onto chips, covering with cheese, and calling it dinner!). Another week is Italian-dicing all the onions, peppers, and mushrooms up once, and making a tomato sauce, usually the Sunday before, then having different kinds of pasta, homemade pizza, then by the end of the week it’s baked leftover pasta with cheese on top (cheese on top always makes leftovers better!). If it’s soup and sandwich week, Sunday night I’ll make up tuna fish, egg salad, cut up cheese, make bread, etc., and a big pot of vegetable stew (with ground beef or pork), and variations/combinations of those are eaten all week. In warm weather, we’ll grill twice in a week, and eat the grilled meat and veggies (corn on the cob, onions & peppers, redskin potatoes) with (or on) salads for the week. As a treat (since I don’t usually make desserts or keep sweets around) we’ve even had a week of breakfasts-Clean out the fridge n Monday with a crustless quiche with leftover veggies, meat, and cheese, then pancakes with mascarpone cream, fruit, and sausage, waffles with homemade jams/compotes and bacon, or even an easy trifle of homemade banana nut muffins layered with Greek yogurt, nuts & fruit granola, and leftover jams. (We’re ready for a week of salads after that!😅). Whatever your family likes, lean in for a week, then move on!
Thank you for making me feel better about meal planning! ❤️ I am one of those that feels guilty if I don't change it up all the time and search for new recipes and when it doesn't come out right or just wasn't good then I feel worse. I have some "go to" recipes that the family loves and that is easy for me to make. I'm going to go through my recipe binder and simplify it then work with that. We live in a small town that has a grocery store (too expensive) and a Walmart. The Walmart meats aren't the best a lot of the time so we make a 45 minute trip to Costco once or twice a month. We buy mostly meats and then I go to my freezer to plan my meals, put a reminder in my calendar to take the meat out of freezer for the next day or two days later and then I know it will be ready. My Instant Pot gets a workout especially with chicken meals. I grew up in a Greek household and my grandmother was the one who cooked. I think there was a rotation of 2 weeks of meals. That is what I am going to do. Have a good rotation of family favorites. I am a mom of 4 boys. Ages 31 (out on his own), 19 and twins going to be 16 this month. I am going to put together binders of the recipes they loved, put the printed pages in sheet protectors and give the binders to them to have. I'm also going to try and teach the ones still at home to make these favorites. Ok sorry for writing all that lol. You just inspired me today. Thank you. ❤️
I loved reading your story. Good idea to give your sons binders of family favourites. That way they will always be able to cook their old favourites for themselves.
@@helenebennie3961 I am still using this meal planning and it totally works for me. I am also still working on the binders, I think it will be a continual work in progress. I will give them their binders and as I make more family favorites I will also send them to them to print out and have extra sheet protectors in their binders for them to add either more of mine or their own. Then they can also share with their families.
I almost bought a freezer for meal planning and then realized that we’re a family of 4 so why the heck do we need so much extra food??? I love that this is simple and to the point. I’m totally going to try this method.
I plan every week on Tuesday and shop on Thursday. About once a month I will reverse meal plan just to use up pantry items or dinners that got skip for whatever reason.
I use a spreadsheet to plan breakfast lunch, and dinner and have a list of on hand snacks my kids can choose from.
Breakfasts and Lunches pretty much stay the same and I switch up Dinners based on what nights my husband is home or at work.
I've simplified by eating whole foods...I don't make recipes...I cook food and eat it. And I love it. It's been a gradual transition over many, many years. My palette has just got so used to it. I am gluten free and dairy free as well. I will make a recipe if I am feeling creative or I just want to. And then it's like a hobby for me.
Crock Pot. Add a roast or two. Add stew vegetables and water or stock. Cook. Mix some gravy mix with water, poor in and stir. Take part for a day or two's roast beef dinner. Take part and put into premade baked pie crusts. Add mashed potatoes/instant to tops & put in fridge to reheat another day. With what is left in crock pot, add stewed tomatoes or other tomato item (paste, fresh, canned). Now that turned that into stew. Put in containers and freeze for later in the week. There. You just cooked several days worth of food at once.
I started reverse meal planning and it makes a big difference. Less to buy, and although I thought my family would get bored I make the same stuff all the time and it goes.
The thing is, you have to start cooking before being able to do this. If you don't know how to cook anything then you won't have your "go-to" recipes.
Start slow- make sure you make one new meal once every week or two until you have a wide enough repertoire that you are not eating the same four meals all of the time.
I have tried couponing in the past, and ended up stopping because of the time it took vs. the payoff. The show Extreme Couponing had just come out and I thought I, too, could stock up on non-perishables for just pennies. I only ended up saving a few dollars here and there. Turned out the show was paying some stores to bend their rules a bit. As for me, only once in a blue moon did a coupon line up with a store sale, and I often only had access to one or two coupons. It took me 30-90 minutes to prep to go to the grocery store, and that was just printing coupons, not always checking store sales. I also realized coupons are pretty much just ads for name brand items. I do get a lot of name brand products, but there were a few things I bought but didn't need or use, because I had a coupon for them. I decided I'd rather save the time and spend the few pennies I was saving each trip, and now my grocery trips are much less stressful. One takeaway couponing skill I still use, though, is knowing my price point! So important.
That is so true about the new recipes. It always sounds good on paper but when you're in the dinner rush, the new recipes go out the window.
Meal planning has always been my weakness. You're not alone!
I'm Vegan, but that Cheeseburger Meatloaf sounds great! Corbin must be so happy that he can enjoy his favorite flavors,
while you can enjoy the simplicity!
So easy to veganize with lentils! It was a brilliant idea. I liked it too.
We like to make meatloaf in muffin tines instead of one big loaf. This allows us to make extra to freeze, then they reheat quickly in the microwave. We also keep bags of frozen veggies on hand for quick weeknight meals.
Thank you!! Thank you. I'm sitting here in tears. Highly simplified. Doing what works for me. Thank you for reminding me..to allow myself to do what works for me. That what is successful for me. I've so enjoyed your channel. I'm so glad I've found all of you. You, your hubby and sister have blessed me to the core.
Yes we are so hard on ourselves and have such high expectations. Is everybody fed? Are they loved? Do they have a bed to sleep in? That should be enough.
I can so relate to the overwhelm. I struggle to get to having a "nothing in the pantry" place but it's because of childhood issues. So atleast I know where it comes from and I don't go overboard with hoarding food.
Reverse meal planning is the best. It reduces/eliminates food waste and gives a jumping off point. Debtkickinmom does this as well and was actually the first time I'd ever heard of zero food waste.
Love both of you for confirming that meal planning should be made up of pretty much the same recipes in rotation. For us it's tacos, spaghetti, chicken fingers, roast/potatoes and chicken parm.
Omg! Amen to the rant of you streamlining your meal planning! Everyone always made me feel like I too needed the extra freezer and multiple store trips to save money. I go to one store, buy a few extra things when on sale or on clearance and that's it.
To quote a Kelloggs ad here in Australia: "The simple things in life are often the best."
thank you, thank you. Guilt be gone! You really nailed it today for me. Like they say.. when you need to learn a lesson the teacher will appear...YOU have taught me so much. Even though I am a well seasoned senior I still feel open to all the healthy suggestions, thanks.
I used your grocery list/plan and made it into my own. I've been planning a month at a time with themed days. Tuesdays are Taco Tuesdays with alternating regular tacos, chicken tacos, and nachos. Fridays are Frozen Fridays with a freezer meal usually from Costco like orange chicken or lasagna. Thursdays are instant pot meals we love. All of these we change a little very month for the season. We used to have a soup day but the warmer weather made us not want soup for now. All our meals are ones we know and love and we repeat them on certain days of the week, but since there are two or three for each theme we are never tired of anything. We may try one day called "Try something new" next month since we have more time in the summer. Love all your videos!
I love the reverse planning! I also think that what works differs per household and per stage of life. We are not really fond of cooking, and have a fixed rhythm for years now. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: potatoes, vegetables and meat (favorite of hubby and kids). Wednesday Italian (spaghetti, lasagna, etc.) or rice, Friday pancakes (when the grandparents cook), or what's left or made easily. Saturday fries with snacks, Sunday hamburger sandwich, homemade pizza or homemade soup. It makes shopping very simple, we always cook ourselves and rarely have leftovers. Sometimes I would love to alternate a bit more, but this is what they eat so well, and that makes everything so much easier for working parents. We try other things every now and then, but only when I feel like it, and have the time for it.
Didnt know this is what it was called. My mom had us kids ask what we had in the pantry or fridge while she made a grocery list. She was showing us a life lesson for sure! I do this with my teenagers and ask for their input for dinner ideas. I meal plan for a week at a time. One leftover night, a potluck meal, a takeout meal.
Is your potluck meal something you do with neighbors or family?
Yes my immediate family. Well do bbq night, caldo night, taco night, everbody brings something they have.
I do something similar. Children at home (21 and 17) choose a meal they want to cook. We have a left overnight and a “to be advised” which is the day before shopping and I see what needs to be used up. I plan the other 3 meals before shopping as well, 2 from meals we rotate and I try to do a new one. If the new one is a success it becomes part of the rotation.
Oh my gosh! How refreshing to hear that, what I thought were my short- comings on meals, echoed ..... and it’s ok!! I don’t have a separate pantry, I don’t have a second fridge or freezer or a Costco membership and it does seem like that is the expectation. During Covid I have increased my inventory, aiming for 2 weeks surplus, but now it’s harder to find what I need or want in my cupboards. I’m blaming it on Covid. Thank you, thank you making me feel normal!
You are TOTALLY right! We ate about 15 different things growing up and I never even thought about it as a kid!
I didn't know the term " reverse meal planning" but we started doing it 3 months ago, and it changed our lives. so much easier and we are saving 50% of the amount we spent before. Game changer!!
Thankyou for this video! All the challenges with meal planning and prepping and cutting back on waste are all things I have struggled with too. One good thing to have come out of this extended time at home is definitely greater awareness of using up everything I have and not buying more than I need. I find that when I have bought produce with the intention of finding something to cook with it, that item ends up going bad and being thrown out. I love what you said about simplifying everything. The less there is to think about and keep track of, the easier it becomes. The simplest approach is always best
Reverse meal planning! Great idea! Thanks! I like cooking once or twice a month. I use my old recipes that feed 6-8 even though there's only 2 of us now. I make meatloaf in those tiny loaf pans we use for "pumpkin bread gifts." I LOVE feeding my single friends, and still spend so much less than fast food! Everybody wins!
Themes (each day of the week is a theme, so that mean only 4-5 dinners that fit the theme. So easy!)! Now that I’ve been doing this for 4 months, now I can just rotate them a few times and the year is done.
Here’s what I did for May:
Sunday- instant pot, with what ever protein.
Monday- pork dishes
Tuesday- always Mexican
Wednesday- Leftovers
Thursday- breakfast for dinner
Friday- Italian/ Pizza (usually I cook, occasionally we order a pizza)
Saturday- comfort food
Thank you so much for saying exactly how I feel! I thought it was only me who couldn't cope with the meal-plan/recipe/bulk-buy thing. Since covid I have become much more aware of what food items I do have, and have tried to stick to my straightforward faves using those items, rather than anything different or fancy. I do believe that we will experience another wave of virus & food shortages at some time, so better to make the best use of what you are familiar with, than have a cupboard stocked with items that may never get used.
So interesting how different we all are! My mom was no gourmet chef but was always trading recipes with friends and getting new recipes from the newspaper and the radio. Of course there were a lot of things on repeat, but always some new stuff sprinkled in. I want everyone to like the meals I make, but it would never occur to me to feel guilty about what I cook. Also, there would have to be something pretty catastrophic for me to not follow my menu. If it's on the list, that's what I cook. I may trade nights, but would never cook something not on the plan! Some really great tips in the video, but so interesting to read all the comments!
Dawn!!! My brain works like yours! Thank you for taking unnecessary guilt away from those of us like minded people!! We tried the cook once eat all week cookbook, and LOVED that broccoli casserole recipe too!
Haha! I love what you said about your mom making certain meals all the time and never apologizing. My husband's mom had a 5 day weekly dinner schedule: hotdogs, hamburgers, meatloaf, soup and sandwiches, and some kind of casserole. On Saturday they ate out, or ate whatever they could scrounge up, and Sunday was the only elaborate dinner (a roast, or steak, or spaghetti and meatballs, Etc.) She was too busy to play the fancy chef. Why do we feel that we have to make perfect dinners every night?? I'm really glad you said that about your mom. 🙂
awesome info! i have always love eating and that made me lose weight super hard, tried a lot of diets and exercises along with it, but what made it possible was agoge diet. it changed my life. its always about the right diet for u
When my family was all home, I would cook for 7, but now just cook for myself. Tried and true recipes are the best. Now I only cook full meals, a couple times a week. I eat the meal that night and then have leftovers a couple nights later. Also, once a week, I will make one batch cooking of spaghetti sauce, chili, stew or soup, that I eat the night I cook it and then freeze the remainder into single portions in freezer, so I have a variety for dinner whenever I want. I also argument with salad meals. I do still love cooking for a company, but for Covid, I haven't done that for quite some time.
I’m not the best at planning ahead but I make it work. I get most of my recipes from one site (budgetbytes) and she uses a lot of the same ingredients in all of her recipes. I actually USE UP spices now! I read a book about garbage that mentioned a study in food waste - they found that people buying the same basics every week waste a lot less food. The stuff that gets tossed is the weird, fancy, aspirational stuff. People trash the brioche, not the wonder bread! Also, if I want to eat certain cuisines I have them at a restaurant instead of having all the spices and condiments to make Thai and Indian and Japanese and Middle Eastern.
Grilled chicken. That’s what has simplified life for us. We grill a large quantity of boneless chicken breasts a couple times a week and use them as the base for simple and quick meals. Sandwiches, salads, stir fry, pastas, warmed with sides of veggies, rice, etc, as a lettuce wrap, and many others. The teen will even grab a piece of chicken on the way to the gym instead of a protein bar now. Having it on hand ready to go has been a game changer. I also invested in a really good toaster oven. I keep cut veggies in the fridge ready to go. Toss some on a pan with a piece of frozen fish (Aldi has fantastic price on wild caught salmon) and in 10 minutes or so you have a healthy fresh meal.
I have a formula. Each week we eat the following: Italian meal, Mexican meal, sandwich night, crockpot meal, salad night, breakfast for dinner and one night we order in pizza or subs. I have several recipes that can be used for each of those and I rotate them through. I have also figured out which recipes have similar ingredients so I pair them so I don't waste food. For example, veggie quesadillas uses mushrooms, peppers, onion, zucchini and tomato and so does my veggie lasagna. This really helps me plan.
You make simple things seem so doable! Thank you for bringing back the basics of keeping a good home! I loved the comments about how your mom did it. It was a great reminder to keep things simple.
Thank you for giving us permission to do things the easy way. I always thought I needed to increase my value by doing the most complicated, difficult recipes, etc. NO MORE!!! God bless you!!!
Me too. As if we have to PROVE our value. If you believe in God then listen when He says He loves you. (John 3:16) And to quote Bishop Joe Grech "God doesn't make rubbish!"
We cook the same things all the time. If anybody wants to try a different recipe that is Saturday only
My friend and I were having this exact conversation the other day! We had the same thing pretty much every week with not much variation. It all went a bit mad when celebrity chefs came on tv all the time! I don’t think they meant to make us feel bad but the variation of ingredients and methods they used just made us feel like we needed to do better. Children have more opinions on food these days too, I just ate what my mum gave me even if I wasn’t that keen! X
I've never cared for and never watched cooking shows - always switch channels if one comes on.
I live in MN too! We have found a local farmer to buy beef from and it tastes so much better than what comes in the store, saves tons of money even though it's a lot up front AND the butcher packages it for us so we no longer need to separate and wrap from buying in bulk.
Yes, Dawn--sounds so familiar! I'm going to try simplifying my meal options, and not feeling guilty or comparing with others, and deciding I need to measure up to all the gourmet foodies out there!
I live by myself so I haven’t really ever done meal planning, but especially with so many places closed as far as restaurants are concerned, I’ve noticed that I did crowd to eat kind of regularly and cooking for myself 98% of the time is different.
I’m sometimes putting more thought into it now. One thing I love is buying those bags of salad greens, pre-washed and different kinds altogether. That helps me do salads, fresh salads! I had cucumbers or carrots or sunflower seeds or whatever else and a simple dressing of apple cider vinegar and a couple different kinds of oil and some salt and herbs that I just sprinkle on top and “fluff” together. I make it right in a cereal/salad bowl that I eat it from, too. That’s one trick :-)!
Very good video ! Two things you talked about really resonated with me 1) All the grocery rebate apps like checkout 51 ,etc may work for others tho not me for I don't stock pile groceries,simply buy what need & its too much invested time !
2)Pinterest I realized when you talked about it that it does take my time & most recipes I do not use because they require special ingredients, too complicated &/or I've only made a couple recipes that I've continued to make because we have other regular meals that we have made over the years that are tried & trued that we enjoy ; Also all the other stuff Your pinning takes time and you never do or created or go there so simply becomes social media clutter. I'm going to print off couple recipes & write down a few of my bucket list travel places that realistically I can do as well as afford then delete my Pinterest,that's right going to delete it ! Thank You for sharing Dawn It does make me reevaluate & move forward.
XO From BC, Canada Darcy 50 yr old MoM of 4 Adult Children, Youngest Adult Child,20@ home. Love Love the Minamilist Life - Take Care. Look forward to the next video : D
Oh thank you for this video! As usual, your way of simplifying a process is just a complete relief. I love to cook but I realize I have too many recipes and decision fatigue is a complete barrier. Also the frozen and pantry food - too much! This will be so helpful.
So, so wise! We live in Nothern Europe and that is exactly how we do our grocery shopping and meal planning. Several good but simple recepies on autopilot is our secret to smooth and effortless cooking routine. We also prefer fresh meat, partly because there is no space for huge fridges or freezer boxes in tiny european apartments! :)
I have cut back on the bulk buying and have been working hard to use up the inventory in the freezer(a whole pig). Everyone is home all day now and we have had a simplified meal plan. The instant pot has helped immensely, especially if I don't defrost in time.
Ugh! Why are you always right?! First you tell me that too much stuff to manage is why I'm overwhelmed and feel anxiety. < You were right. Now you're basically telling me too much food to manage is why I can't come up with dinner ideas and it just hurts my brain < Yep, you're right again! We have, get ready for this............a fridge freezer combo in our kitchen, one in our garage, an apartment size one in the basement, and a huge stand up freezer in the garage, a full pantry, a small shelf in the garage with random foods, AND a large shelf downstairs with "quarantine/stock up" items. YET, every week, I'm going to the store to get groceries. Just kick me now! You're right, it's too much to manage. We even wrote out what was on the shelf downstairs but I keep taking from it because I don't want it to go bad, so the original list is nowhere close to accurate = waste of time making the list to begin with.
Ha! You make me feel so much better. I went through my freezer, I have just me in my household, and I have enough protein in the freezer for 125 meals, yes that is 4 months worth! That isn't even counting the pasta, rice, beans, tuna and caned goods in the pantry. I usually write out a month of meals and then plan my grocery list from that--shop once a month. But, somewhere, somehow I got out of wack. My new goal is to eat down the freezer and pantry. My home is clutter free, but my pantry and freezer are out of control!
My husband likes a good variation and gets tired of meals quick so I'm usually online looking for new things to change it up. I try to just aim for themed meals to make it easier.
Something that helps with our meal time is to keep chopped onions, peppers and cauliflower in the fridge. Along with this, I wash my greens (Spinach and red leaf lettuce), then place them in a gallon ziploc bag lined with paper towels. My husband's schedule just changed to where he's coming home late, and for a few nights now, those chopped and prepared veggies have allowed me to create a small meal for him to enjoy when he gets home in a small amount of time. It's also allowed me to create salads for lunch on a easy basis too. This afternoon, I cooked up three large chicken breasts that will now be used for salads, or added to quinoa and veggie bowls. *My hubby is a vegetarian, but our daughter and I are not...so I need meals that can be built almost buffet style. :)
One last thing...I like the containers you use in the fridge. I have something similar to corral the small containers of chopped veggies. I love being able to pull out ONE thing rather than armfuls of dishes I may drop! Hope it's helpful to someone!
I'm with you, Dawn! Even today I felt overwhelmed (I'm currently cooking dinner). I don't usually have a full freezer, but I do right now (because of Corona). 😛
Totally agree. Keep it simple. While I fall back on tried and true recipes, I also like to cook, so I’m always open to finding new hacks that are quick and easy.
love this!
we usually have 5-6 standard weekly meals: beef, chicken, fish, pasta, soup/sandwiches/hearty salad (depending on the season). that makes my meal planning pretty easy. also, my husband is in the kitchen 24/7, so that helps tremendously to.
Preach it!!! This is why I love you and follow you. After a day homeschooling I want simple and easy go to meals that my kids will eat.
I printed out favorite recipes on index cards and laminated them. A lot of work up front, but now I just rotate through them. Makes it easy.
We have a pressure cooker/"instapot" that we use pretty much daily and we absolutely love it. It's been a lifesaver in the kitchen when we're such a busy family who forgets to take something out for dinner in time. We use our oven less as well (less energy, less heat during the summer), we also are big on our electric griddle that saves us from cleaning numerous pots and pans, both really great buys. Love your channel, thank you for caring so much to share!
Love seeing your little guy in the kitchen. You must be a proud mama!
We literally have homemade pinto beans (I soak and rinse every 4 hours for a day, then no seasoning, just cook a low heat and water) and brown or wild rice nearly every day. Everything else around it might change, but that's our non-meat protein staple. We also have meat often enough, vegetables, but it's simpler this way. Bragg's Coconut Aminos. And we're all used to the simplicity that developed when 3 out of 5 developed allergies to dairy, gluten and eggs! Super hard. Great video.
Love how you articulate what I have been feeling. I also need things to be simple & not have to use a lot of brain power to think. So, so me!! Thank you for your transparency of real life!