What is the best meal plan?
This is a question that often gets asked when the subject of meal planning comes up. I think the answer to this is pretty simple. The best meal plan is a plan that you are going to be able to easily implement and that works for you, your family, and your budget.
There are several things to consider when coming up with the best meal plan for you and your family…..
#1 What are your family's dietary needs, food preferences, and goals?
What is the Best Meal Plan? Consider Dietary Needs and Preferences
Each family is going have very different dietary needs, food preferences, and goals. If you are trying to eat healthy then you are likely going to have a lot of fresh produce and lean proteins on your meal plan. If you are avoiding meat or dairy, that will also influence things. Dietary choices and preferences are very personal and are definitely not a one size fits all situation.
If you have family member with special dietary needs, this will also shape what your best meal plan is going to look like. My sons both had food allergies so we have to avoid foods with peanuts, tree nuts and sesame seeds. A lot of people have to avoid gluten or dairy.
A third consideration is what type of tastes your family has. What are your favorite meals? It’s best to make meals that you know your family will willingly consume :-). I have a regular rotation of meals that I know the family won’t complain about.
I am also careful not to plan casseroles or other recipes that produce a lot of leftovers if I know that my husband and kids don’t love it and will be less inclined to eat the leftovers. I’m always looking for ways to maximize the grocery budget and minimize food waste and careful meal planning is an important part of making those two things happen!
This is why I recommend keeping a meal planning notebook or binder with all of your family’s favorite meals. It can really be a huge time saver when you are creating your meal plan.
#2 - What is the budget you are hoping to stay within?
Your Grocery Budget Will Impact Your Meal Plan
Your grocery budget is a very important factor when meal planning. If you are looking to be frugal with your grocery budget, then you aren’t going to want to be adding a lot of steak and seafood to your meal plan. In fact, those things would have no place on a frugal budget. Instead you might want to include a lot of rice, potato and pasta based dishes with inexpensive protein options like chicken, tuna, beans, and eggs.
This is another instance where having a meal planning notebook is really beneficial. In my meal planning notebook, I like to put the estimated cost it takes to make a recipe or meal so that I can factor that in when planning our weekly meal plan. Of course with the pandemic and the inflation that is going on right now, prices are always changing but at least it gives me a general target to aim for!
#3 - How much time do you have to make a meal?
The Amount of Meal Prep Time You Have Will Help You Make Meal Planning Decisions
Planning a complex meal for a weeknight when you have limited spare time on your hands is just setting yourself up for failure.
Take into consideration what your weekly schedule looks like when you sit down to create your meal plan for the week.
If you have some busy evenings, make sure to account for that by either planning some quick and easy meals for those nights or doing some weekend meal prep before the week begins.
This can mean throwing together a freezer meal or casserole that can easily be thrown in the oven on busy nights or doing some of the steps for the recipe such as browning ground beef ahead of time for tacos or chopping and bagging vegetables that will go in a recipe.
A slow cooker can also be a lifesaver on busy days because you can throw everything in that morning and usually have minimal prep left when you return home in the evening.
I suggest coming up with a list of at least 10-15 busy day meals that you and your family love to add to your meal planning notebook. This is enough to rotate that you won’t get burned out on your favorite meals for busy days!
#4 - What is on sale that week?
The Best Meal Plan Will Include Sales Items
The best meal plan will also include some meals based on the best sales that week at your preferred grocery store. This will help you cut down on your grocery budget for the week. Meal planning around what is on sale is one of the easiest ways to keep your grocery expenses in check.
The loss leaders, which are the items displayed on the front page of your grocery store’s weekly ad, is a good place to start. These are almost always the best deals to be had that week.
If you are new to meal planning, you might want to start keeping track of the prices of items that you commonly buy. That way you will begin to get a feel of whether a sale is actually a good deal or not.
If it’s a really good deal, you might even want to stock up a little if saving money is one of your main motivations for meal planning. When I see a good sale on an item, I will often buy as much as I think I will need of the item for at least a month because that is about how long it takes for most sales I see to cycle back around.
#5 - What is in Season?
A final thing to include when coming up with the best possible meal plan is seasonal items. This has double benefits.
First, it saves you money to buy grocery items that are in season versus items that are not. Fresh produce especially is very seasonal and you will find that you can find amazing deals on the fruits and vegetables that are in season. Berries, melons and stone fruits are super cheap in the summer months. Apples and squash in the fall. Citrus in the winter, and so on.
Second, it keeps the meal plan from becoming to monotonous. When you change the produce you use with meals to meet the seasons, you will keep your menu fresh by having different offerings every few months.
In Summary: What is the Best Meal Plan?
In summary, the best meal plan is going to be the one that works for you, your family and your budget. One that you will be able to implement and that meets your nutritional needs and personal preferences.
If you are trying to stay on budget, you will want to make sure you have a meal planning binder or notebook full of budget friendly options that you and your family like.
If you have a busy lifestyle that doesn’t allow much time for preparing meals, you will want to have a list of quick and easy meals you can make for your busy nights. You could also come up with meals that you can prep ahead of time on your days off.
No matter what tactics you choose to implement, having a meal plan can save you time and money as well as making it easier for your family to reach any healthy eating lifestyle goals you have.
Determine what requirements are important to you when it comes to meal planning and then be sure to set aside some time each week to create a meal plan that meets those needs.
More Blog Posts You Might Enjoy….
Aldi Recipes:
Aldi Easy Meal Ideas:
