My Weekday Menu Plan (Monday through Thursday)
As a working mom of of a rambunctious 1 year old, I used to struggle with meal planning and prep. I wanted to serve my family (my husband and I are the main dinner eaters) a nutritious, delicious supper without too much effort. After experimenting for a few months and finding my way around the kitchen, I amassed a stock of yummy, easy recipes that fit the bill.
I decided to write up an outline for weekly dinner planning, to eliminate the stress of last-minute scrambling to get food on the table. I started by setting a flexible protein for each night of the week, as I found protein was the hardest to decide on. One night would be chicken breasts, one night would be chopped meat, one night would be dairy and the remaining night would alternate between chicken legs, fish, eggs, meat or a legume I was in the mood of. I chose these basics because they’re the most affordable options and we like them!
I then compiled my recipe ideas for each night of the week. Here are my lists:
Chicken Breasts:
Pretzel breaded cutlets with dip
Lo mein
Marinated grilled cutlets
Chicken nuggets
Hot cup-style soup
Skewered cubes
Stir fry
Chopped Meat:
Meatballs
Saucy pasta & meat
Arais
Lachmagin
Crock pot unstuffed cabbage
Stew
Peppers stuffed with meat and rice
Tacos
Meat on hummus
Dairy:
Stuffed pasta shells
Pizza
Mac and cheese
Quiche
Alternates:
Chicken Legs (Broiled, duck sauce, crock pot)
Salmon (teriyaki, salmon pasta veggie bowl)
Tilapia
Scrambled Eggs
Steaks
Tuna (grilled cheese, salad, patties)
Cold cuts
Lentil soup
All that is left is a carb and a veggie. For carbs I’ll do couscous, rice, pasta or some sort of bread. Veggies can be a challenge if you don’t have time to dice up a salad. Sometimes I grill string beans or add zucchini when a recipe calls for vegetables. If I the ingredients on hand I’ll make a pureed vegetable soup, and if I’m short on time (and patience!) I’ll just slice up some veggies to munch on.
This planner really helped me get dinner under control. Every morning I see what I need to take out of the freezer (most of my proteins come from there), and decide what to make based on the contents of my pantry and fridge. I keep my freezer stocked with chicken breasts and chopped meat, and a couple of the alternate proteins as well.
Good luck with your meal-making! Let me know how it goes!
