Foolproof Method for Effectively Planning and Preparing Meals

3 steps for a well-planned weekly menu

1) Planning (30 to 60 minutes)

Often, people who try to plan meals tend to plan backward. They start by choosing recipes for the menu and then make their grocery list. This process works, but it increases the cost of the grocery cart and doesn't allow for the rotation of food in stock.

The first thing to do: take a quick look at what's available at home.

On a sheet of paper or in your head, note down foods that need to be consumed quickly, including fruits and vegetables in the fridge, frozen meats, or rarely used grains in the pantry. Les Belles Combines has even created a very practical storage label for this purpose. You can use it to create a "Eat Me First" bin for all foods that are about to expire or need to be consumed within a short period. Get your children involved by asking them to always consume what's in this bin first.

Examples of recipes to prepare with "leftovers":

• Leftover rice, broccoli, onions, and two frozen chicken breasts make an excellent Asian chicken stir-fry
• An opened jar of salsa, canned legumes, and frozen tortillas make it easy to prepare a quesadilla meal
• Leftover ham and wilted spinach can make a meal of pasta with béchamel sauce, ham, and spinach

Second thing to do: check the flyers for specials

Paper or electronic flyers can help you save money; you don't need to look at them completely, specials are always on the first or last page. If your grocery options are limited in your area, choose your grocery store based on the specials that interest you most. If you have access to a Maxi or Walmart, don't hesitate to use price matching to apply sales from all grocery stores in one place. Simply show the competitor's price in the flyer (paper or electronic version) to the cashier when paying. To save time and be more efficient, try to make only one grocery trip per week and, if possible, to a single location.

With the specials in front of you, you can now complete your weekly menu by adding your list of sale items to your existing stock. If the specials are very good, don't hesitate to buy two or three of the discounted item to stock up (watch our video on food storage right here!). These foods will help you plan other menus at a lower cost in the coming weeks.

Finally, it's time to pull out your cookbooks and browse your favorite websites to choose recipes to complete your menu. You can get inspiration by searching by ingredient to use a particular food, for example, cornmeal. You can also include a recipe for which you have no ingredients but which you are craving.

Third thing to do: the shopping list

Make your list in three stages:

• Note down missing ingredients for the chosen recipes during menu planning.
• Add basic fresh foods to the list that need to be repurchased each week: fruits and vegetables, dairy products, proteins for lunches, and bread.
• Add items to replace so you don't run out of basic ingredients: flour, rice, pasta, baking powder, etc.

Psst! For a well-organized grocery list, use the Les Belles Combines list!

2) Grocery Shopping (60 minutes)

With a clear list in hand, grocery shopping shouldn't take more than an hour, including checkout waiting time. Also, be careful of impulse purchases that drive up the price of your cart. To limit distractions and save even more time, online grocery shopping is an excellent option.

Multiple grocery store visits are a consequence of inefficient planning and multiply the number of impulse purchases: so be sure to aim for one grocery visit per week and one per month for warehouse-type stores.

3) Cooking (2 to 3 hours)

The weekly menu is ready, the food is in the fridge; it's time to get a head start on preparing the week's meals. It's not necessary to prepare all meals on Sunday, but any food preparation in advance will help you reduce the stress associated with making meals and lunches during busy weeknights.

Here are examples of what you could cook:

• Prepare snacks: cut fruit, portion yogurt or cheese, make muffins and freeze them
• Cut vegetables that will be on the menu this week
• Cook soup to accompany meals and lunches
• Prepare menu meals that can be reheated (lasagna, stews, chilis)
• Cook rice or quinoa to accompany meals
• Cut crudités (lots of crudités!)

Often, families look for quick recipes that can be made in under 20 minutes. Here are some ideas:

• Stir-fries (if vegetables are already cut)
• One-Pot dishes
• Variations of egg-based meals: frittata, omelet, meal bowl with hard-boiled eggs, etc.
• Sandwiches and spreads: grilled cheese, salmon bagel, etc.
• Sheet pan meals
• Pasta with a pre-made sauce

These meals are certainly very practical, but cooking only these makes menus redundant. That's why cooking in advance allows for variety in evening meals.

Here are some recipe ideas that can be cooked in advance and vary our evening meals:

• Casserole dishes (lasagna, potato and fish casserole, shepherd's pie)
• Dishes made with large cuts of meat (chicken, pulled pork, ham, pot roast)
• Never-before-tried vegetarian recipes: lesser-known recipes always require longer preparation than those we've been cooking for years

You are surely very close to achieving effective planning that will allow you to save money and avoid waste: you need to think about the deep motivations that push you to tell yourself that it's finally time to manage meal planning. Sometimes planning gets sidelined, but it always comes back when you know why you're doing it and you know its benefits.

For more recipes (especially for weekly batch cooking!) and other tips related to meal planning and preparation, subscribe to our Chef.fe de famille monthly newsletter!

Also discover here all our little tips to download and integrate into your family organization binder!