February’s meal plan was based around one thing… trying to get my freezer and pantry cleaned out. Throughout December and January, I’ve planned out the meals and bought the food. As the last few weeks have passed, my pantry got fuller and fuller, and not all of the meals that I planned for were made.
I really want to get my freezer cleaned out because spring is right around the corner. That’s the start of our planting time, and if I don’t have enough room in my freezer, once fall soccer comes, I won’t be able to keep up with everything that I need to throw in there between practices and games.
I’ve also tried to keep the meals simple because Bookworm starts to have practice for the high school musical three times per week, and they line up with days we’re running around for other appointments, or he’s got to be at school early for the science fair.
Beyond that, here are some other things to consider when reviewing our monthly meal plan:
I plan only our dinners. Unless it’s noted, sides consist of a fruit or veggie, possibly a grain, and is based on what I have in my fridge and pantry.
We try to have one big meal each week, and it’s usually a roast. Throughout the rest of the week I use the leftovers as ingredients for the week’s remaining meals. For instance, a roast beef then becomes ingredients for beef stroganoff, beef quesadillas, and so on.
Breakfasts are usually oatmeal, cereal, toast or bagel with peanut butter and fruit, cottage cheese and fruit, or yogurt with granola. It may seem limited and boring, but keeping breakfast choices as simple as possible makes it much easier on our hectic morning routine. Hubs is out the door at 6:30 and kids are on the bus at 7.
Lunches are packed each day for Hubs and the kids, while I currently eat at home. Lunches are either sandwiches, salads, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, or leftovers as the main course. It’s served with a fruit/veg, yogurt or cheese, a drink and a “treat” {gummies, chips, etc}. Snacks, such as crackers, pretzels and Nilla cookies, are also divided out at home and sent to school in smaller snack containers.
I don’t stock pile shop –we just don’t have the pantry space– but I do shop for weekly sales, mostly for crackers, pretzels, and so on. While this may not be the best of healthiest option, I far prefer fruit for their snacks, I have found that it is by far the easiest when divvying out snacks, and also is the least messy/sticky in the classrooms and backpacks.
During the summer and fall, I preserve what I am able to grow and get cheap from local you-pick farms and farmer’s markets. It helps me keep what we eat fresh and local, but also limits our preservative and additive intake {I have a preservative allergy and my middle gets migraines with certain food additives}.
Chicken Noodle Soup
Pancakes x2
Meatloaf
Party Out of Town / Cheese Steaks & Tater Tots if we get back in time for dinner
French Toast
Nachos
Chicken & Biscuits
Beef & Barley Soup
Leftovers x2
Salmon Cakes & French Fries
Hot Sausage Sandwiches
Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread & Tossed Salad
Chicken BBQ Sandwiches
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Pizza x2
Dutch Oven Chicken
Tortellini Alfredo & Broccoli
Chicken Mozarella Pasta
Tacos
Chicken Fajitas
Zuppa
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Roast Chicken Dinner
Sloppy Joes
Need some more inspiration for your meal plans? You can check out our past meal plans below!
Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest, where I have a whole board dedicated to meal planning, as well as boards for soups, chicken recipes, and so on.
Leave a Reply