[baby*girl]

I must admit I have considered meal plans for about a year now and never commit to them.

So I need some examples, I can never think of good meals, what is cheap etc and I am always stuck buying lots of food that isnt used.

If anyone can send me there meal plan examples I would greatly appreciate it.

rochellehodge1@optusnet.com.au

Thanks

This post has been edited by Babbygirl: 17/04/2007, 07:34 PM

[baby*girl]

Thanks so much. You have motivated me. THANKS

[shadon]

This is/was this week's:

M: Fettucine with a Creamy Basil and Garlic Chicken Sauce (using Chicken Thighs)
T: Beef Hot Pot with Potato Dumplings (using Chuck Steak)
W: Chicken Cacciatora, Mash Potato and Green Beans (using drumsticks and wings)
T: Mince Pasta Bake (using Beef Mince)
F: Potato, Bacon and Leek Soup with Homemade Multigrain Bread
S: Leftover PBL Soup and Bread
S: BBQ - Steak, sausages, potato bake and salad (using Sirloin Steak on special)

Last week's meal plan:

M: Chicken and macaroni bake (using Chicken Thighs)
T: Shepherd's Pie (using Beef Mince)
W: Chicken Meatballs and rice (using chicken mince)
T: Beef and Veg Casserole (using rump steak on special)
F: Fish, chips and salad (using Aldi crumbed fish and oven fries)
S: Beef Curry and rice (using rump steak on special)
S: BBQ at Mum and Dad's (free meal - YAY!)

Next Week's Meal Plan (so far):

M: Spaghetti Bolognaise (using beef mince)
T: Crustless bacon and veg quiche
W: Tacos (using beef mince)
T: Sweet Chilli Chicken Stir-fry with rice (using chicken thighs and Aldi sauce)
F: Potluck (Basically leftovers from previous weeks that I have frozen)
S: Chicken Laksa Soup (using chicken thighs)
S: Roast Chicken Dinner

You can see there is probably not a lot of variety meat wise as I try to use the cheapest cuts of meat where possible to keep grocery costs down as much as possible. I try to keep my grocery budget for 5 people, one cat and one dog to $150 per week or less.

[*Nicole*]

I meal plan each month as DH gets paid monthly on the 15th, so this is my list from today to 15th May. I don't really go in any order, its just whatever we choose from the list that day. We also double up on a couple of things through the month.

1. Burgers w/ salad and chips.
2. Mushroom bacon and herb spaghetti w/ garlic bread.
3. Beef fajitas w/ corn salsa.
4. Chicken and spinach risotto w/ crispy pancetta.
5. Herbed veal steaks w/ loaded bandito wedges and vegies.
6. Chicken and sweet potato casserole w/ mash and greens.
7. Hayleigh and Askin coming for dinner - Takeaway of some kind.
8. Zucchini and bacon quiche w/ warm potato salad.
9. Roast chicken w/ mash, roast vegies, cauli cheese, and gravy.
10. Steak w/ loaded bandito wedges and vegies.
11. Chicken, mushroom, feta and spinach pie.
12. Nachos/burritos.
13. Green spaghetti w/ salad.
14. Corned beef w/ mash, cheese sauce and steamed vegies.
15. Chicken parma w/ cheese and vegie bake.
16. Burgers w/ salad and chips.
17. Cheesy antipasto gnocchi bake.
18. Roast leg of lamb w/ vegies and potato bake.
19. Leftover lamb pie w/ mash and vegies.
20. Creamy chicken and sweet potato soup w/ rolls.
21. Spaghetti bolognese w/ garlic turkish bread
22. Harissa chicken w/ lemon and vegie couscous.
23. Chicken enchiladas.
24. Steak w/ mushroom sauce and loaded bandito wedges.
25. Tri-colour fettucine w/ creamy chicken and sundried tomato sauce.
26. Chicken and bacon club sandwiches.
27. Indian take away.
28. Beef fajitas w/ corn salsa.
29. Chicken kievs w/ mash and steamed vegies.
30. Beef goulash w/ chive dumplings and greens.
31. Homemade pizzas (cheesy artichoke and garlic w/ pesto, and salami potato,and rosemary?).
32. Chicken enchiladas.
33. Nachos/burritos.
34. Chicken, mushroom, feta and spinach pie

Hope that helps!

[~fiddle-dee-dee~]

I meal plan Wednesday to Tuesday...here is this week's

Wed - Curried Chicken with Linguine and Broccoli
Thur- Toasted Sandwiches
Fri - Pasta Bake with Peas and Garlic Bread
Sat - BBQ Steak and snags with zucchini boats
Sun - Beef & Vegie Casserole
Mon - Meatballs in Applesauce with Rice and Broccoli
Tue - Minestrone with Garlic Bread

I've been getting a lot of recipes from one of my new favourite shows called Fixing Dinner. It's on foxtel-Discovery Home and Health channel. This bird comes into family's homes and teaches them how to meal-plan and gives them a 4 week meal plan with recipes and shopping lists and really cool magnets to show what's for dinner, who's cooking what etc! Love this show...my 6 y.o DS watches it with me and picks out which recipes we should cook!

[A Juggling Mum]

I write a meal plan each Monday on my blog (with recipes). You can check out this weeks menu here: http://jugglingmum.blogspot.com/2007/04/me...-monday_10.html

[scully73]

I do a weekly meal plan and I use recipes from AGT (Good Taste Mag). Really easy to follow, good variety and all take around 1/2 hr. This weeks are:-

T: Tomato & Borlotti Bean Soup
F: Mexican Bean & Beef Tortilla Pies
S: Take-away night
S: Creamy Chicken Penne
M: Lamb Sausage Pilaf
T: Chicken Curry
W: Pea & Mint Pasta Frittata

[baby*girl]

OMG Rachel, you are impressive.

I just wanted to duck in and let everyone know I did a meal plan at work today, with the help of all the other ladies at work and the help of eb ofcourse.

Did the grocery shopping on the way home (OMG how much money did I save) and we actually cooked our first dinner tonight.

I say ACTUALLY cooked as due to renovations (no oven for 12 mths) and complete slackness, we havent cooked a meal for ourselves for over 12 months. I KNOW VERY BAD!

I think we might be able to save $300 a fortnight now on meal planning and purchasing groceries on a budget, rather than take away and quick shopping at the corner store on the way home from work. I am amazed at how cheaply I shopped today at hte supermarket.

[fionaw1]

One of the pp mentioned a show called 'Fixing Dinner'. I watch this as well, and they have this ace menu planner, where you just search the extensive recipe archives and add your favourites to the menu planner. It is really great and is quite addictive. The recipes are from heaps of shows, but Fixing Dinner is usually about quick, easy meals for busy families...from memory the host has 7 kids!

http://www.foodtv.ca/mealplanner/Register.aspx

It lets you print out the recipes, the shopping list and everything!

Edited to say it is American/Canadian though, so some of the measurements etc. you may have to adapt!

This post has been edited by fionaw: 13/04/2007, 08:31 PM

[baby*girl]

WOW this meal planning and grocery shopping is so much fun ! ! !

We are starting basic as just having the same fortnightly meal plan each fortnight.

Have guesstimated the grocery bill per fortnight including nappies is $300, which is awsome. Honestly the way things were prior with takeout, trips to the corner store every day after work I was spending close to $100 a DAY!

Our lives are honestly changed. Things are great and THANK YOU THANK YOU for this motivating section of EB.