My Pinterest Meal Planner

Yes, Pinterest....

It’s so wonderful when you need some fresh ideas or to waste time, right? I am horrible at meal planning- I don’t enjoy it and I never seem to get creative enough. I feel like I have the same 3 meals all the time, which I don’t mind, but Daniel is not a huge fan. Here is my attempt to be more diverse in my meal planning!

I threw this together yesterday and have started using it- now I just have to pay attention to it. It’s great to pick meals at the beginning of the week and shop ONLY according to those meals- then you don’t overspend or buy things that won’t get used in time.

I started by writing out my meals while looking into my cookbook and online. I came up with 4 categories for us, that i then typed and printed onto different colored sheets. I did the different colors to make sure I have variety within the week! I then "laminated" them by using clear packing tape!

Here’s our categories:

Yellow= Chicken

Red= Beef

Pink= Crockpot meals

Blue= Easy/ busy meals

Here is how I made mine, directions in pictures! 

Supplies: a fabric swatch (99 cents), an 8x10 picture frame ($5), a piece of scrapbook paper, and 7 clothes pins.

I hot glued the fabric around the everything but the frame- glass too, to keep it sturdy.

I make my own Mod Podge- equal parts of Elmer's glue ($1-2) and water. Shake well!

Line em' up!

I used a card box for my meal holder- a crayon and marker box were both too big. I just covered it with paper!

Hot glue EVERYTHING!

DONE!

 Here are the meals I wrote down for our family:

Sweet/Sour Chicken and Rice

Chicken Spinach Wraps

Chicken Spinach Salad

Skillet Rosemary Chicken

Chicken Rice Casserole

Chicken, green bean, and sweet potato bake

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Teriyaki Chicken

Southwest Chicken Wraps

Chicken Enchiladas

Quesadilla Burgers

Baked Ziti

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Meatball Sandwiches

Mediterranean Meatloaf

Beef and Potato Burritos

Steak and Veggies

Goulash

Beef Fajitas

Tater Tot Casserole

Mom’s Colossal Chili

Beef and Veggie Stew

Chicken Tortilla Soup

White Chicken Chili

Chicken Corn Chowder

Posole

Chicken and Dumplings

Crockpot Pesto Chicken

Pizza

Leftovers

Takeout

Mac and Cheese w/ Broccoli

Eat out

There are 33 meals here- more than a month’s worth without repeating! These are really main dishes, with the ability to add whatever veggies you have. I usually keep broccoli, peas, and green beans in the freezer, and I usually have spinach, romaine lettuce, potatoes and sweet potatoes on hand. Just whip them up to add to your main dish, if needed!

I also usually keep both of these on hand:

Sauteed green bell peppers and onions (w/ salt and pepper)

Sauteed sweet potato and onions (w/ salt and pepper)

 These two dishes are great hot or cold, as a side to some good protein, or just add in some ground beef and eat for lunch! That's what I usually do. 

 Now, my husband did ask if we could repeat ones that he loves- which means Pizza, Beef and Potato Burritos, and Chicken Broccoli Alfredo- most likely. I ALWAYS make a double batch of everything so Daniel has meals to take to work the next day. I pack them straight into their Tupperware and into the fridge so he can grab-and-go in the morning.

If I am trying to be healthy and watching what I eat, I add more veggies, change the pasta to a rice noodle, change the tortilla to wheat, or simply leave out the bread and carbs all together. Sometimes I will even feed my husband these meals and have a protein shake or leftovers on my own, if it’s not “healthy” enough.

This is really just a start for me- I plan on adding new and exciting dishes to my menu. Do you have a favorite recipe you could share?