Simplify Deciding What To Make For Dinner With This Menu Planning Idea

by Time With Thea

Restaurants have nightly specials so why can’t we do the same at home. We all have a favourite restaurant that we love to go to on a certain day of the week because we know they are serving their famous dish or favourite food theme. How many of us enjoy ‘Wing Night’ or “All You Can Eat Pasta Night”? We can use the same idea when menu planning at home to simplify the daily task and sometimes daily chore of what to prepare and serve for dinner.

Menu planning using themes is a pretty easy planning system to follow. Choose themes that are family favourites and assign them to a night of the week that fits the family schedule.

For example, when I was working full time and a mother to two busy daughters I decided what to make for dinner at the end of the week for the following week. I also cooked for planned leftovers so that I was not coming home having to cook a full meal after a long day of work and while rushing out the door to get my daughters to their after school activities.

Our typical dinner themes were:

Saturday – Casserole Night, which usually was a pasta dish

Sunday – Sunday Supper, which usually was a roast, potato and vegetable dinner

Monday – Saturday Repeat Dinner

Tuesday – Sunday Supper Repeat Dinner

Wednesday – Freezer night which was something that just needed reheating out of the freezer as in a home cooked soup or chilli

Thursday – Fun Supper Night, which was a pizza, Sloppy Joes or tacos

Friday – Takeout or Dinner Out Night because I was tired after a long week of work

I posted the menu for the week on the fridge along with reminders about what the evening commitments were and who would not be home for dinner that night.

Once I got into the routine, it was a very simple system for menu planning that helped simplify deciding what to make for dinner because I could choose dishes within each theme. The scope of choices was really narrowed down.

Menu planning saves money because you are only buying groceries that you know are going to be used in the pre-planned dishes. It saves time because deciding what to make is done in one planning session for the week. Lastly it ensures that healthier food choices are being made for the family!

You are invited to read the blog where I provide more details and information for how menu planning using themes works!

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2 of 18 comments

Maryann on Nov 04, 2018

One more tip: Create a shopping list that includes the things you buy all the time. (Mine is thee columns.) Print out a few copies at a time then stick one on the fridge. When you run out of something, circle it. Before grocery shopping, scan the list to make sure you’ve remembered everything you need, and circle the items you need for upcoming meals. (I’m just organized enough that my list is sorta in the order of what’s in the aisles of the store I shop most often! Another time-saver!)

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Maryann on Nov 04, 2018

OK, so one more tip: Use a clothespin to clip your grocery list to the shopping cart!

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