Seven Founding Hills

Being a homeschooling, mom of four means life is always busy, and meal planning and grocery shopping can feel like a never-ending task. Between juggling different extra curriculars, picky eaters, and the daily chaos of having three kids under five, it’s tough to keep meals organized. Finding the time to plan balanced meals, make a shopping list, and then navigate the store with kids in tow was overwhelming. Some days, it feels like no matter how much planning goes into it, I still am missing ingredients.

Last year I came up with a meal planning system that worked for our family.

How to Make a Master Meal Plan

At the beginning of every month I make a five dinner weekly meal plan. I make a list of all of the ingredients we need for each meal. I organize a master grocery list for all of the ingredients based where I buy the different groceries.

At the beginning of each week I go through our fridge and pantry to check off the ingredients we already have from my master grocery list and I am ready to pick up groceries for the week.

I love this meal plan because I can purchase and prepare food in bulk without worrying about how to use it all before it goes bad.

I assign my meals to a day of the week, but I often change the day a meal is served or sides based on how I feel or availability of ingredients.

February Meal Plan

Monday – Wonton Soup

Chicken stock, shredded chicken, chicken wontons, ginger, garlic, green onions, carrots, celery, rice noodles

Tuesday – Quesadillas, salsa, beans, and rice

Uncooked flour tortillas, cheddar cheese, salsa, beans, rice (I prefer Mexican or yellow)

Wednesday – Teriyaki chicken, broccoli, and rice

Drumsticks, teriyaki sauce, broccoli, left over rice or white rice

Thursday – Peruvian chicken, Aji Verde, salad, and rice

Drumsticks, cilantro, lime, soy sauce, cumin, paprika, jalapenos, mayo, fresh garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, rice, shredded carrots

Friday – Pasta with meat sauce and broccoli

Pasta, ground beef, sausage, pasta sauce, broccoli, and parmesan cheese

February Master Grocery List

Costco

• 9 lbs of Drumsticks
• 1 lbs Italian sausage of Italian Sausage
• 1 lbs of Ground Beef
• 3 lbs bag of Chicken Cilantro Wontons
• 1 Pack Frozen Broccoli
• 1 Bottle of Teriyaki Sauce
• 32 Count Pack Uncooked Flour Tortillas
• 2 lbs Cheddar Cheese
• 16 oz Mixed Salad Green
• 16 oz Fresh Ginger
• 10 lbs of Rice
• Bananas
• Apples
• Oranges
• Peanut Butter
• Jelly
• Bread
• cheese sticks

Trader Joe’s or Other Grocery Store

• 2 lbs of Carrots
• 2 Heads of Celery
• 4 Tomatoes
• 3 Jalapenos
• 2 lbs Bag of Red Onions
• 1 Pack of Garlic
• 1 Bunch of Green Onions
• 2 Bunches of Cilantro
• Soy Sauce
• Salsa
• 4 Limes
• Mayo
• Cumin
• Paprika

FAQ

Why only 5 meals?

I only plan for 5 meals because when I used to meal plan on a week by week basis I usually only made 5 of the 7 meals I planned. Between left overs, eating out, or prepared meals I found it stressful trying to incorporate extra groceries to

What about breakfast and lunch?

I keep breakfast and lunch pretty consistent and easy to prepare year round. We usually have yogurt or toast for breakfast and sandwiches or leftovers for lunch. Bread, yogurt, frozen berries, peanut butter, and jelly are always on my master staple list.

What about snacks?

I do not normally purchase prepacked snacks for my kids. We usually stick to fresh fruit, cut veggies and dip, mozzarella sticks, or peanut butter and jelly as snacks and my kids don’t complain.

I try to pick up a package of cookies or crackers at Trader Joe’s when we have a field trip planned, but it is not something we regularly eat at home.

How Do You Meal Plan?

Comment and let me know how you meal plan. Let me know if you would like me to provide recipes for any of meals I listed.