How do you plan your main meal of the day?

Ronni

Ronni

Well-known Member
Location
Nashville TN
Do you like randomness or prediction?

Do you meal plan this way? Monday is meatloaf, Tuesday is chili, Wednesday is roast chicken etc.

Are your meals on a weekly rotation, or maybe every two weeks, or perhaps there are 10 days worth of specific meals then start back at the beginning?

I know a couple folks who plan this way, but that’s not for me. While there are quite a few meals I’ll make routinely, they’re not on any kind of a schedule, and are interspersed with new specific recipes I want to try, or made up meals that I put together with what I can find in the fridge or pantry.

Ron never knows what I’m going to cook for dinner 🤣 He loves the adventure of it! I’m so grateful he’s as much of an adventurous eater as I am! We’re always trying new things. even when we go out to dinner, we never order the same thing twice.

What about you?
 

Hubby and I have very different diet needs, he is on a diabetic diet (when the mood hits him mostly) and I had Alpha-Gal so trying to build back up from a 4 year no-meat or meat by-product diet. I had to read labels carefully, so much of our processed foods have some sort of meat by-product included. We have 2 different grocery lists basically. The things we can both eat I will make in excess and freeze for micro-waving. So it's a go to fridge and pick what's available for your diet kind of thing. You want to lose a bunch of weight? Find a Lone Star tick, but it's not recommended, it hurts digesting the wrong thing.
 
I look in the fridge and freezer. I make something from the fridge contents. And usually I remember to take something out of the freezer to thaw for another meal. This no-planning stance means sometimes I eat peanut butter (no sugar) and either blackstrap molasses or banana sandwiches for dinner.

My diet is restricted due to high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. I prefer to eat eclairs, country-fried steak, and fried chicken. Since the restrictions came about, I have wanted those three foods, despite the fact that I haven't eaten fried foods in decades!
 
I eat the same meals for years at a time during the week. I realize most people find that boring and couldn't live that way but I look at food as fuel, I don't eat for pleasure or entertainment. On the weekends I'll change it up a bit but even those meals have some predictability.

This approach makes meal planning simple, I buy the same foods every week. It always keeps me eating healthy, I'm not filling my fridge or cupboards with a hundred different things that are always tempting me to snack.
 
No, I buy the groceries.. for the month.. and then I decide on the day or even the evening before if I have to get something out to thaw... what I'll have for dinner that day

My ex mother-in-law.. was a Professional cook ... this is true... and every day she cooked the same things at home..

Sunday was Roast beef, or pork.. and veggies.. supper was oily fish ..like sardines or pilchards on toast


Monday would be cottage pie made from the leftover sunday meat

Tuesday would be Ham Salad

Wed.. Liver & Onions...

Thursday., some kind of pie... ..... and every friday, she got Fish & Chips from the chip shop...

This routine never changed right until her death
 
OldOld said:
Fresh Fruits and vegetables won't be fresh in a month in the refrigerator.
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Notice I said my main grocery shopping. So I go to Winco to do my big shop because it’s the cheapest and also the farthest away from me. Then I pick up things I need in between at a grocery store that’s more expensive but very close to where I live. Because I’ve already done my grocery shopping for the month it just involves running into the store and quickly getting an item or two.
 
Well, one of us says, "Whadda you want for dinner?" and the other one says, "I dunno, whadda  you want for dinner?" and the first one says, "You decide." and the other one says, "No,  you decide!" and it continues until someone goes out for Chinese takeout.

That's a relationship: Two people asking each other what they want for dinner until one of them dies.....
 
Good question Ronni.
We usually have something made from whatever’s on sale that week. We have regular dinners but we also try new things too. If we haven’t taken anything out of the freezer we have a cellar full of canned food to pick from.
Plus we had now added a smoker to our list of ‘ways to cook it.’ We have an oven, bbq, smoker, slow cooker, air fryer, deep dish fryer,
Every couple of months we go to Costco and pick up salmon, pork roast , steaks, canned tuna, potato salad , pasta etc. Once a week we have whatever my husband caught which is always good. It is usually sea run trout. We both love to eat well. My in-laws are still talking about all the good food they had while here.
 
My mother always prepared three things and I pretty much follow that plan. There is a meat, a starch and a vegetable. I always keep pasta, rice and potatoes on hand, and if not fresh, both meat, fish and vegs in the freezer. Often I don't decide until 5 PM. Variations come with sauces and spices. Could be Italian or Asian or Mexican or simple what I call New England.
 
I prepare food for several days ahead of time.
Then microwave meals all week.
I keep canned kidney beans, sliced cheese, rye bread, cereal for non-cooked eating.

Meals: frozen Italian meatballs in home made sauce with egg noodles (in sauce) on the side. Sometimes I make a meatball sandwich.
I was making swedish meatballs in a homemade cream sauce. Egg noodles in cream sauce.

As a stand alone
snack:
I put kidney beans in a bowl. Coat with olive oil. Then add spices like salt, pepper, sometimes garlic powder.

I'll make a sliced cheese sandwich on Rye with mustard as an in-between meal snack.

Cereal is an alternative to breakfast sausage sandwich (patty on a slider roll) in the morning.

I buy Bob Evans mashed potatoes and cans of Bush's baked beans as alternative sides when I want to mix it up.
 
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Ronni said:
Do you like randomness or prediction?
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Breakfast is predictable - the same every day, though seems like after a few years something will change and become the new predictable item.

Lunch is always a frozen entree (that alternates between 4 or 5 different ones) and a vegetable (alternates between two), and a fruit (varies).

Supper is as predictable as breakfast, will remain completely identical for long periods then one part may change and become the new predictable version.

A lot of the sameness is forced on me by the limited choices for low sugar / high fiber options.
 
I keep food stocked and buy fresh every few days. Our meals depend on what's on hand, leftover, or needs to be used up.
Today I'll make something to go with 2 small servings of leftover stew. Big salad or sandwich or small salad and sandwich.
DH just brought in a load of tomatoes so they will definitely be a big component.
I have some small four tortillas that need using........thinking.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I shop with a loose plan and an eye for bargains.

The plan changes during the week depending on the weather, my mood, cravings, etc…

I admire people that keep very little on hand and are able to buy exactly what they need, when they need it.

I’m too insecure to live with an empty fridge and pantry.
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The store sometimes sells out of items I'm looking for and that's when a new plan might be needed. It helps to add variety.
 
hollydolly said:
No, I buy the groceries.. for the month.. and then I decide on the day or even the evening before if I have to get something out to thaw... what I'll have for dinner that day

My ex mother-in-law.. was a Professional cook ... this is true... and every day she cooked the same things at home..

Sunday was Roast beef, or pork.. and veggies.. supper was oily fish ..like sardines or pilchards on toast


Monday would be cottage pie made from the leftover sunday meat

Tuesday would be Ham Salad

Wed.. Liver & Onions...

Thursday., some kind of pie... ..... and every friday, she got Fish & Chips from the chip shop...

This routine never changed right until her death
Click to expand...
You can count on Mum! ... :coffee: ...
 

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