How I menu plan

Menu planning and grocery shopping are HUGE challenges for me.  The ability to come up with meals for a week, then get everything I need for that week just seems daunting… but it’s something I know I NEED to do.

I’ve tried a couple of ways.  I was convinced that using a method that was online would be best, something that I could access from my phone at the store.  I thought I had it perfected using Springpad, but I quickly fell out of love with it.  I also tried a couple of iPhone apps but didn’t stick with those either.

What I realized is that using pen and paper works best for me.  Actually writing down the list helps me process it, and I stumbled upon a fantastic printable menu plan/grocery list.





I found this menu planning form posted about on another blog and tracked it down to it’s creator – Jen Allyson @ The Project Girl. 

So here’s my process…

I have a ‘Food’ board on Pinterest with 399 pins – that’s the first place I go!  If I’m looking for a recipe, I start at Food.com.  I simply fill in my meals on the left, then go through each one and add the items I need to shop for on the right.  I take this to the store with me and cross of items as I buy them and whala!  I have meals, complete with ingredients, for the week.   

I’ll be honest – I don’t always get all of my meals planned and all of my ingredients purchased before the week starts, there are still days when I’m running to the store for an item or two, but this is definitely a big improvement over the old way.