The Prudent Cook - Meal Planning

Meal Planning 101

No one told me that planning meals was half-art and half-science!

This section will include notes and ideas I have on the subject. Basically, I am just in the learning phases of meal planning, so this may seem basic to the homemakers who have been doing this for awhile.

If you find any of it useful, that's great. If you see any gaping holes in my education, or have ideas or tips, I am definitely open to them and welcome hearing from you.

Your Family's Taste

Go through your recipes and pick out 10-20 recipes you know you can make and your family loves.
Now visualize each meal and consider the color, temperature and texture.
Plan the meals for your family based on these basic recipes and adding variations to keep it interesting.

Nutrition

Information explained in more detail on the Nutrition page.

Bread, Cereal, Rice & Pasta
6-11 servings
Vegetables
3-5 servings
Fruit
2-4 servings
Milk, Yogurt & Cheese
2-3 servings
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs & Nuts
2-3 servings
Fats, Oils & Sweets
use sparingly

More Variables to Meal Planning

Use the following to help you plan menus and grocery lists.

Your Pantry: What do you already have on hand? Generally you store what your family likes. Find new ways of preparing the food you already have on hand.
Grocery Ads: Plan meals around the really good sales. Stock up on sale items whenever possible; date foods to ensure rotation.
Family Favorites: Love meat and potatoes? Find ways to get more fruits and vegetables on the table. Serve smaller portions of meat and larger portions of vegetables, grains and other nutritious food.
Seasonal Produce: Fruits and vegetables taste better when they are in season. Usually they cost less, too. Shop at farmer's markets and local stands whenever possible.
Family Schedule: Plan menus around the family's schedule for the week.
Adventure: Try to add a new food, a new recipe or a new type of cuisine to the diet on a regular basis. Expose your taste buds to new stimuli!
Use Color: Think of the plate as a palette and the meal is your painting. A pleasing presentation whets the appetite.
Balance Temperature: Serving foods that are hot, cold and at room temperature adds variety and interest to the meal.
Balance Texture: No one likes a meal that is all crunchy or all soft (unless they haven't put their teeth in today).
Shake Things Up: Don't be a Nutrition Cop. Try to get a balance of nutrients, calories and fat over several days.
Leftovers: Factor in the leftovers; make a little more than needed to include in tomorrow's lunch or freeze for another day.
Variety: Getting a variety of foods in your diet ensures that you get a balance of nutrients. [Remember when we ate macaroni and cheese everyday because it was all we had? Never again!]

My Special Challenges

Fluctuating income. Food budget not consistent. Unreliable availability of fresh foods, meats. Food allergies. His strong dislike of beans, rice, and all seafood. My difficulty digesting fresh fruits and vegetables. Varying access to refrigeration, cooking facilities.

The Food Groups

Meat should be considered a condiment. Diets should be based more on grains, fruits and vegetables.

Three key words to remember when planning meals:

Color - meals should be full of color (most important!).
Temperature - recipes should vary in temperature.
Texture - include textures from smooth to crunchy.

The Six Tastes

In ayurveda, there are six tastes that should be included in each main meal.

Sweet (fennel bulb, carrot)
Sour (fresh lemons)
Salty (not a problem in American diets)
Bitter (arugula or endive)
Pungent (radish or white daikon or ginger root)
Astringent (cabbage or broccoli)

The American diet tends to concentrate on Sweet, Sour and Salty. Take it as a challenge to try and add in the Bitter, Pungent and Astringent. Make each meal a feast for all of the senses.

The Prudent Cook - Meal Planning

Important things to remember when planning meals.

Menus for different occasions and during economically challenging times.