Do you need to change up your meals? Here are the 3 steps that streamlined my meal planning and will make your family meals easier, too!

The worst thing you can hear at the dinner table on a busy weeknight are the words, “I don’t like this.”

Hearing this from one of my kids was like a slap in the face. After making a menu plan, after grocery shopping, after preparing a balanced meal… you don’t like it?

Glancing at the clock, I would have only two options: either dig in my heels and say, “eat it, or else,” or bow to mutiny and prepare a quick omelet to replace the rejected dish.

If you’ve ever been in this situation, you know that neither option leaves you feeling good. Especially when you took all the time to plan, buy, and prepare a meal that was not enjoyed.

Where did we go wrong?

Sometimes we can get too caught up in certain aspects of meal planning and we forget the most important part—the meal should be enjoyed.

Yes, it’s important to have a plan. Yes, we should make frugal meals. And yes, we should create balanced and nutritious dishes.

But if no one likes what we make, if no one eats it, then the whole process is for nothing.

My children have gotten pickier and their food intolerances more complex over the years. This has required a new streamlined take on meal planning to create meals they can and will eat.

Keep in mind, this isn’t a complete handing over of meal planning power to my kids. I’m still the parent, and sometimes you have to stand your ground.

But done right, you can compromise in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re giving something up, but rather that you are both coming out winners.

Here are the steps that helped me meal plan better and make family time at the table much more enjoyable.

3 steps that streamlined my meal planning

 

Create a spreadsheet of preferences and allergies

This can be an Excel spreadsheet or a handwritten table. The point is to create a list of all of the meals and side dishes you often prepare and have each child mark if they like it.

With five kids, I can’t always remember who doesn’t like mashed potatoes, who refuses to eat another PBJ for as long as they live, and who doesn’t like meat of any kind.

I also need to be careful to avoid cheese when my dairy-intolerant children are eating. And use potato starch when the baby is eating since corn makes her sick.

Having a master list allows me to have a quick reference when I put my meal plan together. It also keeps me from making last-minute mistakes, like when I need to whip up a snack for my hungry kids beyond what I’d anticipated.

Be creative and willing to alter recipes

Creativity and flexibility were the next step in streamlining my meal plan. The master list that was created earlier helps me see what I can change to make a meal work.

For example, my middle daughter suddenly didn’t like oatmeal one morning. And she stuck by this for weeks. Finally, I asked her what she didn’t like and she was able to explain that she doesn’t want it made with peanut butter, but rather with raisins and honey.

After that, with the other kids’ agreement, we made the oatmeal with raisins and honey, pleasing everyone. I didn’t lose this frugal, quick, and nutritious breakfast from my meal plan, and everyone was excited to try something different.

Maybe you’ll need to use dark meat instead of light to keep your family excited about a dish. Maybe you’ll need to add cheese to the broccoli to get it down. Or maybe you’ll find that baked potatoes are ok, just not the mashed you usually prepare.

Be creative and flexible, so that when you meet resistance over your meal plan, you can pivot to a more acceptable meal choice that makes you all feel like you got what you wanted.

Plan a month ahead 

I know, I was against this for a long time. I liked the flexibility of changing my plan each week with the sales or what I had on hand.

But on busy weeks, I would sometimes forget to make my plan until the day of. Or I’d get delayed going to the store and have to change everything around.

Here’s why planning a month ahead streamlined my meal planning.

I would create a month-long meal plan based off of the master list I created, noting any changes to dishes that were needed to suit preferences.

I would buy my ingredients for the next week or two based off the current sales and my pantry shelves. During the second half of the month, I would pick up the remaining fresh ingredients that I needed that wouldn’t keep if left in my kitchen the whole month.

Does this kill any inspiration? Not at all! Your plan isn’t written in stone. You can change it when you see a great sale on pork loin, or when someone drops off fresh corn from their garden.

Tip: Post your meal plan where your family can see it

If anyone has any objections, it’s better to hear them a week before rather than when the plate is in front of them. This also cuts down on questions, like “Mom, what’s for dinner?”

Meal planning is invaluable and can be a huge help when you’re trying to stay on budget and feed your family right. Streamlining the meal planning process will make meals easier and less frustrating for everyone.

I hope these tips will help you improve your meal planning and enjoy family dinners even more.

 

What tips do you have for streamlining meal planning? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

 

Interested in more on meal planning? Check out these helpful posts:

How to Meal Plan Out of Your Own Pantry

6 Meal Planning Strategies for the Non-Cook

What Does Meal Planning have to do with Healthy Eating? Everything!