Suzy Homemaker’s Got Nothing on You—Rock Your Meal Plans with These Tips

Homeschooling Mom’s Blog
Michelle Shaeffer,
Entrepreneur, Business Owner and Work @ Home Mom

Sometimes the best of intentions… don’t quite work out as we’d hoped.  But you don’t have to be Suzy Homemaker to rock your meal plans.

Have you tried to create menu plans but gave up on the second day when the kids complained or after a week when it got boring?  Do you want to plan meals but also want to eat what you feel like when you feel like it?   Or have you planned wonderful, tasty dishes but didn’t have the energy at the end of the day to cook them?

Even if you’re a spontaneous person, don’t consider yourself a gourmet cook, and have a house full of picky kids, you can succeed with a menu plan!

Tip 1: Involve your family in the process.
Ask your kids and spouse for meal ideas.  If they’re involved in the planning, they’ll be much less likely to complain!  Let them each contribute ideas and vote for their favorite meals and snacks.  If you have older children, they may be able to take a day of the week to be responsible for.

Tip 2: Keep it simple and visible.
Don’t feel like you’ve got to cook 4 course meals!  Keep your menu plan simple.  Pizza night is not a crime.  Neither is cereal for breakfast (consider the healthier ones).

• Choose one night a week to try a new recipe if you want to, but not every night.
• Use your crock pot for meals a few times a week or plan easy meals for those days that you know will be chaotic.  If your kids have ballet, soccer, and swim class in the same day, it’s a perfect time to use the crock pot!
• Post your menu plan on the fridge where everyone can easily see it.  You’re more likely to stick to it if you are reminded of it.

Tip 3: Have emergency back-up meals.
Even with planning there may be days you’re just exhausted from work and/or home responsibilities and need a break.  So have emergency meals on hand!  This would be that chili you made a double batch of and froze half in the freezer last week.  Or the frozen pizzas or taquitos you picked up and hid in the freezer.

Tip 4: It’s not written in stone—be flexible!
It’s okay to switch your meals around.  Think of it like a basic plan of all the meals you’ll have this week.  You’ve got 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners.  Just X off the meals you’ve had and pick a square to eat next.

If you want to eat Tuesday’s dinner on Sunday, you can.  There’s no meal planning police waiting around the corner if you choose to deviate from your plan.

Tip 5: Save your plans and recycle them.
Make notes on those menu plans when you find a meal that works well or a snack your kids love.  Keep your old meal plans somewhere that you can refer to them each week when you create your new plan.  Once you’ve got a few weeks of plans you’ll find it’s much easier to come up with your new menu by looking over previous weeks.

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Would you like a free email course about meal planning, crock pot cooking, or freezer cooking?  Visit  http://michelleshaeffer.com/help-for-work-at-home-moms/ now and let me send you helpful tips and ideas that will make it easier for you to balance homemaking, homeschooling, and working from home.

Michelle Shaeffer has been a work at home mom for more than 10 years and loves to share the tips and strategies she’s learned to help other small business owners and entrepreneurs.