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Mom’s are so busy that it’s easy to forget to make a plan. Meal Planning is one of those areas that I have always struggled with! Have you ever had your husband come home from work and ask, “What’s for dinner?” It’s a question that can either bring you peace or fear in an instant!

What’s for dinner?

I am usually one that fears that question, but things are going to change in my house for the better! I finally created myself a printable Meal Planning Menu and thought I would share! I know Meal Planning seems difficult, but really, you cook every night anyway, so why not just have it planned??

Planning is half the battle!

As a wise friend once told me, “Planning is half the battle!” I believe that’s true! I get stuck in a cooking rut sometimes when I don’t have a plan. (Also, if I have a plan, then I grocery shop with the “plan” in mind! It’s a win, win in my book!)

I haven’t been brave enough to do much freezer cooking which takes some serious Meal Planning. I guess I don’t like the idea of spending an entire day cooking…but I know some people that have had great success in it….so, I may eventually change my mind, but for now…. just a Menu for the Month and the Week is all I need for my Meal Planning.

Keeping it simple will keep me sane!

The best way to create your meal plan is to first write down all the meals that you make. Then decide what you could easily cook depending on what your schedule for the week looks like.

I like to plan my crockpot dinners on days that will be too busy to spend very much time in the kitchen. I also plan leftovers in my menu so that I’m not cooking every day and we aren’t wasting food.

If for some reason, we run short on leftovers to make a meal for the entire family, I can quickly cook up some macaroni and cheese or cheese sandwiches to make up the difference.

Play the Leftover Game!

Once in a while, I end up with a little bit of everything leftover in my fridge and to avoid throwing it out, we will play the “Leftover Game!” This consists of warming everything up and creating separate little meals, and then the kids get to draw numbers to determine who gets what. My kids really like the game and think it’s fun!

Meal Planning Printables

For the Meal Planning Printables, I created 3 separate Weekly Menus. The first one has no sections in it, just the day of the week. The second has two sections. You could split it for breakfast and dinner, or dinner with notes. The third one has 3 sections for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Use whatever will work best for you!

You can download it here: Monthly & Weekly Menu of Meals with Shopping List