Sunday, June 11, 2017

Meal Planning - Pity Party and Action Plan



This is my meal planning whiteboard. There are seven spaces - one for each day of the week. There is ample space to write out a meal idea. So why then, do I always feel the struggle to fill out those seven slots of white space?

(In case you're curious I got the magnetic dry-erase board from Amazon.)

Here are my excuses:
  1. There are three people in this house with different tastes and aversions.
  2. One spouse is on a different work and life schedule.
  3. I am battling time management issues.
  4. I don't do most of the grocery shopping myself.
What am I going to do about those excuses?

#1 I need to gather information. I need to track what food we are eating on which days for a month or more so I have evidence of what actually works. I've written about that before, but I've fallen off the wagon and need the reminder again.

My son eats almost nothing, and his tastes on certain nothings changes constantly so his meals are always a frustrating guessing game. Even if I make what he requests lately he has been saying he's not hungry as soon as it's served.

But if I have evidence of the nothing he eats I at least have a loose backup plan to use when he refuses what I make. 

#2 is a challenge. It's easy to say to plan meals that that spouse doesn't care for when he isn't home, but then if there isn't leftovers he is more apt to spend money eating out everyday, which is a huge financial drain. So am I stuck making two or three meals a day to make sure everyone eats? I need to contemplate this challenge for a bit.

#3 And about the lack of time to plan a meal? Like I'm saving any time when I stare at the pantry. I need to switch on self discipline and get a plan thought out even if it cuts into my own screen time. There, I said it. Fair or not in this family it's up to me to make a plan or money is wasted on eating out.

#4 is pretty much just an excuse even though it's an honest frustration. I can plan meals out of the food we have in our pantry and freezer.

Hey, I'm still learning.

Do you have meal planning struggles? Care to vent your frustrations or post some advice in the comments? I'd love to hear what you have to say.


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