This is how I meal plan each week. I start prepping for the following week on Sunday or Monday. I start so early because I get most of my meat from Market Wagon, and those orders are due by Tuesday nights at midnight. I also use ClickList, and I love that I can add what I need throughout the week and my order saves automatically.
I start out by writing at the top of the page ideas for what we may have. I also check our calendar to see if there is anything going on certain evenings. I most likely won't try out a new recipe if we have something going on one night, so I work around that. If a recipe looks more involved, I'll probably try that on a Sunday instead of during the week. Sometimes I'll also base what we have by what is on sale or what I already have on hand (like if I froze 100% grass-fed roasts from Fresh Thyme).
We always have some sort of Mexican dish on Tuesday nights. I'm sensitive to garlic and some peppers, so I always eat something else...one of my favorites of shrimp and roasted cauliflower (don't judge, I love it). Generally Friday nights are pizza nights (homemade lately) or something out (remember, this is all about balance). Saturday nights we almost always eat at Panera.
I also try to incorporate recipes with different meats. I really don't want us all to eat red meat 5 nights straight. So recipes with chicken, beef, pork, or seafood. I usually make muffins for the kids for breakfast, or something as simple as a banana with almond butter on it (my kids are not big breakfast eaters).
Sometimes a food blogger I follow will post a new recipe that I want to try, or I'll peruse Pinterest or a blogger's website. Rarely, my kids will actually suggest something they want to have. Once I know the recipes I want to make, I'll write them down for each day. I'll go through the ingredient list and write down anything I do not currently have. I try to get the majority of my groceries from Payless (or Kroger as most people know it as here in Indiana) via ClickList. As I make my order on their website, I'll check off things on my list. I usually pick up my ClickList order on Wednesday or Thursday. Almost every single week, there are out of stock items from my ClickList order. I then add those to my Fresh Thyme section of my list.
I'm part-time, so on Fridays I always go to Fresh Thyme and then usually every 3 weeks to Costco as well (maybe even Trader Joe's since it is near my Costco). Fresh Thyme is about a 20 - 25 minute drive for me. There are certain things I can only find there or online, such as organic hashbrowns, Japanese yams (if you haven't tried them, you need to), etc. I love going to these stores and finding new products, which I will always share.
I will post (or try to) weekly my meal plan for the following week so you can see what I'm going to make.
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