Meal planning can be stressful when you have a large family, especially if you're on a budget or have family members with different food preferences. Fortunately, there are ways to make the process easier on yourself and your wallet. Here are four tips to keep in mind.
1. Plan Around Sales and Seasonal Produce
A good starting point when shopping is to plan meals around items that are on sale and seasonal produce that will both taste better and cost less. It can be helpful to check what’s affordable before planning your menu and then shopping. Review the weekly ads for the stores where you shop. Look for digital coupons and use apps to see what’s on sale and where you can save.
Once you've assessed the available sales and discounts, plan your meals for the week. If chicken breasts are on sale, for example, figure out which meals you make that use them as an ingredient. If you can find multiple ingredients on sale to plan different meals, you can reduce not only the cost of those ingredients but also the need to buy more items, since you can use these for multiple meals. You could make baked chicken, chicken stir-fry, and chicken soup all from the same pack. If ground beef is on sale, prepare tacos one night, spaghetti another night, and chili later in the week. Keep in mind you can freeze ingredients to make them last longer.
If you're struggling to think of meal ideas based on the same ingredients, look for recipes online or check your old cookbooks. There are plenty of new ideas your family may enjoy if you give them a try. It’s not about eating the same thing repeatedly; it’s about being strategic with your food buying.
Look for locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, as they may cost less due to more abundant supply. They also taste best when they’re in season. For example, this time of year, you may be able to get good deals on fresh apples, sweet potatoes, and squash. Apples can be used for many wonderful desserts.
2. Take an Inventory of the Food You Have
Take an inventory of the food you have in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. This will help you figure out what needs to be used soonest before it goes bad. The less waste, the more money you can save.
"Keep in mind, you don't have to take inventory on your kitchen staples, since those are items you probably always have on hand," says Fun Cheap or Free.* "It can take a while to do the initial inventory of all your food, but it goes much smoother once that's done—as long as you update it every week! The fridge is the first place you should look and include in your meals for the week because it's the food that will go bad the quickest. I like to grab a notebook and my favorite erasable pens, then go to town. I'll write down what I have that's either about to expire or is in a partial container that's taking up too much space."
Once you go through the fridge, figure out what you have in your freezer that needs to be used soonest, and then move on to the pantry. Pay close attention to items in containers that have already been opened, as these will likely need to be used soon. Also, check the best-by dates on canned and boxed goods.
3. Take Advantage of Leftovers
Don’t forget to take advantage of your leftovers after making a big meal. With a large family, there may not always be leftovers, but when there are, consider having a similar meal two days in a row. You can change the sides so it’s not completely the same.
"You can use leftovers creatively," says Simple Living Mama.** "You can have the same meals twice in one week, or you can use leftover side dish as an accompaniment to your main dish the next night. You can also use leftovers for lunch. Don’t waste your food! For example, we had leftover rice and broccoli
from last night’s meal. I simply baked some chicken breasts with McCormick’s
chicken seasoning and used our leftover sides again. Easy, peasy, and tasty!"
Utilizing leftovers is a good way to reduce food waste and stretch your money further while feeding your family.
4. Try a Rotating Meal Schedule
Another helpful meal planning strategy is to try a rotating meal schedule. This can reduce the guesswork around dinner while keeping your grocery list predictable and affordable. Try a two- or three-week rotation of dishes that your whole family enjoys and that use affordable staples you can keep on hand and use repeatedly. For example:
Monday: Pasta night
Tuesday: Mexican night
Wednesday: Soup or stew night
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner night
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: Casserole night
Sunday: Roast or sheet pan night
Revise the meals every week or two to keep things fresh. For example, pasta night can be spaghetti one week, lasagna the next, and pesto the week after. Mexican night can be tacos, then burritos, then quesadillas. This strategy makes planning easier because it gives you a baseline for each night, and then you can buy your ingredients around that. You may be able to use staples for many of these from week to week.
Feeding a large family on a budget doesn’t mean you have to overspend or sacrifice variety. Use these tips to make meal planning easier and keep your family well-fed.