Five Simple Things to Make 2017 Your Best Year Yet: Part Five, Weekly Menu Planning

Hopefully, by now you have read the other parts to this series on how to make 2017 your best year yet.  The last part is definitely my favorite and truly helps me focused for the week. Just like making a daily "To Do" list, planning out the menu for the week and then creating the grocery list from that menu saves time daily.  I very rarely am running out to the grocery store last minute or stopping on my way home to get the ingredients I need to make dinner that night.  For me, if I do not have the ingredient on hand, I am not making the recipe.  One of my least favorite weekly chores is going to the grocery store, and I have figured out a way to do it once a week and that makes me happy!

When I have a good amount of time, I sit down with pen and paper and a few cookbooks/magazine or I head to pinterest for my menu inspiration.  I like to plan out weekday breakfasts, a few lunches including the weekends and 3-5 dinners per week.   We do like to go out for dinner a few times per week and sometimes pick up carry out if it has been a crazy week.  Weekends are our favorite time for going out to Brunch.  I start by writing the days of the week down the sheet of paper.  Then I plan out the meals for that day-Breakfast, lunch and dinner.  If we are going out for one of our meals that day, I do not plan anything for that meal slot. Do not be shy to use leftovers as another meal the next day, we do that a lot.  I will make a large pot of soup for dinner and then it becomes lunch the next day.  we tend to eat the same things for breakfast everyday, so that keeps breakfast easy to plan.  I just need to remember to make sure the ingredients are on the grocery list.

So after planning the meals, I start planning my Grocery List.  I go through each day and jot down what I need for that day's meals.  Once I go through each day, I can organize my list according to the departments in the store plus anything else I need to pick up.  This not only make shopping quicker, but you are less likely to forget something on your list if all "like items" are grouped together.  That is all there is to it!  I have planned 7 different meals for you, to help you get a jump start on your new way of meal planning and grocery shopping.

Monday: Breakfast, Oatmeal with Fruit

Tuesday: Dinner, Vegetable Soup and Green Salad

Wednesday: Lunch, leftover Vegetable Soup (in a thermos-if you bring your lunch to work) and Green Salad in a Jar








Thursday: Breakfast, Plain Greek Yogurt with Fruit and Paleo Granola





Friday: Dinner, Black Bean and Butternut Squash Tacos




Saturday: Lunch, Grainbowl  with Butternut Squash




Sunday: Brunch, Buckwheat Pancakes

I have compiled a grocery list for you. Most of the recipes are available online, if you have any questions or want my recipe, please comment below and I will get the recipe to you.