Why do you 1

(I thought I'd start a weekly - or less often, blog posts called Why Do you ... and then give you a deeper look into my head which may or may not work! If you have any ideas on topics I can do then please let me know! - I've even managed to make a pic thing (but not the code) so if it does take off then please join in- but please link back to me!)

...meal plan

I always thought that this was quite a normal thing to do but after discussions with my colleagues today it seems that they didn't! One colleague was shocked that I knew what we were eating!! Which in this recession climate it shocks me that she doesn't!

So,why do I  Meal plan:

• Well as a working mother I was fed up of getting in the car and getting the "What are we having for supper talk". I could never think of things to feed the kids. I'd also be waiting for ever for hubs to decide on what he wanted so after finding a snazzy template on the web I started to meal plan (If I could find it for you there would be a link here but now I just use paper). I love feeling all smug now and say we're having... or read the fridge door!

• I also find that now I can make sure that my budget stretches as far as it has to. With knowing what we're eating, I tend to shop for the meals needed only. I have been known to meal plan up to 3 weeks at once so that I can do a big shop for just those meals.I also tend to buy all my meat at the start of the month and freeze it - also buy in bulk as you can then get many meals out of the item!

• After watching a programme last night on food waste I know that we don't waste much in our house, take this week for example we had Roast Chicken on Sunday, Chicken Stir Fry and repeat Roast on Monday (for Car the fussy one) and I would've made chicken stock but we have some in the freezer already so I know that a large chicken will make 3 meals. I also try and make sure that one meal does actually make two meals so the bacon, pasta and broccoli bake from this week was not only my supper but also my lunch for the day after. Thereby saving on lunch.

•  While meal planning, I can also see that the kids are given a variety of foods. We try new recipes when I find them but as mine are fussy we do normally stick to a basic list of favourites. If there is something I really want to try then I make a separate meal for me and hubs and a family fave for the kids.

• I normally meal plan on a weekend and I either sit there with Bel (who loves to help) or my recipe books. I've also loved joining with Mrs M's meal plan linky and love to get new recipes from there. A new family favourite we've got from the linky is the Sloppy Joe! 

So there you are- the reasons that I meal plan. If you though that was great then don't forget to join in!

BNM