Planning a menu can sometimes be overwhelming to some people. It just seems take too much work, too much thinking. Last month I shared Three Steps to a Menu Plan. Menu planning doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. You can do it month by month, week by week, or day by day.
I love keeping things simple. I just don’t have time for complicated. I also love variety. So a meal plan that is the same week in and week out wouldn’t work for me.
When I sit down and plan my menu, I tend to follow a “theme night” plan. I love this because it can change each season. The summer may have more grilling and salads, while the winter may have more casserole and soup nights. Themes can change depending on what your specific needs are.
Here is a sample theme night plan:
- Sunday: Hot Sandwiches or Stir Fry
- Monday: Chicken
- Tuesday: Beef
- Wednesday: Pasta or Sandwiches
- Thursday: Slow Cooker or Casserole
- Friday: Pizza
- Saturday: Leftovers
Additional ideas may be Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Soup, Meatless Meal, breakfast for dinner.
I love that theme nights are versatile, as it allows me to have creative meals and not get stuck in a rut of “taco’s on Monday, spaghetti on Tuesday, meatloaf on Wednesday”, etc.
Even if you’re a person that doesn’t plan a meal until the day of, having theme nights would work for you! If you know Monday is a chicken day, you can pull the meat out the night before or the morning of and decide later what you want to do with it.
What theme nights would you have in your house?
