How to plan dinner for the whole month using functional tools and services to make meal planning and grocery shopping simple and efficient. Watch the video to learn monthly menu planning basics. Read on for functional tips for planning your menu by the month in your planner.
Why Should You Consider Monthly Menu Planning?
Monthly menu planning helps to reduce the mental load associated with feeding your family. There is a lot involved with meal planning including:
- family member food preferences
- family member dietary restrictions
- schedules
- grocery shopping
- budget planning
- finding time to cook
- keeping up with food inventory
- managing leftovers
- trying recipes
- …and so much more!
Monthly menu planning consolidates many of these considerations into a single session. It frees up brain space each week to devote to other things. When it’s time to shop for groceries, the menu has already been planned. You can scan your list and match ingredients with what you already have on hand and quickly get your groceries figured out.
Monthly Menu Planning Best Practices
How to plan your dinner menu for the whole month:
- Pick a day each month to plan the dinner menu for the following month (preferably after you’ve planned the schedule)
- Scan your planner and your family’s schedule to keep any important dates in mind (celebrations, evening activities)
- Use a menu matrix to easily plug in your family’s favorite meals (Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday)
- Before each week begins, review the menu for any last-minute changes in the schedule and adjust as needed.
- Prep your grocery list. Bonus time saver: Order your groceries for pickup or delivery.
What Products Will Help with Monthly Menu Planning?
- Free Printable wildcards
- Join Walmart+ #walmartpartner
- Erin Condren monthly planner
- Menu planning notepad
- Calendar planner sticker
- Other planning favorite tools
- Amazon Store
- Walmart Store Front #walmartpartner
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