Here is my winter monthly menu plan! It works great to post it on the fridge, so it is easily viewable. It helps me to look it over each morning so I can get a head start on dinner preparations. I don’t always stick strictly to it, as flexibility is always needed as plans change, but it is a helpful guideline to have. From my monthly menu plan, I made a monthly shopping list of ingredients needed for the recipes. So I have one menu plan and one shopping list. Have you realized by now how much I love simplicity!
For pointers on making a monthly menu plan, visit here.
Weekly Menu Ideas
WEEKLY BREAKFASTS
This is roughly our breakfast schedule, but it will vary depending on what Aaron has in mind to eat on that particular day!
Monday- Eggs, fruit, bread, biscuit or muffin
Tuesday- Oatmeal, apples, cranberries
Wednesday – Smoothie, biscuit, muffin or bread
Thursday – Oatmeal, apples, cranberries
Friday – French Toast, fruit
Saturday – Pancakes, Crepes, Dutch babies
Sunday – Smoothie, biscuit, bread or muffin
LUNCH IDEAS
Sandwiches, fruit, fresh salad
Fresh Juice, burritos with refried beans
Quesadillas
Leftovers
Regular Hot Dogs or add chili, baked beans, fresh juice, vegi
Soup, grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit, vegi tray
Main dish salad, fresh juice
Monthly Menu
I will gradually be linking these up to my recipes as I have time, that is, if anyone is interested.
WEEK 1 DINNERS
Monday – Vietnam Fried Rice (with vegetables)
Tuesday - Chili & Cornbread, raw vegetables
Wednesday – Parmesan Chicken, quinoa, baked vegi
Thursday -Shepherd’s Pie with grain
Friday – Homemade Pizza, fresh salad
Saturday – Leftovers or Spaghetti
WEEK 2 DINNERS
Monday – Stir Fry
Tuesday – Spicy Lentil Soup, fresh salad, bread or biscuit
Wednesday – Chicken & Dumplings
Thursday – Ragout with rice, bean dish
Friday – hamburgers, baked beans, baked vegi
Saturday – Leftovers or Spaghetti
WEEK 3 DINNERS
Monday – Vietnam Fried Rice (with vegetables)
Tuesday -Garden Chowder, raw vegetables
Wednesday – Chicken Enchiladas w/corn, peas, refried beans
Thursday – Sloppy Lentils, baked vegi
Friday – Homemade Pizza, fresh salad
Saturday – Leftovers or Spaghetti
WEEK 4 DINNERS
Monday -Stir Fry
Tuesday – Chicken Vegetable Soup w/grain, biscuit or bread
Wednesday – Chicken Curry over rice, roasted vegi
Thursday – Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos, Salad
Friday – Chicken Ceasar Salad, stemmed vegi, biscuit or bread
Saturday – leftovers or spaghetti
Love the website! Keep the links coming to all your recipes!
OMG I think I’m in love! This website is amaaaazing!
Thanks so much for creating this and sharing!! Our budget is a little under what yours is for food and I have been slowly making more from scratch and switching to healthier food with the extra money!! Your menus are perfect for me to get ideas!! Your dinners are the same amounts of beef, chicken, vegetarian, pizza that I have been wanting to do, so its perfect!! I have been wanting to see how this worked with someone else and its nice to know you eat so healthy and organic with a smaller budget, now I know I can do it as well!! We live in North Bend, Or, so we have access to a lot of the same things you guys do as well. It makes it super easy to try to follow your menus!! Love your site!!!!
Hi there, loving your comments. Quick question- what types of sandwiches do you make? I’m finding a lot of garbage in lunch meat, but get bored easily with cheese or PBJ sandwiches. I heard about making corned beef easily by using brisket and fermenting (or pickling) it a couple days, but I’m not sure. Have you tried this?
We make egg salad sandwiches and I also buy nitrate free lunch meat at our local Trader Joe’s for sandwiches. Another yummy one is avacado, bacon, tomato and pesto sandwiches.
Hi Lindsay,
I just wanted to mention a study I recently reviewed regarding nitrates and nitrites. All preserved meats have some degree of the two evil N’s…however, those claiming no nitrates are using celery juice to preserve meats. Unfortunately, the protein reacts to the juice creating nitrites. I wasn’t able to link to the original article, but here’s the scoop for your readers. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/showthread.php?14274-Information-for-Bacon-Lovers-(and-who-isn-t-!)&p=197888
I love what you are doing with your blog, keep sending out all the natural ideas to the mommys that need it!
Dr. Conte, ND
Exeter, NH
Thanks so much for this! Do you have a plan for snacks? If so I’d love to see what you have on hand for these!
Check out: Healthy Snack Ideas. We eat alot of homemade crackers and cheese as well as protein bars. Those are the two main snacks at our house. Otherwise, we do apples and peanut butter, raisins & nuts, etc.
Thanks for your website!!! I look forward to the recipes.
I just wanted to tell you that I just found your blog yesterday, and I am SO THANKFUL that I did! I have been reading it constantly today, viewing all your entries and all your great ideas and tips! You have motivated me to get our budget worked out and helped me to realize that we can eat naturally on a budget after all. Thanks! And I look forward to continuing to follow this!
I noticed you didn’t include your dinner plans for Sundays…what do you normally do those days??
Sundays are usually shared meal after church services, leftovers at home, or a quick family eat out.
But one question: How do you keep fresh produce in your diets if you only shop once every 3-4 weeks? I can’t keep salad greens for more than two weeks (tops!) without it getting slimy. Bananas turn brown, pineapples get brownish and soury-sweet. You get the idea. I’d love any input!
I usually get produce every two weeks actually through a local produce co-op or farmer’s market. I just do my bulk staple, some diary, and meat shopping once a month. For bananas, we just freeze them once they start fading and use them in smoothies the second half of the month. I can extend the life of a lot of my veggies and fruits by using green bags. I also work my weekly menu around what needs to be eaten right away. Zucchini and greens the first week and potatoes/squashes/root veggies the next because they can last longer. You get the idea.
Thanks for sharing your menu plan details and your linked info on the monthly menu plans. I’ve been thinking I need to move from weekly to monthly planning to cut down on my grocery trips. I can so easily OVERspend when I’m at the store. Going less, will mean spending less.
This looks great!! I need your ideas! Keep up the great work!
I just found your site- I’m loving the weekly menu layout- please, please, please make the link for the rest of the weeks! I NEED them
)
~Leslie in Greenville, SC
wife to Mark (19 years) and mom to Sarah (17) and Alyssa (14)
I’d love to see the recipes too!
I recently stumbled upon your blog and really enjoy it. Just wanted to comment on your Monthly Menu post – a girl after my own heart! I do the SAME thing – including the grocery list right along with it. The menu is posted on the fridge and I have no excuses! (It’s actually satisfying and calming.) It saves so much time and money (and brain cells). I go to a health food store each week for our organic milk and produce.
I was also happy to read your ‘Dr. Bronner’s Soap’ post. I accidentally ordered 36 bottles of the stuff and it couldn’t be returned . . . now I use it in my dishwasher with baking soda and it works great!
God Bless,
Barbara
Everything sounds so good! I would definitely be interested in the recipes if you have time to post them
Your site is the best I found to help me with menu planning yet. I have been trying for about 9 months to come up with a monthly menu plan that would last.
Your site is giving me some focus with the themes for the days. I would be very interested in links to recipes you have.
Gratefully yours,
Soozi
Evansville, IN
Thank you for doing this. One less thing I have to do at the moment. I plan on slowly learning to do this myself but one step at a time. This blog has inspired me. I am thinking about starting one for my journey as a new stay at home/ work at home mom!