We are working on wrapping up some of our systems we use this month, but we couldn’t finish before going over meal planning. We receive lots of questions about this system, so we decided to make a blog to cover the step by step details that work for us. If you follow us on social media, you saw a few pictures to display the systems we use to make a shopping list and meal plan. We each have a different system that works for our home, but we follow some key tips that are similar to guide us. 

Preface about unique feeding needs

Before going into the topic at hand, I have to preface this with the following:

As occupational therapists that work with kids and families struggling with picky eating, we often find families get into ruts when kids have limited food lists. Parents want to find ways to expand the food choices in the home, but they are usually exhausted and not sure what to do. I struggled to write a post that covers meal planning and feeding topics, and I realized quickly why. It is WAY too large of a topic to handle in a blog post. We help infants with bottle and/or breast feeding, infants transitioning to solids, toddlers with oral motor and oral sensory concerns related to feeding, medically complex children with feeding struggles, children with limited food lists, and the list continues.

I have learned in my career that every single child has unique needs when it comes to eating. I of course have my tool box that I pull from after assessing a child to meet the kiddo where they are at and build from there. We hope to someday build parent education resources on feeding, but we wanted to give families some general guidance on meal planning to expose your kids to a variety of foods. If you are a parent that feels anxiety daily about your child’s eating habits, oral motor skills, and/or oral sensory skills please contact us for a free 15 minute consultation call to see if our services can help. Your child does not have to have a diagnosis to benefit from expert advice in a huge area of daily living. We want to help before you feel desperate! 

Now back to the content you all came here for… here is the system I use to plan and keep a variety of foods alive in our home. 

My Meal Planning Systems

1st Step: Look at the weekly schedule to plan around busy nights

2nd Step: Check the weather forecast for the week to plan nights we can grill

3rd Step: Start plugging in meal options for the week

• I typically do this on Wednesday or Thursday each week and plan to the following Thursday. I found planning closer to the weekend kept me more accountable, and I could factor in our weekend plans to find time to grocery shop or do a grocery pick up as well as prep for the week ahead. 
• Here is an example of the meal planning sheet I use. I cut off the grocery list side, and  I put the meal plan on the refrigerator, so my family can also see meals for the week. 

• I usually go to the store or do a grocery pick up order on Friday to have lots of options when we are home for all meals on the weekend and to start food prep for the following week. 

Step 4: Remember to check in with this plan to thaw meat, prep, or get a crockpot meal ready so you are not scrambling.

Here are general tips to think about as you start this new habit in your home!

1. Let’s talk about produce! 

• I chop any fruits or veggies I want to have for the week on Saturday or Sunday. I find if they are prepped and ready we waste far less produce. Store your veggies like carrots, celery, peppers, and green beans in water to last longer. My kids love to dip them in ranch dip or hummus! We eat them all week for lunch and dinner sides which helps so much on busy nights. I also always have mandarin orange cups or other fast grab and go type options when I haven’t made it to the store to replenish  fresh options.

Some weeks, we make a big veggie medley or grilled green beans on Sunday nights and eat that for several nights to save time and mess, or I make a big salad (get a salad spinner if you do not already have one). It stays fresh for a couple of days in the spinner. 

I do not do this every single week, but I try to at least rotate through these produce options each month. This allows me to present a variety of produce each week to avoid a food rut. I also give myself a break on weeks I know I don’t have time for chopping and prepping and buy pre chopped fruits, bagged salad, and simple veggies that I can steam or cook quickly on the stovetop. I always buy quick options like apples, bananas, berries, pears, and Cutie oranges. It is all about balance!

2.  Let’s talk about cooking in bulk.

• I try to make at least one thing a month that can be divided up and part of it frozen for a meal another time. Here are a few favorites: chicken noodle soup, lasagna, meat sauce, pulled chicken, chili, and divide out premade Costco meals.
• Leftovers sometimes get a bad wrap in our house, so we have to get creative. For instance, I love Costco Rotisserie chicken for so many reasons. First, the price! We eat it the first night, then shred the rest for quesadillas another night, and  throw it in salads. So many meals for a steal of a deal! A few other meals in our house that make great leftovers are tacos, meatloaf, pulled chicken, sloppy joes, soups, scrambled eggs, and pasta. 
• I incorporate leftovers or meals I can pull from the freezer for busy weeknights we need something quick. 
• I go in phases using my crockpot. We tend to use it more in the winter months, but I love that I can throw whatever we are having in it and it is ready when I get home that evening. 

3. Let’s talk about the real life nights when mom/ dad are too tired to cook. Or when the last minute schedule changes come up.

• We definitely do eat out, but we try to keep it limited.
• I also try to keep quick options at home that we can go to in a pinch. Here are a few of our favorites: toasted ravioli, Dogtown pizzas, grilled cheese, cheese quesadilla, chicken nuggets, Naan bread and hummus (make a fun charcuterie board dinner), breakfast dinner, and pasta. I can pair any of these options with my pre prepped fruits and veggies for sides.

4. Let’s talk about ideas to expose kids to new foods with no pressure to eat it

• Chop fruit and veggies; spin the lettuce in the salad spinner; make homemade pizzas; spread butter, peanut butter, sauces;  make ranch dip, place items on the pan, etc 
• Offer “samples”. We often pull items like cut up brats, ribs, green beans, and other veggies off the grill to have the kids sample. They love doing this and have tried so many new foods this way. I also make a board of a variety of foods to share. Again, there is no pressure to eat any of it, but they always do!

Does this seem overwhelming, read on…

If you are not a meal planner, this list can look incredibly overwhelming. I remind friends that are trying to start this in their homes to not do this all at once. Start with a few steps and once they are a habit keep building on. I fall into ruts or seasons of life where I get away from this. I have to force myself to get back to it. My family functions so much better when there is a plan in place for our meals. It consistently saves us money, offers a well-balanced diet, and gets us eating together for family meals more often. 

Here is a clear example of a dinner meal plan for us that works around our busy nights:

• Thursday: (Hockey and Girl Scouts) Breakfast dinner 
• Friday (M at a b-day party): Grilled chicken, peas, and cherries
• Saturday: Homemade pizza, salad (cucumbers and dip for my non-salad eater), and fruit
• Sunday: (Baseball tourney): Eat at the tournament
• Monday: (Hockey and baseball after school): Grilled Cheese, veggies and dip, and fruit
• Tuesday: Steak, baked potatoes, and broccoli
• Wednesday (Mom not home): Rotisserie chicken, noodle, and green beans
• Thursday: (M at a b-day party) Quesadilla and corn

We hope that an open door into our meal planning gives you ideas for your families. If you have further struggles with mealtime, feeding at all ages, picky eaters, please don’t hesitate to contact us .