Episode #044. Feeding Your Family II – Meal Planning

Busy Mom’s Survival Guide Podcast Episode 044.
Meal planning can be a very time consuming job for busy moms. Not only are we trying to figure out what to feed our family, but we are also try to make healthy meals that everybody will actually eat.

In this episode, I talk about how to set up a meal notebook and use it to facilitate your meal planing. I assume that you do have a pantry, so if you haven’t already done so, please listen to the podcast episode 43 on setting up your pantry and integrated food shopping list.

Episode Resources

Listener Questions

Janiece: Hi PJ. We have five children between the ages of 7-15. My 13 year old daughter has many food allergies and my 11 year old chose to go vegetarian about a year ago. Everyone eats a good amount of fruits & veggies except for my daughter with allergies. She “dabbles”. How do you suggest I keep shopping and cooking orderly with the additional complications of “special diets.” It’s very time consuming at this point. Thanks so much.

Jane: Does your family eat meat or are you more vegetarians? And do you make your own ice cream with goats milk by chance?

Gena: How do you do it? I am a fairly organized person, but when it comes to grocery shopping I must have some kind of problem. At NO given time can you go in my kitchen and say “I want to make this” and actually make it without going to the store…not gonna happen.

Ashea: Meal planning is my biggest area I need to work on. We are a homeschool family so we are home a lot and I feel like all I do is constantly think about the next meal and what it will be. I think if I would get into the habit of planning ahead it would make it a lot easier. But where do i start?

Karen: Getting tired of cooking… been cleaning my pantry and it is very overstocked with stuff I haven’t used… I overbuy sometimes.. how can i clean up my pantry with only 2 people home?? son is away at college… I started taking inventory and typing a list…

Marilyn: I would like to come up with a solid plan for meals. I cook at least one big day a week – soup, beans, rice, bread, salad, etc. It will last for almost a week, but I still don’t really have this down.

Karen: How do you get them all to eat the meal? I always seem to be making a couple of meals a night…unless it’s pizza

Hallie: My homeschooling, goat & chicken raising friend has five kids ages 8-18 who are always hungry. She’s looking for meals that keep them from getting hungry so soon after meals. She also wants snacks that feed the brain besides nuts. Their budget is so, so small.

Episodes in the Series

Do you struggle with the food side of motherhood? If so, please leave me a comment so I can answer your questions in the upcoming episodes.

Thanks for listening! Tune in next week as I discuss food shopping on a budget.

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