The Benefits of Meal Planning for Large Families
   Meal planning is such a useful tool for large families, offering numerous benefits that go beyond just saving money. Planning meals ahead of time allows you to create a grocery list, buy ingredients in bulk, and cook at home which is always better on your pocket.Â
   With a meal plan in place, you can also optimize your time by preparing ingredients ahead of time, batch cooking, or utilizing appliances such as slow cookers and instant pots.Â
   Planning meals also allows you to create meals based off of ingredients or leftovers you already have thus minimizing food waste and promoting a more sustainable lifestyle.Â
   Before you plan your first batch of meals, sitting down and creating a list of your family’s favorite meals can make the process so much easier. I also like to keep a collection of recipes I want to try in my Pinterest to reference, if you’d like to check out my list of saved recipes you can do so by clicking here or visiting my Pinterest page via the link at the bottom of this post.Â
Essential Strategies for Frugal Meal Planning
Planning Meals Around Sales and Seasonal Produce
   Did you know that most grocery stores follow a predictable pattern for discounted items? By familiarizing yourself with these sale cycles, you can plan your meals weeks in advance around these sales to save money. You should also review weekly sales flyers from your grocery store when planning your meals for the week and use these sale items as inspiration for your meal plan. Some grocery stores will even put out weekly sales flyers two weeks in advance to give you more time to plan ahead. This article goes into detail about sale cycles and is a great read.Â
   Another great strategy to use when meal planning is to choose ingredients that are in season in your area. Seasonal produce is generally less expensive, tastier, and more nutritious. Farmer’s market’s and local produce stands generally offer affordable prices and top quality produce so try to purchase from your local farmer’s whenever possible.
Incorporating Affordable and Nutritious Ingredients
 Whole Grains:Â
By choosing whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat pasta you can provide your family with more fiber and nutrients at a similar cost to what you would spend purchasing refined grains.
Affordable Proteins:Â
If you are looking to save money on groceries, swap some of your meat for cheaper proteins such as beans, lentils, eggs, or canned fish.Â
Frozen Fruits and Vegetables:Â
Another great way to save money on your grocery bill is to opt for frozen produce. It can be just as nutritious and fresh but often more affordable, especially when it is out of season. I like to stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables whenever they go on sale for convenient, budget-friendly meal additions.Â
Bulk Buying:Â
This is such a big one for me. Purchasing ingredients in bulk can save so much money and ensures that you always have the ingredients on hand that you need. Azure standard is my go to place for purchasing grocery items in bulk, they only offer the highest quality ingredients and at family friendly prices. You can sign up for their sales catalog by clicking here.
Repurposing Leftovers and Reducing Food Waste
   Reducing food waste and repurposing leftovers are a huge part of frugal meal planning. Be creative with your leftovers. For example, roast chicken can be turned into chicken taco’s and leftover pasta could be turned into pasta salad. Leftover vegetables can be added to dozens of meals. In the winter, my grandmother saves all of her veggies, beans, and even pasta leftover’s and makes a big pot of soup at the end of the week. It always gets ate and nothing goes to waste. If you need ideas on way’s to incorporate your left over’s into a new meal, google can be your best friend. If you can’t think of a way to create a new meal with your leftover’s, just have a “leftover night” where you eat all the leftover’s from you fridge.Â
Time Saving Tips for Preparing Meals for a Large Family
Batch Cooking and Freezer Meals
   If you are someone who has a busy schedule, batch cooking and freezer meals will save you time, money, and help reduce food waste.Â
Plan Your Menu:Â
Choose freezer friendly recipes that can easily be sealed up. Soups, stews, casseroles, and pasta dishes are all great options.Â
Shop Smart:Â
Stock up on Freezer safe containers and bags. These silicone molds are great for freezing soup, broth, or sauce. I also love these silicone nesting containers which are perfect for freezing any sort of meal in and they don’t take up much space when storing. You can also opt for reusable freezer bags which are eco-friendly and save you money.
Set Aside Time for Prep:
Choose a day that you have several hours of free time, maybe a weekend afternoon or a few hours one evening. During this time, prepare your meals. Utilizing croc pots and instant pots can speed up this process and allow you to cook large quantities with minimal supervision. If making casserole, I like to prepare the dish and freeze it uncooked so that when you are ready to eat it you can simply pop it into the oven.Â
Portion and Freeze:
Divide each meal into individual or family sized portions labeling each container. Try to make each meal as flat as possible to maximize space and allow for quicker thawing.Â
Involving Family Members in Meal Preperation
   Involving family members in meal preparation is one way to foster a sense of togetherness while teaching your children valuable life skills.Â
Assign Age-Appropriate Tasks:Â
For younger children, tasks like washing the vegetables, setting the table, or mixing ingredients. For older children, tasks like chopping, sautĂ©ing, or measuring ingredients.Â
Make Meal Planning a Family Affair:Â
Remember when I said I like to keep a list of my families favorite meals? Grab that list and lay it on the table and let each person in your family pick a meal to add to your weekly menu. Children love being included in decision making and this helps to promote a sense of ownership in the process.Â
Weekly Cooking Lessons:Â
Dedicate one night per week for a family cooking lesson.Â
Kitchen Clean Up:Â
Make clean-up a family effort by assigning each family member a specific task and rotating these tasks each day or week. These tasks could include, washing dishes, wiping down counters, sweeping the floors, or putting away leftovers.Â
Budget Friendly Recipe Ideas for Large Families
Inexpensive Breakfasts
- Overnight Oats
- Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Pancakes
- Egg and Avocado Toast
- Breakfast Burritos
- Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups
- Homemade Granola
- Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
- Scrambled Eggs with Toast
- French Toast and Fruit
- HashbrownsÂ
- Grits and Eggs
- Homemade Muffins
- Yogurt Parfait
- Breakfast Sandwiches
- Egg Muffin Cups
Satisfying Lunches on a Budget
- Salad Jars
- Quesadillas
- Pasta Salad
- Soup and Sandwich
- Homemade Pizza
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowls
- Tuna Salad
- Veggie Wraps
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Peanut Butter and Banana Roll Ups
- Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
- Chicken Salad
- Egg Salad
- Panini
- Baked Potato
- Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
- Smoothie Bowls
Economical Family Friendly Dinners
- Fajitas
- Enchiladas
- Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy
- Meatloaf
- Stir Fry
- Pizza
- Chicken and Rice Casserole
- Chicken Noodle Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie
- Hamburger Steak
- Spaghetti
- Chicken ParmesanÂ
- Marry Me Chicken
- Swedish Meatballs
- Salisbury Steaks
- Chicken Alfredo
- Vodka Pasta
- BBQ Chicken
- Vegetable Soup
- Smothered Mushroom Chicken
- Chicken Wings
- Meatball Subs
- Sesame Seed Chicken
- Fried Porkchops with Gravy
- Roast Dinner
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