I vary my meals seasonally (Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter), but overall I have about 5 themes that I vary: soups, pastas, casseroles (or what I call one-dish dinners), tacos/burritos and proteins (poultry, meats, fish, beans and the occasional tofu). During the Spring/Summer I have some entrée salads that I add to the rotation. An example of how I vary one of the menu themes is Fall/Winter soups: vegetable chili, black bean chili, white bean and turkey chili, beef stew, vegetable soup, chicken noodle soup, split pea soup, and broccoli cheddar.
I have about 10 meals that I often repeat throughout the month. Most of those are main dishes that feature a protein. These are dishes that I know my family usually enjoys. I start with those when I am writing my meal plan and then fill in with seasonally inspired dishes (lighter ones in late spring/summer, soups and stews in winter), vegetarian dishes, and those meals that I plan to purchase prepared or through take-out.
Hi Sharon and Kimberly,
Congratulations on your new venture. I know you are both foodies and will help lots of moms and dads create better meals for their families.
I’m back to cooking for two, but I well remember the challenges of cooking for a family. Creating healthy and appealing meals can be daunting. My meal planning always started at the fresh vegetables. I looked for the freshest and best looking vegetables and went from there. Protein is readily available, but vegetables vary so much with the season. Gorgeous broccoli would lead to our favorite broccoli casserole. Lovely winter squash would end up with bean soup for dinner with usually a banana squash base.
Good luck to you both and happy cooking.
Love, Aunt Connie