Menu planning made easy!

This week I thought I would find some ideas on how to help us with planning our meals with our food storage.  We all know that our food storage must have foods in it that our families will eat.  I thought this idea was great and would help everyone.

a. Create a list of 10 to 20 meals.

b. Create a separate list for breakfast and lunch foods, as appropriate and if

desired.

c. As you begin this process you may not think of many foods. Post this list in a

prominent place in your kitchen for the coming 2 weeks. Each time you think of a

new food write it on the list. Ask the family for ideas and suggestions. Make the

list reflect what your family typically eats and enjoys.

2. Go back over the list and add foods needed to make the meal balanced.

a. Write these foods after the main dish items.

b. Add foods from the bread and cereal group, fruit group, vegetable group, milk

and dairy group and meat group as needed.

3. Break down each meal constructed in steps 1 and 2.  Break down the dish into specific foods. For example tuna noodle casserole

would include tuna, noodles, cream soup, etc.
a. Write the category above the columns, for example: vegetables; fruits; meats;

bread, cereals, grains, pasta; soups, sauces, mixes; dairy.

b. In the spaces below the main categories, write the specific foods needed. For

example under the vegetable category you may have listed peas, green beans,

tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, etc.

c. Write down the amount of the food needed for that particular dish for your family.

Continue with all dishes listed.

d. When completed, add the amount of foods in each column and total at the

bottom of the page.

4. Plan on preparing 80% of your meals from this storage planner. The remainder

of a years meals and storage will include foods eaten less frequently, short
term seasonal foods, special meals, holidays, and long term basic storage to
sustain life such as beans, rice, wheat, etc.
a. Eighty percent of 365 days is 292. Divide the total number of dishes or meals in

step #1 into 292. This is the number of times each year that you will prepare this

dish.

b. Multiply each food totaled in the columns in step #3d by the answer above. This

will give you the amount of that food needed for 80-90% of a years supply of

foods most often eaten.

5. Place foods from planner onto an inventory list.

a. Group foods according to category. For example, use one page for freezer, and

group together frozen vegetables, meats, etc. Use one for the shelf, and group

together vegetables, fruits, canned meats, soups, pasta, etc.

b. Inventory current food storage and pantry and compare to the amounts needed.

c. Update inventory on a regular basis, monthly, every 6 months, yearly, etc.

Canned Tuna

Frozen Chicken

Ground Beef

Kidney Beans

Tomatoes

Broccoli

Onions

Noodles

Spaghetti

Oatmeal

Cream

Tomato

Chicken noodle

6. Shop for foods on the inventory list. Watch for good buys, buy in bulk, etc.

Gradually increase the amount of food stored to equal the amount needed for
1 year.
a. Spend 80% of each food dollar on storage items, 20% will go toward fresh foods,

special or seasonal foods.

b. Date all foods going into storage.

c. Place new foods to the back of the storage. Use old foods first.

d. Add new purchased food amounts to inventory list.

e. Update inventory on a regular basis, monthly, every 6 months, yearly, etc.

7. Plan meals for the week from your created list of foods in step #1. Select

foods to prepare the meal from your storage.

a. Keep a list of dishes from step #1 in a handy readily visible place.

b. Move foods for the week, month, etc. from the storage to your smaller pantry.

c. Use what you have on hand. Purchase fresh foods (milk, fresh vegetables, etc

This is just and example of a planning sheet.  Feel free to use this one or make your own!

Happy Fouth of July!