Working Mom Meal Planning Tips + Free Printable!

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When I first started blogging, I remember seeing bloggers post weekly meal plans on their blogs.  I remember looking over their very thorough menu and being slightly jealous.  My “meal plan” – if you could even call it that – was really whatever could be made quickly when I got home that my husband and kids would eat.  Sometimes I planned ahead, but most of the time I didn’t.

Over the last few years, I’ve shared many 30 minute recipes here on my blog.  Meals great for working moms, short on time but with a hungry family that will no doubt arrive at the table muttering the phrase, “What’s for dinner?”.  But you know what?  Sometimes I don’t have 30 minutes to prepare dinner.  Really, I don’t.  Judge me if you must, but on the days when my kids have softball, soccer, scouts, or a combination of any of the 3, I don’t get 30 minutes to put dinner on the table.  We arrive home somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00pm, and I need to have them showered, fed, and in bed by 9pm.  That tight timetable doesn’t allow for 30 minute cook time, but that doesn’t mean I can feed my family a meal and catch up on their day.  Because more than anything else, I want to put a meal on the table and then have a chance to sit down with my kids for a bit and discuss what’s going on in their world.

Over the year or so, I’ve started doing my meal planning a little different.  It’s helped ease stress in my house and helped my family all eat together.  Here are my tips for creating a meal plan that will work in a busy house and how to save a little bit of money in the process (be sure to print the $2 off InnovAsian coupon to save even more!):

Write everything down.  There’s something about writing down my meal plan that makes it more concrete for me.  I’m less likely to deviate from a plan when it’s written down and get more excited about the dinner options as I create my plan.  I’ve even designed my very own weekly meal planner that I use each week with a place for each day’s entree, sides, and a weekly grocery list.  You can download it here.

Be flexible.  I take great comfort in having a meal plan and knowing what’s for dinner each day, but my husband does not.  If I tell him we’re going to have chicken on Tuesday, he’s going to want anything but chicken on Tuesday.  Often when I skip a day on the meal plan early in the week, I tend to ignore the meal plan for the rest of the week.  This is a bad plan, so instead, I’ve started what I call a “floating meal plan”.  I simply write out 7 days worth of meals and shop for those meals.  My husband can then select from any day of the week when the question of “What’s for dinner?” arises.  I have a different version of my meal plan which you can find here, if you’re family is like mine and needs a little more flexibility.

Skip costly take out and consider frozen entrees.  These have been an absolute lifesaver for me, and InnovAsian entrees and sides are our absolute favorite.  Better than take out and ready in less than 20 minutes, InnovAsian is the answer to “What’s for dinner?” on those crazy nights when I only have 1 hour to get the kids showered, fed, and put to bed.  It’s a meal that my whole family will eat and enjoy.  The General Tso’s Chicken (ready in about 5 minutes) comes with lots of sauce and isn’t watered down like many of the other brands that I’ve tried.I also like how they have better for you ingredients like all white-meat chicken, crispy veggies, and no MSG.  The bold, flavorful sauce with just a little bit of a kick, is delicious and will leave you wanting more.  I look forward to InnovAsian nights more than any other night on my meal plan!

Consider your day.  On the days when I’ve got a court appearance and two depositions, I’m probably not going to want to cook that night.  Those are the perfect nights for InnovAsian meals!  Plan for easier meals on the days when you know you’re going to be overwhelmed or exhausted at night.

Take inventory.  Each week, I look at the last week’s menu when drafting our new menu.  Meals that were skipped, due to an unexpected dinner out or opting for leftovers instead, typically get placed on the next week’s menu.  Meals that have been skipped multiple weeks in a row, often get removed altogether.  This is a great way to take an inventory of what your family likes and doesn’t like, to narrow your shopping list in the future.

How do you plan your menu for the week?  Any tips you’d like to share?

And don’t forget to check out InnovAsian in the freezer section at Walmart and learn more about their rewards program.  Right now there’s even a $2 off 1 InnovAsian entree coupon on top of the already low price!