Recently, I wanted a white board to have a physical list of homemade healthy food available at home. We didn’t have the money for one so we bought some dry-erase markers and taped old paper bags onto the back of the glass of our rarely used china cabinet. I like having a big visible list in the kitchen so my husband and I could refrain from opening the fridge several times a day. I also like planning a day before or on the day of so I can gouge what we’re craving for and which ingredients we have available that day.
Forgive the handwriting but I listed down several foods and recipes that we enjoy and have been repeats in our diet. We also wanted it to be relatively cheap so we process and prep meals at home to save food. All of the meals and food items listed are vegan. So far, we’ve been saving up great and feeling better with relatively healthier eating :D
How do you plan your meals?
image description: A china cabinet with its glass doors used like a white board. Brown paper bags are taped behind the glass to make the text visible.
I copy & paste recipes I like into a doc in my google drive. Then I sort each doc in a folder (Greek, slow cooker, freezer meal, Mexican, etc). I can use the search bar if I know what recipe I want, or if I have a vague craving for Italian food I can poke through the whole folder to see if anything jumps out.
When I set the meals for the week I add events to my online calendar: “DINNER: enchilada casserole, Spanish rice” and I include links to the saved recipe in the event description. My calendar is shared online with everyone in the house, so I no longer get “what’s for dinner?” questions all the time.
I can use my phone or laptop while I cook to access the recipe. I can make changes to the saved recipe easily while I cook, too.
It’s relatively simple and there are no additional costs once you have internet & a phone/computer.