Meal Plan

I plan our family meals everyweek. I make to meal plans. One for the kids and one for hubby and I.Simply because hubby and I eat different breakfasts and lunches than the kids and our snacks are different. The only thing the same is the dinners. I have also discovered with meal planning I can stick to my grocery budget. Have a little over stock and make sure my family has a variety of meals and snacks.
I have tried before letting the kids choose thier snacks and meals. That didn't work so well. They would eat the same thing for several days and then it was all gone and they were expecting me to go to the store and get more. With me planning meals and snacks I can make a box granola bars last a month. I can make the kids cereal last 2 weeks and sometimes longer. Plus it helps me to make sure they are eatting appropriate amounts and making good snack & lunch decisions. If I left it to them they would eat the whole box of pudding in 3 days and wouldn't want anything else. Not fruit or anything. Or they would eat cereal daily. While we dont buy the cereal thats loaded with sugar, they dont need to eat it daily.
So, I try to give them some variety while still staying on budget.

Heres is the kids menu for the week 7/10/11-7/16/11
Sunday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Bologna sandwich & Fruit
Snack: Their choice
Dinner: Grillin(burgers, Hot dogs & Pasta salad)
Snack: Pickle

Monday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Grilled cheese & Broccoli Soup
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Sloppy Joes & Salad
Snack: Cheese Stick

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Biscuits & Jelly
Lunch: Vienna Sausage sandwich & Baked Beans
Snack: Snack Crackers
Dinner: Chicken, Mushroom & Brown Rice crockpot meal
Snack: Chex Mix (homemade)

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Bean Burritos & Fruit
Snack: Pudding
Dinner: Cici's
Snack: Oatmeal cookies (homemade)

Thursday:
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast
Lunch: Hot dogs & Salad
Snack: Apple
Dinner: Chicken & Veggie Casserole & Fruit
Snack: Applesauce/Yogurt

Friday:
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: PB & J sandwich & salad
Snack: Granola Bar
Dinner: Homemade Pizza
Snack: Pickle

Saturday:
Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: Bologna sandwich & Fruit
Snack: Gripz grahmns
Dinner: Homemade Pot Pie
Snack: Apple

We are on a tight budget so our meals aren't glamourous but I try to make them as balanced as we can afford and work in the kids fruit, veg and fiber in meals or snacks. Also most of our food and snacks are homemade. Very few things are processed. Like our meat. I use ground turkey. We do use Tyson Grilled & Ready chicken but thats only because I can't flavor chicken for nothing and I don't like grisle or things like that in my meat. But we dont use store bought chicken nuggets or frozen pizza things like that. I try to find the least expensive way to make things. Like the chex mix snack or popcorn. I bought a box of chex cereal & flavored the chex for the kids. I get a lot more for a lot less. Popcorn is bought in kernels and popped in the microwave then seasoned.
I am also looking for ways to be frugal.