Do you plan your meals ahead of schedule?

No you're not the only nutjob around here. I do plan my meals ahead too. I don't only plan it 3 days in advance sometimes it's one week ahead because I need to get the ingredients for the certain dish which I am going to cook - coming from an Asian country we use alot of spices and herbs. Normally I would write down the list of stuff which I need to buy but I won't write down the menu. The menu is being saved in my head!!!

hi mei. yes i do plan meals ahead of schedule. i find that this is more convenient as it saves me time and money. i do the groceries weekly so i pretty much know what i need for what i'll be cooking in the next few days. plus this helps me to avoid serving the same dish on consecutive weeks. the family kinda gets tired eating the same meal. don't worry mei, you're not the only nutjob here in mylot.

When I ran my own daycare several years back I planned out each meal for the entire month about a week ahead of the month. I did this because I had kids from morning until nightfall. This way the parents knew what their children were eating incase there was something that they couldn't eat. Now though, I don't. I don't know what I am going to cook until the day I cook it. I might start planning it out again, but not sure.

It would make my life much easier you know, sopping and actually deciding what to cook , instead of thinking about the day of . Thanks , I will try and once I do it , I will fill you guys in.

i sort of plan ahead ill have afew meals in my head and each day ill decide which one ill cook that day! i do think its good to plan ahead its alot easier and you know you have the ingredients!

Some days it's easier than others to cook ahead, I think! I like to when I can esp. since I have 4 kids! Things like chop suey and meatloaf are easy to cook ahead or chili or homemade stews or soups, and they freeze real well! I've even gone so far as to dice onions, peppers and celery up and put them in a freezer bag for use on those nights I have to cook at the last minute!

No you are not alone…I do the same. Time is at a premium for me and hubby. None of us have any time for the market on a daily basis and if I send my hubby to the market on Saturdays without any clear instructions, he would most definitely come back with all that I never can want. So I usually plat and make a list of and hand it over to him. It saves both of us a lot of unnecessary tension. I also love browsing thru the net for new recipes and try them out in the weekends. For that I need to plan in advance too.

My meals are never scheduled. When I get up and open the refrigerater what ever I pull out that is what I cook for dinner. You must be a pretty organized person. Three days in advance. I don't even plan for the next day. Good for you.

In my attempt to make sure that I have my weight under control I need to make sure that my meals are planned in advance. If I just get home from work and open the fridge to try to decide what to eat I know that I will over indulge. When I plan in advance i dont have to worry about eating too much, and in the process I have lost about 30 pounds so far.

Hello my friend. I tend not to plan my meals ahead of schedule because a lot of times, it has gone to waste, ha! If I have a sudden inkling to cook or something, I would do it at a whim and call my mom straight not to cook breakfast for me (if I'm back from night-shift) or not to cook dinner for me if I'm working the morning shift. I love to cook for my family as well and during weekends when I have a bit of a spare time, I would ride my bike or just use the car to buy groceries, go home and cook. I have learned so far that it's best not to plan in advance to avoid disappointment.

Hi! You are not alone. I've been doing that for years. I don't have time to go grocery shopping often, so I try to go once a week and buy what I need to prepare all the meals. Also, with the price of groceries these days, its takes some creative planning to come up with a menu that fits my budget. I think more and more people are starting to plan ahead if only to save a bit of money. P.S. What's on your menu for tomorrow?

Yes, I do sometimes plan my meals ahead of schedule, but do wish i could do it more often. Planning ahead has so many advantages. You get time to think about squeezing in appetizers, desserts, and other items to make the meal more interesting. You also get time to think about how to make the meal more healthy. The overall benefit is that you get a more healthy and enjoyable meal. I think it's absolutely normal to plan meals ahead. In fact, i would say it's the characteristic of a smart and perfect housewife (or home manager). I mean, whether it's a man or woman doing such planning, it doesn't matter... the person is smart. Most people also shop for their groceries once a week or bi-weekly, so they are usually mentally planning even while shopping. For example, they'll pick up some eggplant and think, "I'll make this tonight." Then they'll pick up pancake mix and think, "I'll make this tomorrow morning," etc. etc.

I think it is quite the opposite. I feel like I am the minority(at least on mylot) becasue I don't plan my meals throughout the week. We eat a consistent 15 meals or so, and a lot of them share the saem ingredients(ie hamburger, parmesan cheese, etc). So I have everything on hand to cook a wide variety of stuff, and just replace them as I run out.

I always plan my meals ahead. I have a very tight budget to shop with so have to plan ahead as I can only buy the food i actually need when I go shopping. Also my childre do different activites after school so sometimes we have to have quick eats. I normally plan for the whole week, and have a quick stand by meal in case something unplanned happens. I also plan the meals so that if need be i can swop days around and say have what I planned for Tuesday we could eat on Thursday. So I go to the shops with my budget shopping list and before shopping I always plan the meals for the whole week so I can ensure that I buy the correct food and drink. so no you are not the only nutjob around here. I could never not plan, not only cos of the money but also because different meals take different amounts of time to cook and prepare and as I work and other things these things have to fit around me as well.

yeah i do but mainly on weekends..or when any holiday is coming i use to pre plan about the meal we are going to cook n eat..and also whether to go out or cook at home :)

I don't plan ahead as much as I should. I usually have one thing planned for the week something I really want to make and I make sure I have all of the things to make that dish but the rest of the week is a fly by the seat of my pants thing. This is going to have to change I am starting a new job so I will have to be more organized and think ahead so there are left overs on the nights I have to work.

lol I plan it out two weeks at a time! That's how I make my list. other wise I'd be finding myself at the store far more often than I'd like.

I usually don't know what I am cooking for supper until about an hour before it is time to cook dinner! I have a friend who plans the whole week she will know on Sudnay what she is going to fix everyday and she buys her groceries accordingly.

I dont plan,but thats because im a bit impulsive ,i just like to pull something from the fridge and try to make someting out of it.But my daughter plans ahead,she does a weekly menu,and shops from that menu,then she just swaps the meals around to suit the day,it works well for her,and it keeps her running to a good budget,the only things that she buys in between are bread and milk.I sometimes think it would be a really good idea for me to try it too,but ive always worked this way,so im so used to it.

I do have to plan, as i will have to buy grocerys and vegetables for that.Daily cooking is sometimes tiring so,it is better to store it in refrigerator.