Meal planning can be a total drag, but guess what? I’ve come up with a super awesome meal plan that will actually make it fun, save you cash, and leave you with more free time! And the best part? It’s not a boring old repetitive plan! It’s a unique, jaw-dropping plan for every season, which means you can use it all year long.
A MEAL PLAN FOR EVERY SEASON
Here’s the thing. Meal planning can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The key is to come up with a system that works for you, and that’s where my rotating menu comes in. I created a set of menus for each season; winter, spring, summer, fall & Indian summer. Each season includes four weeks of menus that you’ll rotate over the three months of the season. The beauty of this is that you’re not eating the same thing over and over and you’ll never be left wondering what to cook for dinner.
Now, let’s talk about the shopping list. I know how frustrating it can be to walk down every aisle of the grocery store, trying to remember everything on your list. My rotating meal plan comes complete with a shopping list. This list is organized by department, which makes grocery shopping a breeze. You can easily check off what you need in each department, which saves you time and ensures that you don’t forget anything.
Here’s the best part though: variety! It’s easy to fall into a rut and cook the same meals over and over again. But with this plan, you’ll have a set of meals that change every week. Each weekly menu contains a good mix of familiar favorites and new recipes to try. This means you’ll never get bored, and your taste buds will be happy.
WHAT IS A ROTATING MEAL PLAN
It is a fun and creative way to plan out your meals by creating a number of different menus and rotating them throughout the month or season. For example, I have created four unique menus for fall, I rotate these menus from the beginning of September through the end of November. This is a great way to save yourself the time of planning out your menu every week.
WHY SHOULD I USE A ROTATING MEAL PLAN
The magic of a rotating meal plan is that it not only saves you precious time and energy, but it also saves you from the dreaded task of creating a never-ending grocery list. It even makes your grocery shopping a breeze by organizing your list by departments. No more zig-zagging through the store!
But wait, there’s more! The best part about this genius plan is that it saves you cold hard cash. By knowing what’s on the menu for the next few months, you can score big on sales for items you’ll be using in your meals.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE MENUS
Experience a week of delicious and effortless meals with our carefully crafted menu. Each day you’ll enjoy a mouthwatering meal specifically planned for that season. We’ve also reserved a night to use up those leftovers and another night to indulge in one of your favorite recipes or for dining out. And that’s not all – we’ve also included a fabulous dessert.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES IT SERVE
Every meal in our plan can feed four, count ’em, FOUR grown-ups?! That’s a whole lot of deliciousness to go around. And parents, listen up, if you have little ones, this plan will go even further!
HOW DO THE ROTATING MENUS WORK EXACTLY
We’ve created 4 different menus for each season and those menus will rotate throughout the season. For example, the first week of September, you’ll use the week 1 fall menu. The second week of September, you’ll use the week 2 fall menu. The third week, the week 3 fall menu, and the fourth week, the week 4 fall menu.
Then, when October rolls around, the menus will rotate again starting with menu 1. The pattern will repeat each month until November is over. When November is over you’ll move on to the 4 winter menus and do the same thing for the next 3 months.
HOW DOES THE PLAN SAVE ME TIME AND MONEY
This plan is like having a super helpful robot chef and grocery store guide all rolled into one. Not only will you save time because you don’t have to plan out menus or shopping lists, but you’ll also save time at the grocery store because everything is organized by department. Imagine, no more running around trying to find that one ingredient you need! But that’s not all! By following this plan, you’ll also save money because you’re only buying the things you need. Plus, since you know what you’re going to be eating for the next three months, you can stock up on things that go on sale so you don’t have to pay full price later on. How awesome is that?!
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED
I use a three-ring binder, just like the ones you use at school, except this one is for food! I even laminate my menus and shopping lists, so I can reuse them over and over again. Plus, I use a dry-erase marker that wipes off so I can check things off my list while I’m at the store! I also like to print out all my recipes and put them, by season, in the binder too, that way they are easy to find.
Well there you have it – my rotating meal plan for dinner menus. Now you don’t have to stress out over what to cook each night because each season brings an abundance of delicious options! Not only are you able to enjoy different meals throughout the seasons, but the shopping list will help keep your grocery shopping trips less stressful and more organized. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with meal planning, this is the perfect pick-me-up! So if you’re ready to take control of your dinner menus and start cooking some delicious recipes this season, now you know where to look. What are you waiting for? Let’s get cookin’! And while we reach for our aprons and fire up those stoves, tell us in the comments below – what is YOUR favorite seasonal recipe?
Pam says
I love this so much! Having a seasonal meal plan is a great idea. I’m happy to say I’ll be featuring this great post at Thursday Favorite Things, starting at 10:00 a.m. CST, tomorrow. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!
Robin says
Thank you for the feature!
Melanie O'Brien says
I hadn’t thought of meal planning this way. Great article!
Robin says
Thank you! Seasonal meal planning has saved me so many hours of planning!
Miss Sheila says
Hello Robin,
I have just recently found your blog. Your meal planning has really helped me out and saved me time. I am anxiously awaiting more! Will you be updating your Fall and Indian Summer menu examples soon? Thanks!!
Robin says
The last of the Fall menus will be posted this weekend. The we will be unveiling one of the Indian Summer menus in October, December, April and July.