Time Saving Tip For Busy Families

A 6-week rotating meal plan

(Kayla Bloom this one’s for you! 🤣😉)

It’s that time of the week again. Meal planning. Gah!

If you are like me and dread sitting down to plan meals for the week, this time-saving hack is for you!

I used to spend at least 1 hour a week meal and lunch box planning and writing up a grocery list. 1 whole hour…although usually, it was more!

It gives me a headache just thinking about it. Trying to come up with easy and quick meals to cook, that my children will eat and that are nutritious? So time-consuming and frustrating.

Are you ready to claim back your time?

If you had a system in place, such as a 6-week rotating meal plan, you will save yourself all that time and effort! Think of everything you can get done in that time.

Enjoy a hot cup of coffee in peace.

Fold those baskets of clean washing.

Go for a walk.

Spend some quality time together as a family (or by yourself!)

Start a new book…or even finish one of the half-read books stacked on your bedside table.

This meal planning hack has saved me so much time! Not to mention the stress of trying to plan food that my kids will actually eat! I know that I am using meals that my children will eat, are nutritious and with a strong focus on easy to prepare and cook!

I sit down the same day each week with my 6-week rotating meal plan, use it to do a quick lunchbox plan and then write my grocery list. All up it takes me about 15 minutes.

15 minutes compared to hours! It really has been a game-changer.

What is the 6-week rotating meal plan?

It is all in the name! I have 6 weeks of meal ideas that I rotate.

The following steps show how I developed the plan. All up it took me about 30 minutes to work it all out and put it into action. It is so easy and simple to implement.

Step 1

I wrote down a list of all the meals I know my children will eat. For some, I am sure this list is a lot bigger than mine, and for others, it could be a heck of a lot shorter!

Top tip: my children eat curry, so I added 4 different styled curries. You can do the same by adding slight variations to the meals you know your children eat.

Step 2

I counted out how many meals I had (30) and worked out I could do 5 of these meals a week. This leaves 2 days spare for:

• takeaway,
• dinners out,
• homemade pizzas,
• roasts,
• BBQ, or
• introducing a new meal.

Top tip: If you only have 15 meals, you could do a 3-week rotating meal plan. If you have 60 meals you could do 12 weeks! Make it work for you and your family.

Step 3

I divided these meals up into types of protein base (Chicken, Pork, Beef, Lamb, Fish/Seafood and Vegetarian).

Now I had a list of X amount of meals under each protein category.

Step 4

I picked a meal from each protein type and slotted it into a week.

Wallah!

I now have 6 weeks of meal plans done.

Using the 6-week meal plan.

Each week, usually on a Thursday, I look at the 5 meals I have allocated for that week.

For example:

Week 1 Meals:

• One-pan satay chicken
• Thai red chicken curry
• Tacos
• Lamb and halloumi skewers
• Cauliflower fried rice.

I have my diary open in front of me and work out what meals will be easiest to slot into each day. This depends on what we have on for the day and what nursing shift I am working. I don’t want to be trying to cook a meal that takes 45 minutes when we are not getting home until 5 pm!

I also look at what meals we are having and if I can use leftovers for school lunches.

It takes me about 15 minutes to plan school lunches, a full week of meals and write out a shopping list.

I have a list of what meat we have in the freezer (yep, I love organisation)! So it is a simple matter of glancing at the freezer list, in the pantry and fridge and knocking out a grocery list.

I order everything online for delivery because…

Busy mum + working +lazy + shopping with kids is a nightmare = do everything you can to avoid the supermarket!

Then I sit back with a hot cup of coffee and pat myself on the back for a job well done!

The next week I simply rinse and repeat but with week 2 meals. Simple. Easy. TIME-SAVING!

So are you ready to save an insane amount of time and stress each week?

Step 1: write down a list of ALL the meals you know your family eat.

Step 2: count them all and work out how many weeks you can plan.

Step 3: divide them up into a protein base.

Step 4: slot each meal into a week

Step 5: pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

Rachel Maree is a writer, mum and registered nurse. Bringing you the real truth to parenting, nursing and writing (even when it is downright ugly). You can read more articles or hire her to write amazing content for you — Rachel Maree.

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