The Updated Meal Planning Binder

Has this summer flown by as quickly for everyone else as it has for me? I have to admit that I haven't been writing out meal plans for a few months. *Hangs Head In Shame.* But now I'm ready for Fall and so is my meal plan! It seemed appropriate, since I've fallen off of the meal-planning wagon lately, to give my Meal Planning Binder a much-needed makeover. It's stuffed with printouts, old menus, and all kinds of random things. It's a MESS.

The first step was to take out EVERYTHING. And since I don't need a massive 2-inch binder, I'm going to transfer it all to this lovely 1-inch beauty:

Then, I put in a pocket for the monthly calendar on which I wrote my meal list. (Find a printable calendar here.) I usually choose between 10-15 main dishes, depending on what we have going on for that particular month.

Then, any printouts that I have for the recipes in this month's meal list go right after the calendar, in plastic sheet protectors. When I'm ready to use a recipe, I can just pop it out and use it without it getting *too* messy while cooking.

Now, what to do with the rest of all these print-outs? Sort through for those you want to save and those you want to toss. Make one section for "Tried & True" recipes, so you can use them when the mood suits you.

Also make a section for "To Try" recipes. (I try to cut back on printing, and only print out recipes from Pinterest when I'm ready to use them). This is the section I'll look through for inspiration when meal-planning, to remind myself of things I've wanted to try in the past.

Last but not least, I have a pocket with calendars already printed for the remaining months of the year, calling to me to make sure that I don't fall off the wagon again.

And there you have it! Your monthly meal list and all the recipes together in a neat little package, ready to use. And next month, simply shuffle the recipes you had in the first section back to "Tried & True" (or trash them if they are complete flops!), and start the process over again.

Notes on Meal Planning

I do my meal-planning at the end of the previous month, and ask the Hubby for suggestions. I'd ask the Munchkin, too, but then we'd just be eating "cheeeeese cackers!" for every meal. :-)

Overall, it does take a commitment of a few hours each month, but the payoff is well worth it. Once you get into it, you'll find a groove and likely start using about half of the recipes nearly each month. And it's so nice to have a go-to list of meals when you're doing that blank stare at the pantry an hour before dinnertime, feeling like you're in your own personal version of Chopped.

I hope this post has been helpful, and that you're able to find a method of meal-planning and organizing that works best for you and your family!