• About
  • Our Favorites
  • Free Resource Library
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Smith, Party of 6

May 2, 2019 ·

Easy Family Meal Planning with the Magnet Method

Home Management· Homemaking

30 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Inside: a simple family meal planning method that’s making my life 10x easier

Simple Meal Planning for Your Family with the Magnet Method #mealplanning #familymeals #dinnersolutions

It’s 3 pm. About time to start prepping dinner.

I check my current meal planning method (a little chalkboard hanger in our kitchen that I often forget to update). Aaaaand that’s when I realize I should have thrown the chicken into the crockpot at NOON.

But I didn’t.
And it’s still frozen.

It might not be such a big deal, but I’ve already forgotten the same meal twice this week and have ran out of other options. I run to check the cabinets for any meal I can throw together that won’t require meat (since it’s all frozen), but sadly we’re all out of pasta sauce. And our fridge is looking a little bare.

So we order pizza. Or go to Taco Bell. EVEN THOUGH we keep promising to stop eating out so much.

I wish this was a rare occurrence, but sadly, it’s not.

So I’m trying something new.

Why Meal Plan?

Let’s back up a hot second. Because before the cute (but for me, useless) chalkboard method, I DIDN’T MEAL PLAN AT ALL. If you think I sound like a hot mess now, hold my coffee because you haven’t seen anything yet.

I would just wing it. At the grocery store. At meal time. And here’s what would happen:

  • we wasted money on food like nobody’s business
  • some nights, I wouldn’t get dinner on the table until 7
  • we bought too much produce, and it would spoil
  • I’d end up not having everything I needed to make whatever meal I came up with for the day, so I’d have to make mini trips to the store throughout the week
  • did I mention we wasted A LOT of money?

So when I tell you I NEED a meal plan, believe me. I’m sure some people can function without one. My mom is one of those people. But while I like to wing it, I thrive within the structure of a well-thought-out (but flexible) plan.

The Right Fit

Not all meal planning methods are created equal. And what works best for your family may not work for mine.

So while there are lots of moms who do well with a simple chalkboard, that just doesn’t cut it for this procrastinator momma. I need something more fluid that can easily be switched around when things don’t go to plan.

Plus, when I’d sit down to write out the weekly plan, I’d spend way too much time trying to remember our staple meals while also not repeating the same 7 every week.

A Simple Meal Planning Method for families

So what’s the new meal plan method I’m using?

Magnets.

Magnet Meal Planning

How it Works

It sounds so simple because it is.

In this house, we have our staple meals (tried and true that I know everyone will mostly eat), and I occasionally whip up a random recipe to try out.

And that’s the real simplicity of this method. Instead of always writing out what we’ll be eating (and then erasing and rewriting when I inevitably have to switch things around), I now use my own pre-printed meal magnets and just arrange them as I decide what we’ll be eating.

Instead of hanging in a spot of our kitchen where I’m prone to forget it, our new meal plan is on our fridge, directly in my face while I get the kids breakfast, snacks, and lunch, giving me reminders throughout the day leading up to dinner. So it’s way less likely (though not impossible) that our meat will be frozen when it should already be cooking.

Simple Meal Planning Printable Cards

Psst.. DISCLOSURE: some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. That just means if you click on them and make a purchase, I make small portion of the profit (at NO additional cost to you)!

get it for free!

Since I made myself these cards, I thought I’d share them with you too. The printable includes both a blank sheet that you can write your own meal staples on as well as my sheet full of our family’s favorites. To download and print, subscribe below (unsubscribe at any time. It’s NEVER my goal to hold people hostage on my email list if my content isn’t valuable for them):

@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Open+Sans:400,400italic,700,700italic); /* LOADER */ .ml-form-embedSubmitLoad { display: inline-block; width: 20px; height: 20px; } .ml-form-embedSubmitLoad:after { content: ” “; display: block; width: 11px; height: 11px; margin: 1px; border-radius: 50%; border: 4px solid #fff; border-color: #ffffff #ffffff #ffffff transparent; animation: ml-form-embedSubmitLoad 1.2s linear infinite; } @keyframes ml-form-embedSubmitLoad { 0% { transform: rotate(0deg); } 100% { transform: rotate(360deg); } } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer { box-sizing: border-box; display: table; height: 99.99%; margin: 0 auto; position: static; width: 100% !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer h4, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer p, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer span, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer button { text-transform: none !important; letter-spacing: normal !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper { background-color: #62b6b4; border-width: 0px; border-color: transparent; border-radius: 4px; border-style: solid; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block !important; margin: 0; padding: 0; position: relative; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedPopup, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedDefault { width: 400px; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedForm { max-width: 400px; width: 100%; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-left { text-align: left; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-center { text-align: center; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-default { display: table-cell !important; vertical-align: middle !important; text-align: center !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-align-right { text-align: right; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedHeader img { border-top-left-radius: 4px; border-top-right-radius: 4px; height: auto; margin: 0 auto !important; max-width: 100%; width: undefinedpx; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody { padding: 20px 20px 0 20px; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody.ml-form-embedBodyHorizontal { padding-bottom: 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent { margin: 0 0 20px 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent h4, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent h4 { color: #ffffff; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0 0 10px 0; text-align: center; word-break: break-word; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent p, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent p { color: #ffffff; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 0 10px 0; text-align: center; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent ul, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent ol, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent ul, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent ol { color: #ffffff; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent p a, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent p a { color: #000000; text-decoration: underline; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedContent p:last-child, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-successBody .ml-form-successContent p:last-child { margin: 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody form { margin: 0; width: 100%; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-formContent, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow { margin: 0 0 20px 0; width: 100%; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow { float: left; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 20px 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow { margin: 0 0 10px 0; width: 100%; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow.ml-last-item { margin: 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow.ml-formfieldHorizintal { margin: 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input { background-color: #ffffff !important; color: #333333 !important; border-color: #cccccc !important; border-radius: 4px !important; border-style: solid !important; border-width: 1px !important; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px !important; height: 40px; line-height: 20px !important; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; padding: 10px 10px !important; width: 100% !important; box-sizing: border-box !important; max-width: 100% !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input::-webkit-input-placeholder, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input::-webkit-input-placeholder { color: #333333; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input::-moz-placeholder, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input::-moz-placeholder { color: #333333; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input:-ms-input-placeholder, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input:-ms-input-placeholder { color: #333333; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-fieldRow input:-moz-placeholder, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input:-moz-placeholder { color: #333333; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow { height: 42px; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-input-horizontal { width: 70%; float: left; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-button-horizontal { width: 30%; float: left; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .horizontal-fields { box-sizing: border-box; float: left; padding-right: 10px; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow input { background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; border-color: #cccccc; border-radius: 4px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding: 10px 10px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; overflow-y: initial; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow button { background-color: #d43328 !important; border-color: #d43328; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; border-radius: 4px; box-shadow: none; color: #ffffff !important; cursor: pointer; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700; line-height: 20px; margin: 0 !important; padding: 10px !important; width: 100%; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-horizontalRow button:hover { background-color: #333333 !important; border-color: #333333 !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow input[type=”checkbox”] { display: inline-block; float: left; margin: 1px 0 0 0; left: 0; top: 0; opacity: 1; visibility: visible; appearance: checkbox !important; -moz-appearance: checkbox !important; -webkit-appearance: checkbox !important; position: relative; height: 14px; width: 14px; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow .label-description { color: #000000; display: block; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-align: left; padding-left: 25px; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label { font-weight: normal; margin: 0; padding: 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label a { color: #000000; text-decoration: underline; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label p { color: #000000 !important; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 12px !important; font-weight: normal !important; line-height: 18px !important; padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 5px 0 0 !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow label p:last-child { margin: 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit { margin: 0 0 20px 0; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit button { background-color: #d43328 !important; border: none !important; border-radius: 4px !important; box-shadow: none !important; color: #ffffff !important; cursor: pointer; font-family: ‘Open Sans’, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; font-weight: 700 !important; line-height: 20px !important; height: 40px; padding: 10px !important; width: 100% !important; box-sizing: border-box !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit button.loading { display: none; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-embedSubmit button:hover { background-color: #333333 !important; } .ml-subscribe-close { width: 30px; height: 30px; background: url(https://bucket.mlcdn.com/images/default/modal_close.png) no-repeat; background-size: 30px; cursor: pointer; margin-top: -10px; margin-right: -10px; position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; } .ml-error input { background: url(https://bucket.mlcdn.com/images/default/error-icon.png) 98% center no-repeat #ffffff !important; background-size: 24px 24px !important; } .ml-error .label-description { color: #ff0000 !important; } .ml-error .label-description p, .ml-error .label-description p a { color: #ff0000 !important; } #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow.ml-error .label-description p, #mlb2-1574828.ml-form-embedContainer .ml-form-embedWrapper .ml-form-embedBody .ml-form-checkboxRow.ml-error .label-description p:first-letter { color: #ff0000 !important; } @media only screen and (max-width: 400px){ .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedDefault, .ml-form-embedWrapper.embedPopup { width: 100%!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm { float: left!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow { height: auto!important; width: 100%!important; float: left!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-input-horizontal { width: 100%!important; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-form-horizontalRow .ml-input-horizontal > div { padding-right: 0px!important; padding-bottom: 10px; } .ml-form-formContent.horozintalForm .ml-button-horizontal { width: 100%!important; } }

subscribe

to download your free family meal planning cards!

.ml-form-recaptcha { margin-bottom: 20px; float: left; } .ml-form-recaptcha.ml-error iframe { border: solid 1px #ff0000; } @media screen and (max-width: 768px) { .ml-form-recaptcha { transform: scale(0.77); -webkit-transform: scale(0.77); transform-origin: 0 0; -webkit-transform-origin: 0 0; } }
Subscribe

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

function ml_webform_success_1574828() { var $ = ml_jQuery || jQuery; $(‘.ml-subscribe-form-1574828 .row-success’).show(); $(‘.ml-subscribe-form-1574828 .row-form’).hide(); }

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? Head over to the free resource library to download the meal planning cards!

You can print it either on cardstock or use plain paper then laminate. Amazon has tiny magnets for the back of your cards here. And the magnetic fridge calendar that I use is this one, also available on Amazon.

Do you meal plan? If so, what’s your current method? I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Audriana

New here? Learn more about our family on this page!

Previous Post: « 70+ Fine Motor Activities to Build Hand Strength and Coordination
Next Post: A Game-Changing Tip for Staying on Budget when You’re on One Income »

Primary Sidebar

Hello, we're the Smiths!

W E L C O M E .

I’m Audriana, the mom and writer around here. At Smith Party of 6, I share about cultivating and enjoying life at home, whether it’s homeschooling, family life or homemaking. Read more here!

Categories

Products

  • Teach your children who God is and what He's like Attributes of God Cards $5.00
  • Sunflower Homeschool Planner | Download Sunflower Homeschool Planner | Undated | Digital Download $10.99
  • Preschool Letter Craft Examples Preschool Letter Craft Templates $7.00

Recent Posts

  • How to Plan Your Homeschool Week with Charlotte Mason
  • My Child Doesn’t Get It | A Homeschool Troubleshooting Guide
  • What is a Charlotte Mason Education? | The Basics
  • Pre-K Curriculum Review: The Good and the Beautiful | Newest Version
  • Train Them Up: Ideas and Resources for Family Worship

Archives

  • March 2023
  • January 2023
  • October 2022
  • January 2022
  • August 2021
  • June 2021
  • February 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316

30 shares