Making Meal Planning Fun: Theme Nights
By Gina Ralston
Get bored with meal planning? Overwhelmed? Try narrowing down and getting creative by creating themed days of the week. With or without kids I think this is something I would get a kick out of doing! Not only does it challenge you to think outside the box each week, but it gives you something to look forward to (because who didn't look forward to Taco Tuesday in college???). Don't feel like you need a theme for EACH night of the week. Start with 1-2 nights each week and work up from there if it is too overwhelming to do all at once! Post your themed plans in the comments section!
Meal Planning Theme Nights
Monday: Mexican Monday, Meatless Monday
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday (can be seen as a broad term for ANY Mexican dish!)
Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday (try a new dish), Crockin' Wednesday (of course, any night of the week you can use the crock pot for your theme - but specifically try a new recipe on this night!
Thursday: Leftover Night, Breakfast for Dinner,
Friday: Fiesta Friday, Pizza Night!, Fishy Friday
Saturday: Grill Night, Dinner and a Movie Night (Pick a movie before hand and cook a meal that would go with it. Example: Lady and the Tramp - spaghetti, Finding Nemo: fish and chips, Princess Bride: roast turkey, fruits, veggies, traditional sides, Along Came Polly: Indian food).
Sunday: Feast Night (title courtesy of my oldest son - cheese, crackers, raw veggies, dip, fruit, yogurt...easy/finger foods), Soup Sunday/Salad Sunday (depending on the season)
Additional ideas:
International Night (cook a dish from another area- German, Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc)
Dinner and a Movie Night (Pick a movie before hand and cook a meal that would go with it. Example: Lady and the Tramp - spaghetti, Finding Nemo: fish and chips, Princess Bride: roast turkey, fruits, veggies, traditional sides, Along Came Polly: Indian food).
Children's Choice Night (Let the kids choose what is on the menu one night a week! Either let each child be assigned one day in the week or rotate through them - each week features a different child's favorite dish!)
Post your meal planning experiences in the comments section below.
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