I Put My Family on a Rotating Meal Plan: Here’s What I Found
One day, as I complained to my husband about how much money we spent eating out and how tired I was of meal planning, he said…”why not try the weekly rotating meal plan? It would make our lives a ton easier.”
But I hesitated because I didn’t want dinners to be too…well, boring.
Would I hate it? Would the kids revolt? The best way to find out was to give it a go!
So we did. And here’s what happened:
Day 1
First, my husband and I came up with a simple rotating meal plan we thought the whole family would like.
- Monday: Pasta or Oven Bake (chicken sausage, potatoes, peppers, and veggies baked in the oven)
- Tuesday: Taco Tuesday (Tacos, fajitas, any kind of Mexican food)
- Wednesday: Soup (I have lots of different kinds of soup recipes)
- Thursday: Fish or Fish Tacos
- Friday: Snacky Dinner or Eating Out Night
- Saturday: Pizza or Breakfast for Dinner
- Sunday: Meat and sides
To make things a little more exciting we rotated back and forth for a few days of the week (like Mondays). I also planned for more “fun” dinners on Friday and Saturday night.
After Month 1
My biggest feeling: Why did I not do this sooner?!
One surprise benefit is that a rotating weekly meal plan makes grocery shopping much easier. You can buy the same items on repeat. I even made a “master list” to shop from that stayed on the fridge.
After Month 2
My son was eating dinner and said “it feels like we just had this.”
Haha, well, yes. We’ve had it every other week kid! (I can’t believe it took him two months to notice!)
By month two, some dishes were getting boring. We skipped the oven bake a few times and swapped in more exciting meals when we had time (like weekends and holidays). Yet, the rotating meals remained the default. And I appreciated having a base plan.
After Month 12
Well, it’s been a year since this experiment started. And, we’re sticking with it more than ever! I’ve tweaked it about 3 times, but never more than a meal or two. Right now, the only difference is a freezer meal night once a week to help with a super busy night for kids activities.
Key Takeaways From the Rotating Meal Plan
It’s one of the best things I’ve done as a mom to save time, money, and sanity!
- I save at least 30 minutes every week in time spent.
- We save at least $100 dollars a month from takeout we were picking up when tired (and that number is conservative)
- “What’s for dinner?” is no longer a question I despise. The kids can look at the fridge plan if they want to know.
- Plus, I’m actually excited to make creative meals if the chance comes around.
Overall, this was a huge win for my family! Take the guesswork out of dinner and try it for yourself. You might be surprised by what you find.
What’s Next?
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