Making menu lanning/prep more manageable

[lrpmjl9500]

I’m new here. I thought this would be great to have menu plans. But the first one I have put together feels really overwhelming for the following reasons:
1. Putting together a shopping list based on the menu and recipes
2. It seems that preparing menus, distilling menus and recipes into shopping lists and finally preparing all of the foods is a full time job. Is it possible that the program could generate a shopping list based on the suggested menu?

Can anyone share some tips to make this process more manageable? I work full time and have a busy family and social life too. Hiring a chef is not an option 😉

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, lrpmjl9500, and welcome! A shopping list addition to the Menu Planner application is in progress and on the way…

[Jls1]

Hi I’m new to this plan and live in the UK so some items such as SWG bread are hard to find. The other problem I have is many of the recipes are for several servings. I live on my own and was wondering if there are suggestions for the amounts that should be used for single portions as I don’t want to over eat!

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, Jls1. If you can’t find SWG but find 100% wholemeal products, that is fine too. Note also that sometimes SWG is just called “sprouted” in the UK.
As far as portions in the recipes go, you can see the Club article on the topic, which provides some tips http://www.trimdownclub.com/right-sizing-food-preparation/. In the meantime, most new non-holiday recipes will be for smaller amounts.

[mdfollette]

Can lunch meals be substitutes with simpler to prepare salads? I like the choices, but I don’t have the time to cook lunch in the evening for the following day.

[ColaBear]

I am having a problem getting all the snacks in. Are these important in the meal planning or optional? If I miss one should I add it to the next meal or skip it ?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, ColaBear. The snacks are important to keep a steady flow of fuel into your system, and prevent to big a blast of food at one time. If you miss one, transfer over vegetables and protein, but avoid the carbs and fat if you can.
By the way, what does the difficulty lie? Scheduling? Preparation? Feeling full?

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, mdfollette. As long as you fit in all the food groups into the salads in the recommended amounts, then definitely. The foods listed are just that anyway – a list for you to use however you wish.

[Hazell]

Hello.. I am new today.. and I am looking to find out how to plan my meals in the correct method. I like the recipes, but Where would i find this information about what to eat with what? Where do i look for how to “combine my foods so i get the right combinations?
Hazell

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, Hazell. The Menu Planner application does that for you if you choose the recipes you want while you are going through the application. If you want to use other recipes, you can use the pattern from the weekly diet plans you get from the Menu Planner – just swap your similar recipes (i.e. vegetable side dish for vegetable side dish, starch side for starch side, etc.). In the future, the program will be making more information available to do this.

[pasjj5]

Question for Ossie;
Is there any way I can print off the lists of substitute items for individual items? I can’t seem to do this. Ex: I go to Spinach Soup recipe on my menu and click on the substitute “button” and it gives me a long list of items I can substitute. Is it possible to print this list or any other substitute list? I think I asked this before, but I don’t know if I got an answer or not. Kathy

[Ossie-Sharon]

Hi, pasjj5. I will forward your question to tech support.

[pasjj5]

Thank you Ossie. Kathy

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