Meal Planner - anyone?

[Mashi]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone does "menu planning" for their infants? DS is 8 months old now and I've just added a third meal of the day (ie/ dinner time ish) and am really bogged down with meal planning.  Generally on Thursdays and Fridays I sit down and plan out 7 days of breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and try to balance it out - two or three new foods each week, plus a variety of foods throughout the week, but yet also making sure that if I'm going to cook and mash a sweet potato (for instance) then he's going to eat 4 servings of sweet potato through the week so as not to waste my food/time/money, etc!  Then on Saturdays get all the food, and start my cooking - I can get most of it done in the first few days of the week, and then Wednesday usually need a couple more done for the end of the week.

It works well, but I am sooooooooo running out of meal ideas.  I have loads of baby cookbooks but for some reason I'm just not "into" them very much.

Does anyone else do weekly meal planning for their infants? If so, feel like sharing what a typical week is - perhaps we can all grab ideas from each other and save on time?

For instance, my week this week was:

Breakfasts:
S - apricot, apple & peach
M - plums & banana
T - apricot & pear
W - plums & baby rice
T - apple & peach
F - apple & pear
S - apple, pear & banana

Lunches:
S - carrot & cauliflower
M - sweet potato, leek & pea
T - potato & leek
W - peach & banana
T - squash & pear
F - cauliflower, apple & zucchini (courgette)
S - sweet potato, leek & pea

Dinners:
S - chicken & squash
M - squash & pear
T - chicken, carrot & cauliflower
W - cauliflower & potato
T - potato, zucchini (courgette) & chicken
F - sweet potato, squash & pasta
S - carrot, zucchini (courgette) & pasta

Anyone?

[L76]

Hi there

Rather than waste loads of food, I used to cook up a load of 'cubes' of puree which would last me a good couple of weeks or more. I have to say, that whilst giving your DS a good variety of food, it needs to be workable for Mums too!!!

All of the fruits you have listed (except banana) I used to puree up and freeze. I would add these to porridge or weetabix.

For the veg and meat side of things, by 8 months, I used to make veg casseroles and some with chicken or lentils and use a whole variety of veg so I knew she was getting lots of different vitamins and minerals.

So some days, I would do a simple veg like sweet potato or butternut squash from the freezer and add grated cheese then other days I would make a casserole... simply add chopped veg (anything of those you are doing already) with stock (I used baby stock cubes) and then either chicken or lentils and cook for up to an hour. Then mash or puree depending on what consistency DS likes. And freeze in cubes.

I think I had also started giving pasta by 8 months. I used to add baby pasta shells to veg puree at first, then also to cheese sauce. By 9 months she was having bolognaise sauce or tomato and cheese sauce with pasta.

Does this help?

x

[Mama2boys]

you are back
how are you?

[clh]

you are back
how are you?

I was thinking that, too.   

I am not that organized, but WOW! to your skills! 

[L76]

Hi there

Didn't think anyone would have missed me!!!
Thanks 

I'm fine. Busy but fine! Being back at work is tough!

No real skills at all!
I just found that it was so much easier to spend an hour or so cooking loads than have to do it every day.
Still do to be honest... you should see my little freezer... it is jam packed full of round pots of meals for DD.

I have to say, I do get stuck in food ruts with her though. Have to keep finding new inspiration!!!

x

[Mashi]

Yes, I make and freeze all of my foods as purees. Still lots of planning and cooking though.  All of the above on my little menu are made as much as possible in advance in the first few days of the week.

[Mama2boys]

Mash,

How are you doing? all well i hope.

[Mashi]

Yes - am going to PM you this evening but still have to finish the dishes, make bottles, do laundry, clean out the highchair of today's food (and last week's that is probably growing mould...), etc etc etc etc. This was just a sneaky logon while DH is putting the pest our loving gorgeous DS to bed.

[Mama2boys]

 

[Diana1981]

knew you couldnīt be away for that long...

[Mimi 2]

Glad you are back, Mash.  Told you this site is addictive!

[louiemum]

Hi there - my LO is just coming up to 8 mo and yes I'm also a food planner addict.  I sit down on a thursday and plan out LO's and our meals for the week and try work out how I can best maximise shopping etc etc.

I've been using Annabel Karmel Meal Planner but just don't always get that inspired and find sometimes LO just won't eat the meals I've spent the last 3 hours lovingly preparing =)  I have a  stockpile of basic purees frozen in freezer in case.  I plan a day and then repeat every three days for ease except for Sundays which I don't plan - wing it as necessary and have a few jars on hand in case I just need a day off 

Anyway last week looked roughly like so:

Breakfasts:
M - Apple and baby muesli
T - porridge and banana
W - Banana and peach puree
T - Apple and baby muesli
F - porridge and banana
S - Banana and peach puree
S - Often just banana and cereal or whatever is in freezer!

Lunch:
M - Leek and Potato Puree
T - Chicken and Kumara (Sweet potato) Puree
W - Courgette and Cheese Sauce Pasta Puree
T - Leek and Potato Puree
F - Chicken and Kumara (Sweet potato) Puree
S - Courgette and Cheese Sauce Pasta Puree
S - Whatever is left in freezer!

Dinner
M - Sweet Root Veg Puree
T - Beef and Tomato Casserole (pureed)
W - Spinach, Pumpkin and Kumara (sweet Potato) puree with cous cous
T  - Sweet Root Veg Puree
F - Beef and Tomato Casserole (pureed)
S - Spinach, Pumpkin and Kumara (sweet Potato) puree with cous cous
S - Whatever is left in freezer or jar!

My LO being a bit of a glutton also gets custard or yoghurt or fruit puree after his lunch and dinner if he wants it and also introducing finger foods, such as a toast finger or some grated cheese (not going that well yet - mostly just mushed into high chair, face etc etc!).

[Mashi]

Oh, that makes it easier - just repeat the day every so often. Never thought of that (duh!)

So doesn't anyone else plan out meals? If not, what do you do?

[TDR'smom]

So doesn't anyone else plan out meals? If not, what do you do?

I also make up and freeze a variety of fruits and veg and then just defrost a day or so's worth the evening prior.  Poor DD eats the same thing day after day sometimes.   

[A pair of Charlies]

Good grief, you guys are sooooo organised!!!

No meal planner here but I do cook up in bulk every few days / once a week and we work off that for a while. I try to keep to a rule of fruit at the end of each meal wherever poss. And a carby slow burner such as pasta, rice or lentils for supper and protein fixes for lunch.

Will dig out my book for the types of things I was doing at 8 months mark.

So love your meal planner idea. Might pinch the idea for myself!!

And it's great to have you back. 

[Crispy Chick]

Hi

I make up loads of veg and fruit cubes and then i 'mix and match' e.g. put cubes of carrot, pea and sweetcorn together for a lunch, then use potato and spinach and put it with some fish for tea - that sort of thing.

Occassionally i will make up a batch of a complete dish, like a chicken casserole etc.  and freeze the leftovers.

I find fish really easy and i just cut it into portion sized pieces to freeze, then defrost over night and cook the small piece of fish in the steamer before adding some veg cubes - makes a very quick and healthy meal )

[Lu_C]

I used to do the mix and match freezer cubes with LO1 but then moved over to BLW, which changed the way we eat. With DS  he was a bit picky but DD started with BLW and rarely had a spoon put in her mouth.

When I was PG with #2 (DD) I bulk cooked and froze then made a menu. For 6 weeks we ate those meals! I found there was so much less stress with a menu so I stuck with it. We now live in our own little restaurant! Every week I create a menu, do the shopping for all the food and cook fresh each day. It's bliss. I don't have to think abotu what we're having, don't have to rush to the shop and we get to eat great meals

My cooking skills have improved because I'm excited to try new dishes - there are so many recipe sites online.

It's really easy to cater for LOs by extracting part of the food before finishing it off for the 'grown ups' but more often than not the kids enjoy eating what we're havig anyway. The number of nights we have clean plates is astonishing and they LOVE stuff I don't think I'd even touched as a child: olives, dates, beans, duck, brie.

I can't tell you how much easier life gets when you know what you're eating before you start cooking! I'm more than happy to pass on my weekly menu if anyone wants it - PM me.

I

[kikoz]

hey great thread, i think it should be a sticky with everyone sharing there meals
I will definitely try out your plans for a change
my lo is 7.5 months and ours goes like this

Breakfast:
M,T,W,TH, F,S&S
weetabix + spread cheese + Formula milk+ every day a different fruits - for a change of flavor -all mixed together
(once a week, I just mix one egg yolk in here- the taste just fades away)

Lunch:
I try to always versify every week but tend to repeat 3 same meals through the week.
I make for lo whatever we are cooking for us all week, but without the salts and the no-nos.

M&W
- red beans with carrots , broccoli, tomatoes , onions and rice - and meat if you like that
or  green beans with tomatoes , onions and rice - and meat if you like that
or lentils with potatos and spinach and onions and bit of lemon juice.
T& TH
- mix of loads of vegetables with chicken/meat
S&S
- I choose a recipie or 2 from Karmels books , or whatever us left from the week days bc we dont cook on week-ends

... of course I limit the meats to three times a week. and use Tofu on some other days.

Snack
Yogurt with different fruits or mix of 2 / 3 fruits

Dinner
I am just gona start giving lo dinners, bc only milk is not sustaining her through the night anymore.
So I was digging some recipes from here and would probably be giving her:
rice pudding/ pancakes/ banana breads ets

This way, all her meals are fresh and I dont need to freeze. She eats whatever we are eating and I blend the fruits daily

HTH

[Yazzie]

Wow, nice thread:)

Marking my spot & will be back..!..agree that it should be a sticky.

[*Kara*]

Hi there - my LO is just coming up to 8 mo and yes I'm also a food planner addict.  I sit down on a thursday and plan out LO's and our meals for the week and try work out how I can best maximise shopping etc etc.

I've been using Annabel Karmel Meal Planner but just don't always get that inspired and find sometimes LO just won't eat the meals I've spent the last 3 hours lovingly preparing =)  I have a  stockpile of basic purees frozen in freezer in case.  I plan a day and then repeat every three days for ease except for Sundays which I don't plan - wing it as necessary and have a few jars on hand in case I just need a day off 

Anyway last week looked roughly like so:

Breakfasts:
M - Apple and baby muesli
T - porridge and banana
W - Banana and peach puree
T - Apple and baby muesli
F - porridge and banana
S - Banana and peach puree
S - Often just banana and cereal or whatever is in freezer!

Lunch:
M - Leek and Potato Puree
T - Chicken and Kumara (Sweet potato) Puree
W - Courgette and Cheese Sauce Pasta Puree
T - Leek and Potato Puree
F - Chicken and Kumara (Sweet potato) Puree
S - Courgette and Cheese Sauce Pasta Puree
S - Whatever is left in freezer!

Dinner
M - Sweet Root Veg Puree
T - Beef and Tomato Casserole (pureed)
W - Spinach, Pumpkin and Kumara (sweet Potato) puree with cous cous
T  - Sweet Root Veg Puree
F - Beef and Tomato Casserole (pureed)
S - Spinach, Pumpkin and Kumara (sweet Potato) puree with cous cous
S - Whatever is left in freezer or jar!

My LO being a bit of a glutton also gets custard or yoghurt or fruit puree after his lunch and dinner if he wants it and also introducing finger foods, such as a toast finger or some grated cheese (not going that well yet - mostly just mushed into high chair, face etc etc!).

You are my hero!  I am totally gonna steal your menu