The Food Nanny

I was given the opportunity recently to go to a special meeting. The Food Nanny, Liz Edmunds, was going to spend the evening with us talking about her book and her inspired menu plan. It was a wonderful meeting. It's got me very excited about dinner time and the possibilities that are just waiting for me to take a hold of them.
Liz has worked out some great ideas. I've had the pleasure of reviewing many different meal plan ideas (lots of them through the Pampered Chef and other books out there) and I have to say that her's has got me the most excited. She has picked a category/theme for each day of the week. For me this makes things so much easier to narrow down what we are going to have. Here they are:

Monday - Comfort Food
The first day of the week is usually the hardest day of the week. It is the farthest from the weekend and can sometimes seem pretty bleak. Foods on this day should include favorites that don't appear on the other days of the week. Things like casseroles, Mac 'n Cheese, Soups, Meat Loaf etc. This is also the only day that has a planned dessert.

Tuesday - Italian

Wednesday - Fish/Meatless (Also includes Breakfast for Dinner)
Nutritionist have told us that it is important to have fresh fish 2 times a week. This can get pretty expensive and isn't very feasible for those of us that are still living on a pretty small budget. Liz suggested that we aim for a fish meal once a month. We have also been told that it is important to have at least one meatless dinner a week. Putting 'Breakfast for Dinner' allows us to spend a little less money (breakfast is made pretty cheap) plus it's really good.

Thursday - Mexican

Friday - Pizza Night
Liz stressed the importance of having a pizza night every week. It is usually a family favorite and is a fun food to bond around. She gave us a very easy dough recipe that was mixed up and ready to go in 5 minutes (it is successful even when you don't let it rest/rise). This is the No Fail Pizza dough recipe I have shared.

Saturday - Grill Night
This can be fun during the summer. It can also be a meal that your hubby is in charge of. Once it is too cold or wet you can still grill things inside on your stove or inside grill. If you'd like to put your fish meal here that is a good idea too.

Sunday - Family Traditions
I really liked this night. This is the night that they saved for the Mom and Dad's favorite meals from their childhood. Turkey/Chicken dinners with potatoes and gravy, Roasts, etc. Traditional meals that you can pass on to your children.

Now there are some rules that you are supposed to follow.
First off, everyone is required to come to dinner hungry. She said that grazing during the day is a bad idea. If you need a small snack in the afternoon that is okay, just make sure you don't spoil your appetite. Obviously this also means no big lunches if you are planning on dinner. She suggested that if your friends invite you out to just get a salad, or soup, just something small, or to split a plate with someone.
Second, you should not have red meat two nights in a row. Our bodies need time to digest and utilize different types of food. She said it is okay every now and again, but really we need a variety.
Third, we need to aim for cooking 5 meals a week. She told us that the most recent polls have said that people are eating out an average of 5 nights a week. Not only is that expensive, but you can't focus on your family when you are out. Her plan aims for 7 days a week, but she reminded us that it is important to have breaks now and then. Whether it is left-overs, ordering something to eat at home, or going out to eat, it doesn't matter. Just aim to cook 5 meals a week.
You need to have dinner at a specific time. Keep to a schedule. Even if you are only cooking for yourself it's a good habit to keep. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. With Hubby having classes at night I sometimes want to wait to eat with him, but I can also see the importance of helping my kids learn about eating at the right times. I'm still weighing my options here.
So the way that she sets things up is she plans her menu out two weeks at a time. You can get a calender that you devote specifically to your dinner plan. Figure out your own themes. You don't have to stick to hers. If you prefer Chinese more often then go for that or whatever floats your boat. Then figure out what you are going to make. Once you have each night picked out you can make your grocery list. Go through each meal and think of what you'll need or what you might already have. Take the things that you need and right them down on your shopping list. She suggest having your shopping list divided into categories so you don't have to go back and forth in the store trying to get everything. So have sections for meat, produce, dairy, canned veggies, baking goods, etc. This also helps you get out of the store without extra things. Stick to just what is on your list.
Some people like to kind of do this backwards from this. They prefer to see what is on sale, and then decide what they want to make. Either way works. No matter what you will be saving money because you have a plan to use everything you are buying and it won't be going bad in your fridge or on your shelf.
So yeah, that's what I learned/was reminded of. She has a good book out there "The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner" or something like that. It explains a lot of what's here and more. It also has a ton of recipes for dinners that fit into the categories that she set. Her husband is a pilot so she's traveled all over and has a good variety of things to try out.
Anyway, that's my interpretation of what I heard. Take it, or leave it.