Trying a New Meal Routine

A new year and time to try new things! For a while now I've wanted to try to create a static breakfast menu. Since the baby was born last summer, my husband often gives our older son breakfast for me so I can grab a few extra minutes of sleep (the baby still spends 1-2.5 hours wide awake during the middle of the night). Things are much easier on him if he knows exactly what "day" it is (as do I), and it's nice to have a variety!

Of course, when we were talking about breakfasts, we started talking about lunch! Usually we all have leftovers from supper or sandwiches if we can buy meat from the Mennonite store, though my husband will sometimes eat out at work. All of us are getting a little tired of that routine (especially me), so I decided to go ahead and plan a lunch menu as well. At first I wasn't sure this would work because our food budget is pretty strict and I thought eating leftovers would be the most economical, but it is actually working out well so far. I'm making less food for suppers, so it's evening out. My husband isn't planning on following this exactly, but somehow it's pepped all of us up. In snowy January, I guess that's not hard to do!

Breakfast (all include fruit in season or dried fruit)

Monday- Eggs and toast or breakfast burrito (depends on who's cooking!)
Tuesday- Hot cereal (oatmeal, cream of wheat, farina pudding, etc.)
Wednesday- Breakfast casserole (baked oatmeal, strata, etc.)
Thursday- Leftover breakfast casserole
Friday- Eggs or baked treat
Saturday- Brunch: pancakes, waffles, or omelets
Sunday- Muffins or brunch leftovers

Lunch

Monday- Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Tuesday- Quesadillas
Wednesday- Supper Leftovers
Thursday- Macaroni and cheese with homemade applesauce
Friday- PB & J with fresh veggies
Saturday- Brunch
Sunday- Sunday dinner

Snacks

Yogurt, cheese, fruit, or crackers

I'm imagine I'll do some tweaking in the warmer months and replace hot cereals with granola and soups with salads, but for now this is it!

I've been working on dovetailing my supper plans so we don't end up with the same type of meal two days or two meals in a row...for example, no tacos the day we have breakfast burritos or quesadillas and no spaghetti pie if there's mac-and-cheese for lunch. What I'd really like to do is assign a family of food to each day of the week. Monday pasta, Tuesday Mexican, Wedneday slow-cooker, Thursday soup, Friday pizza, etc. That hasn't worked for me in the past, and I'm nost sure why. I really like the idea, that's for sure!