For example, here is my list:
Spaghetti, Green Beans, Homemade Bread
Enchiladas, Can Fruit, Spanish Rice
Pancakes w/Potatoes (Pumpkin & Regular)
Bean Burritos with Jello
Pasta Casserole (Tuna Noodle or Chicken) Corn, Applesauce
Chili and Rice, Fruit
Soup (Homemade Vegetable, Taco) Tortilla Chips or Bread
Hawaiian Haystacks, Biscuits
Cream Turkey over Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Mexican Haystack Casserole, Tortilla Chips
once doubled this gives me 20 days worth of dinners
Step 2: Now make a list of 10 meals your family would only eat once a month. Maybe it is because your family likes it but doesn't love it, or maybe because it is more expensive to make.
For example, here is my list:
Salmon Patties, Rice Pilaf, Applesauce
Beef and Rice Casserole, Jello
Chicken Pesto with peas
Chip Beef Gravy over Toast, Can Poatoes
Beef Stew, Corn Bread
Homemade Pizza
French Toast with Fruit, whipped Cream
Calzones with Green Beans
Tuna Salad Subs, Carrot Sticks, Cheesy Noodles
Mac and Cheese, Applesauce, Corn, Bread
This gives me 10 more days of dinners, totally 30 days of meals.
Step 3: Make a list!
Take all the meals and start writing down all the ingredients you need to make them. DON"T FORGET TO DOUBLE ALL INGREDIENTS IN STEP ONE! This will take a while, so make sure you leave yourself time. I used a spiral notebook and did it at night before bed.
TIPS:
If you want to, you may put all this information into spreadsheet form. This will tell you what you need for a month; as you start building your storage you can increase to two moths and finally to three. I love my spreadsheet, it helps me visualize what I have and what I still need to get to my goal of 3 months.
You may use the same concept for lunches and breakfasts. I use 7 different foods for lunches and multiply the ingredients by four, and 5 different breakfast meals and multiply times 6. Most of them meals are alternate versions of what I already have listed above.
There may be other things that you want to keep on hand that might not be listed, so add them to your spreadsheet. For example, I have both flour and wheat on my spreadsheet, also I have dry and canned milk. I also store sweet type things, like marshmallow cream and pudding mixes.
There may be other things that you want to keep on hand that might not be listed, so add them to your spreadsheet. For example, I have both flour and wheat on my spreadsheet, also I have dry and canned milk. I also store sweet type things, like marshmallow cream and pudding mixes.
Why this way works for us..
Since I know my family will eat these foods, it makes rotating my food storage a snap. When I plan out my weekly meals, I use these ideas first, then add in a couple days with other foods (like hamburgers, roasts or meatballs) when I can affford to get them at the store.
