Family Meal Planning Basics

She hates broccoli, he's allergic to cheese, and you're watching your weight, it's no wonder so many families have problems planning meals for the week. Luckily, there are numerous recipes that you can adapt for your family's needs and tastes. View meal planning as a way to employ some creative problem-solving and a chance to try out some tasty foods.

List

• Write out a list of all the foods your family enjoys, even the junk food items. A lot of times you'll start to see a pattern in ingredients or cuisine preferences. If your kids love pizza, pastas and meatball sandwiches, you'll know you can always play it safe those times you're too tired to be creative. Use their junk food preferences as your guide when finding healthier versions of these dishes. Write on the list any food allergies, nutritional requirements or aversions to any food. You'll also get an idea of what to have stocked up in your pantry or freezer for hectic days. If Italian cuisine seems to be a common theme, be sure to have lots of marinara sauce, pizza sauce, oregano, basil, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat flour on hand. Put an "Always Need" list on the refrigerator. When you run out, you can simply check the item, so you know to buy more the next grocery visit.

Frozen Foods

• Prepare foods that you can freeze and heat up during the week. Most conventional processed frozen food is full or sugar and preservatives, but you can make your own all in one day. Casseroles, pizzas, bread, muffins, quiches, and pot stickers all reheat well. To make it easier for you to take to work, you can portion out the food into plastic containers. Write small directions for each frozen food for the nights you won't be home or could use a break after work. Another great option is to make a few chicken or turkey breasts at the beginning of the week. They can be used thoughout the week for sandwiches, wraps, burritos and salads.

Plan

• Develop a list of meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner that are nutritious and that you enjoy. Frittatas are a great choice for making one large family breakfast dish. If you are worried about your ingredient selection appealing to everyone, make one large plain one. On the side serve salsa, avocados, cheese and sour cream. Another great option for lunch is pizza. Buy or make your own dough. Let each family member have their own personal pizza. They can make their own just the way they like it and if you use whole wheat flour, they'll get a healthy dose of fiber. Turkey or salmon burgers are other fantastic meal ideas. Choose deconstructed recipes like tacos, sandwiches, salads and wraps. Let everyone put their own ingredients in. That way everyone gets a say of how they want it prepared, and they'll learn more about the hard work of cooking. Who knows? You may find that you have a budding chef your midst.