Food Program...Weekly/Monthly Menus

[frugalmama4]

Good Afternoon,

Is anyone using MMK's from their food program sponsor? I need help getting super organize!!! I would like to try and create menu(s) I could rotate every 4/6/or 8 weeks.

I have tried planing my own family and daycare meals together this it's working at all...to costly. I was feeding dck our dinner left overs for lunch...and my family dck lunch leftovers. I'm an southern girl and when I cook...I cook!

I'm also serving dinner as per-the food program b/c of my hours.

Please share your per-planned MMK's rotation, thanks!

[Abigail]

I tried to make a "menu" but instead it's easier to make a list of the main dish for breakfast items and again for lunch items. Then I classified them by "instant" "if I have it" and "frozen". This works so well for me!!!

Examples for breakfast items:
INSTANT: cereal, bagel, toast, oatmeal, barley

IF I HAVE IT: raisin bread, biscuits, banana bread, muffins

FROZEN: French toast, waffles, pancakes

I just make sure I rotate when I serve them so I don't do anything twice in a week unless it's a different type of cereal I will do twice a week. Then I just add the fruit with it to make it a complete food program breakfast. Like add raisins to oatmeal or barley. Then I offer a fresh fruit choice for what is on sale that week. I do the same for lunch. I don't let the kids pick what fruit they want, I plan it on Sunday what it will be with what main meal each day of the week. Then on Thursday/Friday if I have extras that need to be eaten before Monday we have a larger snack or an extra serving to make sure it's not wasted.

Once a month I try a new item. Today I made chicken alfredo for the first time ever (I'm not a cook, only a fast food junkie!) and have enough to serve 5 meals. I freeze in servings in sandwich bags then I put all of them in a gallon freezer bag so I can re-use the expensive freezer bag for that meal when it runs out I make it again!