Seeds of Inspiration Blogs

Follow along to learn about healthy lifestyle tips and tricks, alongside delicious veggie-filled recipes, and educational greenhouse-grow facts. We’re here to inspire and help you get the most out of your Red Sun Farms purchase.


Whats on the Menu

Whats on the Menu

Do you dread making dinner? Is it because, everyone wants something different, or because they don’t like a certain food, or are you just dealing with different moods?  Dinner time just feels extra in every way. So, let’s take the guess work out of it, and guide you through everything you need to become the household menu master!

Planning the menu is the largest task when preparing your dinner. Ideally, plan the menu once we get everyone on the same page, and in agreement. Then pick one day, do the shopping, meal prep, and that’s that. It’s done for the week. This frees up hours of your time after a busy day at work, running the kids after school and everything in between. To plan your menu, grab your calendar – and write the meal item right on the day of the week so it’s

1) Somewhere you will look daily

2) In a common spot for the family to find

3) It is easier to tell which meals you have frequently at the end of the month. For example, Sunday night is usually a big meal night, Wednesday or Thursday night is a leftovers night and Friday is typically a dining out, or order in night; but we always plan a Friday night dinner just in case we end up staying home.

Next write out a list of all your favorite recipes and then a list of any new recipes you want to try. Be sure to ask the family if your list is missing anything, or if anyone is craving something specific. Then plug and play these meal items with your weekly schedule. If your schedule is hectic keep one meal premade for a super quick throw together, that can be swapped out on what may be a curveball night.

So now that you have the menu, its time to create the ULTIMATE shopping list, almost like the holy grail of this whole exercise. Without the goods, meals won’t happen. So, here’s some tips to make sure nothing gets forgotten.

  • Take your menu with you through the pantry, fridge, and freezers. What items will you need to pick up.
    • For things like hamburger where it can be used in multiple recipes throughout the week, keep a tally of how many pounds you need based on your menu
  • When planning what to buy, purchase things that can be used for a variety of meals. Bell peppers for sauce, in omelets or cut up for snack, etc.
  • Shop the sales flyers. Price Match. Coupon
    • Sales flyers will be your best friend during this whole exercise. In addition, coupons have the potential to save you significant amounts on your grocery budget. Remember that visiting several stores while grocery shopping may not result in savings if you factor in travel expenses. if you shop at a store you know price matches, you can get all your shopping done in one place.
    • Use your list to map out the store and try to the outside aisles, this keeps impulse buying down and leaves only the essential items at the forefront.

If you’re still looking for some menu inspiration, check out these recipes for the whole family. Healthy and delicious, plus easy to shop for; Turkey and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers, Bell Pepper Tacos, Gluten Free Italian Meatloaf Muffins and so many more in the recipe section of our website.