Need some menu planning ideas? Then this post is for you! I have been menu planning for over 15 years and documenting a lot of it here on the blog for the last 12. You can see a whole range of menu planning ideas in my archives here.
I have developed a very simple process to menu planning for a month and if you would like to try it out and have success with menu planning like 1000’s of others have, you can find the process and free templates to use here – The Planning With Kids Menu Planning Process.
Below you will find menu planning ideas for November along with lunch box ideas for the kids school lunches. This is pretty much what my family will eat over the next month. There will defintinely be some changes but the beauty of a plan is that you have something to work with – so much easier than a blank canvas!
I find having menu plans for November is super important as the kids have exams towards the end of the month and being the end of the school year there are many celebrations and events to be attending in the evenings and on weekends. Having the plans ready to go means I can just pick them up and hit the shops for a big shop once a week at this busy time.
Week commencing 31st October
| Monday | Baked penne pasta |
| Tuesday | Home-made hamburgers and salad |
| Wednesday | Quick and easy oven baked chicken breast Roast pumpkin salad |
| Thursday | Fried rice Chicken sticks |
| Friday | Pan-fried fish and salad |
| Saturday | Homemade tacos |
| Sunday | Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef With Roast Pumpkin Salad |
Week commencing 7th November
Week commencing 14th November
| Monday | Quick and easy veggie pasta |
| Tuesday | Chicken meatballs and salad |
| Wednesday | Chicken lasagne |
| Thursday | Slow cooker butter chicken and green veggies |
| Friday | Pan-fried fish and salad |
| Saturday | Tacos, Mexican inspired salad and salsa |
| Sunday | Roast chicken and veg |
Week commencing 21st November
| Monday | Fettucine carbonara |
| Tuesday | Shredded chicken salad (I triple this recipe) |
| Wednesday | Honey roasted lamb shoulder and veggies |
| Thursday | Hamburgers and cabbage and apple salad |
| Friday | Dukkah crusted salmon with crunchy potatoes and garlic spinach |
| Saturday | Souvlaki |
| Sunday | Chicken schnitzel and vegetables |
Week commencing 28th November
Lunch box ideas
To make my weekdays easier for many years I have spent time in the kitchen on the weekends prepping and cooking food for the week. During the school term, I share photos and links of the recipes I cook up during my weekly food prep sessions on Facebook using the hashtag #pwkweeklyprep which you can see here.
Even if you don’t want to do the extensive type of food prep I do, it is so beneficial to at least make a couple of things to make your life easier during the week like a sweet and savoury item for the kids’ lunch boxes. If you would like to get into the meal prep thing, but do not quite know where to start, check out my short e-course Meal Prep Primer.
Meal Prep Primer teaches you my process and gives you three weeks of plans to follow to help you establish the habit. It has helped 100s of women make their weekdays easier by doing some meal prep on the weekend.
Sweet lunch box ideas
- Honey joys – something a little old school 🙂
- Easy chocolate slice
- Choc banana muffins (gluten, dairy and nut free)
- Oat and choc chip balls
- Banana oat balls
Savoury lunch box ideas
- Chicken schnitzel for wraps or cut up into strips
- Zucchini slice
- Sushi
- Gluten free meatballs
- Egg and bacon muffins