Menu Planning 101

I've realized that I may need to get a regular menu going to make life easier. I'm not the greatest at figuring out & making nutritional, well-balanced meals.. It seems like if I could only get it set, it should almost take care of itself.. Right?

School will be starting by the end of August. So, I'd like to have a basic meal plan sketched & in place before then. I picked up a couple cookbooks Monday to help me get there. The $7 Cookbook has lots of salads & is arranged by type of food (ie, breakfast, soup, dessert) or main ingredient (beef, seafood, vegetarian). It's a 30 min or less style, so that would probably work well during the week. A child can be assigned a salad or other dish appropriate to his or her ability while I'm making the main course.

Poor Girl Gourmet is similar, but a little more extravagant. She even mentions that Anyone can at least have fresh herbs growing. I'm thinking this will be a cookbook for the school holidays (you know, those rare days when Mom feels rested enough to Make Something).

Last year, I picked up The Healthy Body Cookbook to work through with the children. It's set up by body part or system, with an experiment & 4-6 recipes meant to support the health of that area. With 12 chapters, it makes a nice semester course.