How Much Meat Do I Need for A Month

If you’re not used to planning ahead for weekly meals suddenly finding yourself needing to purchase a month’s supply of food can feel overwhelming. Fortunately I’ve got you covered.

I’ve been shopping once a month or less for the vast majority of our staples; meat & eggs, milk & cheese, grains, nuts, & seeds, and frozen fruit & vegetables for the past several years. I won’t go into the why we made the switch in this post, but I will share with you how I calculated our needs and created our current monthly shopping list.

Hopefully these exercises will help provide you with a sense of direction and control during this uncertain time.

In case you’re currently in a situation where you need to head to the store or are already there and need to stock your fridge and freezer immediately I’m going to start by sharing my monthly list.

If you have a little bit more time I’ve included my formula for calculating your families monthly needs. Scroll down, completely the exercises (it should take you 10-15 minutes total) and you’ll be ready to go in no time.

How much meat our family needs for a month

We are currently a family of 5  however the youngest is only 4 months and therefore not eating solids (though I’m certain I make up for this as she is exclusively nursing and therefore I feel like I’m constantly eating).

Here is what we purchase and use each month.

• 4 whole chickens 3-5lbs each
• 4 lbs ground beef
• 4 lbs stew meat
• 2 Roasts (beef or pork) 3-6 lbs each
• 8 lbs ground pork
• 2 ham hocks
• 2 lbs liver (pork or beef)
• 4 lbs frozen fish
• 20 dozen eggs
• 4 bags soup bones 5 lbs each (beef, pork, chicken, or lamb)

We do occasionally purchase bacon and sausages as budget allows and do supplement with the occasional package of lunch meat when necessary (meaning I haven’t had time to bulk prep the months supply of meatballs or we’ve run out of leftovers and need to pack something for the kids to take for lunch). However, this is the backbone of our ordering and if I don’t have time or the desire to make minor adjustments to switch things up I know this exact order will see us through a whole month when our next Shady Grove Ranch comes in.

How did I come up with this amount of meat?

The short answer is we needed to cut down on expenses and food was one of the only negotiable item so I had to take a good hard look at what we were purchasing and how we were using it.

We started with a no spend month where we limited ourselves to $20 a week for fresh produce and made ourselves eat only what was in the pantry and deep freeze. It became pretty obvious that in my attempt to save money I was purchasing too much meat when it was on sale.

So I had to sit down and figure out exactly how much meat we needed to see us through a month while limiting spending.

How you can calculate how much meat you need for a month

There are many factors that go into how much meat you and your family will go through in a month. The following formula I created works for families of all sizes and takes into account your personal preferences.

You can do these exercises once and then find creative ways to use the same cuts of meat from month to month or you can go through these exercises before shopping each month to change things up.

First

Make a list of all of your families favorite meals in each of the following categories: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snack

This is the most time consuming exercise but it is worth doing well the first time as you will come back to it again and again. Be sure to save this list either physically or electronically so you don’t have to re-do it over and over again. Throughout the year be sure to make adjustments as your families tastes change and grow.

Second

List out your typical week for each category.

For example, when each family member eats breakfast for each day of the week. Be sure to include who is available to prepare  each meal. Along with any other constraints.

For example: is there a night you need to utilize the instant pot or slow cooker? Be sure to make note of this.

Third

Match the meals listed in Step 1 with a day in your week that makes sense.

For example, on Saturdays our family typically attends Mass at 4pm which means we need a meal that can be made ahead using the slow cooker function on our instant pot.

Also make note of which meals create leftovers and be sure to schedule a day to eat them so they don’t go to waste.

Fourth

List out the meat and eggs you will need to purchase for that week.

Fifth

Repeat steps three and four an additional three times to complete your whole month.

Or if your family prefers a weekly rotation swapping out sides and spices, you can simply multiply your list three times to calculate what you will need to purchase.

Finally

Write out your list neatly or type it up and put it to use. I highly recommend saving all of your work someplace safe, either physically or electronically so you can reference and make adjustments as needed in the future.

That’s all there really is to it. The minimal amount of time spent working through these exercises will save a lot of mental energy, time, and money.

It will ensure you only purchase items your family will actually eat while providing you with structure for when to use these items. Which will hopefully combat any panic or stress you may be feeling as the world around us is temporarily struggling to manage the every changing challenges being thrown at us daily.

Happy Meal Planning!!!