OP, I love it! If it works for you, that's great.

I will say that I think having a plan for every single night is really hard to keep up with - you need to have some flexibility for scheduling challenges/fatigue/too many leftovers, but that's something you'll figure out on your own.

We do almost all vegetarian meals, some vegan. Really easy to be vegan in summer.

Monday: Usually Asian-food theme. Stirfry with veg/tofu/rice or noodle, various soups, dim sum, pancakes, ect.

Tuesday: Mexican inspired. Burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, pupusas, empanadas, salads. Super easy esp in this area.

Wed: Usually something classically French or Italian, in three courses. Maybe a quiche, followed by a green salad with vinagrette, then a cheese (usually Camembert) and fresh fruit/fruit tart for dessert.

Thurs: Burger, fries and salad. Mix it up with different types of burgers. Mostly beyond based or veg based, but sometimes we will do chicken/turkey or beef. Can be sliders, regular burgers, and of course a million variations of burgers. Bulgogi burger, blue cheese ans onion jam burger, taco burger, maple roasted sweet potato burger, italian style burger, french dip burger, tandoori spiced, ect.

Friday: Pizza. Again a million options and we do gluten free crusts mostly too. So easy.

Sat: We usually dine out.

Sunday: Usually a soup with a salad, or just a large salad. Again, millions of types of soups and salads for everyone and all seasons. In the winter, usually a veggie roast of some kind with a grain perhaps or a small pasta like couscous or orzo or even polenta. And polenta can be served so many ways too.

It's pretty easy.

Our theme is eat what I cook or feel free to make PBJ-day. Every day that ends in -day.

It a great idea. You may want to drop down so just 5 themes so there’s more flexibility. I sketch out 2 weeks at a time and make sure there’s a variety of flavors, vegetable textures, and proteins. Each week has an open night that will be breakfast for dinner in a lunch. There’s usually a night out or unexpected leftovers to fill it.
Thursday is always small plates (varying portions of whatever leftovers from the week) plus charcuterie and Friday is always pizza. I do lots of cooking and meal prep over the weekend.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t do themes, I just make a variety of foods and they can either live with it or learn to cook (or both preferably). The only thing I would say for meal planning is to make enough so that every meal has leftovers — then you don’t have to cook every night. I guess you could set Fridge Ambush Friday if you’re invested in alliterative names and on that day everyone chooses the leftovers they want from the fridge.

She already has Wild Wednesday for this...

Anonymous wrote:We roast a pan of veggies almost every night to go with whatever we are having. I mix in some sort of cruciferous veggies with garlic, quartered medium red pinion, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash. Mix it all lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. When the cruciferous veggie is cauliflower, I add in some smoke paprika. Put it in the bottom rack at 425’ for 30ish minutes. I put in a protein on the top rack during the last 10-15 minutes - fish (salmon, tilapia, swordfish, cod, etc), chicken, pork chops, whatever. Family favorites are salmon and chicken thighs marinaded in Trader Joe’s Soyaki. I make a fruit salad or just have cut up fruit and either rice or bread.

You can use the veggies for quesadillas too.

It’s nice of you to share this but I don’t understand how it helps OP with her themes?

We roast a pan of veggies almost every night to go with whatever we are having. I mix in some sort of cruciferous veggies with garlic, quartered medium red pinion, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash. Mix it all lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. When the cruciferous veggie is cauliflower, I add in some smoke paprika. Put it in the bottom rack at 425’ for 30ish minutes. I put in a protein on the top rack during the last 10-15 minutes - fish (salmon, tilapia, swordfish, cod, etc), chicken, pork chops, whatever. Family favorites are salmon and chicken thighs marinaded in Trader Joe’s Soyaki. I make a fruit salad or just have cut up fruit and either rice or bread.

You can use the veggies for quesadillas too.

For far away Thursday, Trader Joe's have great frozen options that might be helpful.

I don’t do themes, I just make a variety of foods and they can either live with it or learn to cook (or both preferably). The only thing I would say for meal planning is to make enough so that every meal has leftovers — then you don’t have to cook every night. I guess you could set Fridge Ambush Friday if you’re invested in alliterative names and on that day everyone chooses the leftovers they want from the fridge.