As nice as it would be to always be on top of things, there are days/weeks (O.k. even years) when that just doesn’t happen. So, one strategy to continue to avoid last minute stress, eating out, and relying of prepared food (freezer meals or boxed & canned items) is to have a backup plan for your lack of planning. 
This is essentially also a menu, but instead of planning a week at a time for instance, it is a list of potential meals that either rely on pantry staples you always have around or are really quick to prepare, and preferably meet both requirements.
A recent post at Happy Herbivore highlighting 23 quick meal ideas is a good source of inspiration for this list, as well as a springboard for additional ideas that could work from your existing recipe pool.
Meals that center around quinoa, a quick cooking whole grain, are also a good bet.
Some of my other favorite quick fixes are:
Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
and
Thick and Creamy Potato Soup
The goal in this case is not a perfectly well-rounded meal (although that would be nice), but rather something to fall back on, to fill your stomach and provide some nourishment that is superior to things like; nothing, fast food, snacks & junk or whatever else you would be eating for dinner without the backup plan.
C
This is a really good idea! Having a plan just in case you don’t have a plan… who would have thought?
I still haven’t tried quinoa. I need to do that.
Thanks, I’ve found it really helpful myself.
I tried the comfort casserole, and it tasted really good…until I accidentally dumped a cup of brine into it. (I don’t think I was born to be a chef.) But just so you know, brine is not comfy. Ever. Nor should it be part of any casserole. Sigh.
Poor Leisha, maybe when you family has forgotten the trauma you can try again…
I’m hooked already! Thanks for sharing this with all of us who are following along the 31 days of challenge.
You’re welcome.
I like how the recipes use cashews instead of milk. Interesting– we both mentioned quinoa today!
Nice to find you, thanks for stopping by my blog.
I love cashews and quinoa! I’ll be sure to check out your blog again, you had a lot of good information on grains there today.
So true! I’m a meat-eater, so my back up is generally having a kielbasa in the freezer, and a few potatoes in the pantry, because once sliced they fry up quickly together, and keep me from dialing for pizza.
I guess anything is better than fast food.