Every Wednesday. That’s when sales flyers come out for Aldi (website) and Food Lion (app). I make a list of all the produce going on sale. I keep a spreadsheet full of recipes organized by produce ingredient, and pick out recipes for the week based on sales and anything in my freezer that needs using.
I also have certain weekly rules. I plan 4 dinners and 3 breakfasts. In all these meals, only 2 can have meat, at least 2 must use legumes, at least one must have spinach, and at least one must have fatty fish (tuna or salmon, doesn’t count as meat). I aim for an anti-inflammatory diet, so I try to include that type of ingredient in each meal. It’s challenging, but fun to plan and has greatly increased my family’s nutrition.
I use Evernote on my phone to plan meals. I keep a list there of all foods in my freezer (meats, produce, breads, whole meals) and the date they were put in. Excel on my laptop to store and organize recipes. And the Anytime app to keep grocery lists for all the stores I visit.