Want to know how to make your life a bit easier and ensure your family eats healthy and delicious meals? 2 words…. meal planning!
Meal planning may seem to be daunting, it may seem like it takes lots of time, and is difficult. But taking a few minutes to organize your meals for the week can save time throughout the week, save $$$!, reduce waste, and make it easier to eat healthier & get your vegetables in. Trust me, I’ve done it!
There are a few ways to meal plan. Depending on your needs, you should find some combo of these to make dinners easier, cheaper, and tastier. You can choose which meals you’ll have for the week, you can make one base food & repurpose it into different dishes, you can actually prep lots of the food on a certain day & throw it together day by day. Lots of ways to make it work!
Things to consider:
How many meals & for how many people
Time constraints & timing. Will there be someone 60-90 minutes before dinner- time to prepare the meal? Or will it need to be a slow cooker meal, or a 30-minute meal?
What you already have in the fridge/pantry. I hate wasting food, planning meals based on what I need to use up leads to less waste, fewer-no random nasty meals that use a ton of said soon-spoiling food
Food budget/sale items (check out freezing/preservation series)
Have kids? Let them participate! They can help choose meal ideas, help shop, help prep, &/or help cook. Kids are way more likely to try new foods & to like something if they’ve had a part in making it.
How to:
Tally the meals (4 dinners, 2 lunches….)
Note your constraints. Do you have to have a slow cooker meal one day because you’ll be at the office until 7? Will you need something quick or portable…
Consider leftovers. Does your meal plan for more servings than you have eaters? Take a day out of the mix & allow for straight leftovers or re-purposing those leftovers. Great way to reduce waste & save $$$.
Stay tuned for more helpful resources and tips to make meal planning fit into your busy schedule & to make it easy and convenient for your busy life!
