admin “You can’t plan life, but you can plan dinner. And that’s even better in some ways”
Meal planning can be overwhelming in the beginning, but once you master the art of meal planning, it can save you time and money.
Do not be discouraged if you do not manage to succeed on your first try….keep on trying. The more you try the easier it becomes. There will be months when you are too busy to meal plan and that’s ok…..you can get back on track the following month. Be flexible, to switch from one day to another….if on Monday you were meant to do soup and something cropped up, don’t worry do it another day.
I, myself do struggle with meal planning, especially when it comes to grocery shopping…I am sure to forget something despite having a list…..sometimes I have left the list at home. There are months that I don’t meal plan……with time I will get better. For some of us, planning for a whole month can be quite a task, so try and plan for a week or two in advance. You have to do what works for you. Here are some tips which can help you when meal planning:-
- Do an inventory of what you have in your freezer, fridge and pantry;
- Regular ingredients – keep a list and mark when they run out;
- Shop your freezer, fridge and pantry – see what you can do with what you already have. This will save you money;
- Favorite recipes – make a list of the most enjoyed meals;
- Nightly theme – make each night special (this will entice kids to eat dinner);
- Experiment – try a new meal each week (avoid it on busy days);
- Prepare – save time by preparing weekly ingredients in advance;
- Cook once eat twice – make enough for 2 meals;
- Place your meal plan where you can see it;
- Plan according to your schedule – make a slow cooker recipe if you will be coming home late.
Start with planning your dinners and once you get used to meal planning, include breakfast, lunches and snacks if need be.
Now that you have drawn up your meal plan, what is the next step. Draw a list of the ingredients you need and hit the supermarket. Purchase as much of your ingredients as possible….fresh produce can be purchased as you go along. Having a shopping list helps those impulse buys. Do not worry if you purchase items not on the list but were on offer…..you can always use them next month.
Once home, depending on how organised you want to be, you can start preparing the food for the following week meals by chopping vegetables in advance or by organising each meal ingredients in a basket (at cooking time you would get out the basket and you have everything you need).
Every evening, have a look at your meal plan and make sure that any ingredients that need to be thawed, are taken out of the freezer and any kitchen gadgets are on the kitchen counter top (such as the slow cooker). This will save you time in the morning.
Do what works for you and your family.
Happy Meal Planning.
Love
Strugglingmum
