How to get started meal planning
Have you ever heard the question “Mom what’s for dinner” and have you thought “I don’t know?
With 8 kids I have had that question asked to me many times.
My problem is, either I have gotten busy and haven’t planned earlier in the day or I haven’t gone grocery shopping.
You know how it is. Life happens and before you know it, another meal rolls around, and you have a hungry tribe wanting to eat dinner.
I’m now racking my brain trying to figure out what we can make or what can be cooked quick enough because time has gotten away from me.
I know that’s where a good schedule and daily planning comes in but that’s another topic.
In this situation, many times, (or maybe that’s just me) I say to my
husband “hey honey let’s go out and get something”.
Now I’m not saying I am an expert on this subject by any means or that I have this problem conquered. Nevertheless, I can say when I implement meal planning, I do save both time as well as money.
Going out to eat has never been cheap in any family size. Not to mention in today’s economy, restaurant prices are continually climbing. That’s where meal planning comes in.
WHAT IS MEAL PLANNING?
Meal planning is preparing a list or calendar of meals for a specified amount of time. Such as, you could do a weekly calendar or a monthly calendar.
I prefer to have a 30 day supply of dinner ideas if I have time. If you don’t have time to sit down and write out a whole month of meals, by the same token you could do just 1 week.
Even having your meals planned a week at a time will save you from hitting Burger king or McDonald’s all the time.
My husband gets paid every 2 weeks since he started his new job. (my husband is a pastor but still works another job).
So of course, it is best if I plan my meals around a 2-week calendar since that is when the next payday will arrive.
There is not just one way to do meal planning.
Meal planning works best and around your schedule. Remember, planning your meals ahead of time isn’t just having one more chore to do. It’s about making life easier for you in the long run.
So, play around with your calendar, make it fun and maybe explore some new recipes that you never tried before.
WHY SHOULD WE MEAL PLAN?
Maybe the baby is crying, the dog is running through the house driving you nuts or the laundry needs folded. So you might think, I don’t have time to sit down to my table or desk and plan that many meals.
I hear you; I know what you mean. However, investing the time into meal planning now, really does free your time later for other things you need to get done.
Just ask yourself
How much time and money does it cost to load the whole family up and head off to eat out?
The benefits of Meal planning
- planning ahead saves money
- planning ahead saves time
- have healthy options to eat
- never wonder what’s for dinner
- waste less food
Here in America, we waste so much food.
There again being wasteful is costing money. PLUS, I tell my kids, well there are people in the world that need food. We should be thankful for what God has given us.
Save money and waste less by having a left over night.
That’s right, left over night for one of your dinner meals or for lunch the next day. All you need to do is write it into your calendar or planner as another meal. You don’t always need to prepare another meal. It’s ok to have the same meal more than once in a week. Likewise, you could freeze the leftovers till another day.
There you go, another meal you don’t have to cook. It’s a win, win.
The Future you will thank the present you for taking the time to do this.
Trust me I am talking to me as much as you friends.
HOW TO GET STARTED MEAL PLANNING?
First of all, you can sit down with a calendar, a notebook as well as, you can get techy and do it on a mobile app or online.
The best way to start meal planning is the approach that works best for you. If you are a paper person then skipping online programs and apps is beneficial.
However, if you are like me. You have apps to help You keep up with a lot of your life.
Subsequently, I have used both means for recording my meals.
Sometimes, I prefer just to jot things down quickly so I can Plan my shopping trip.
Other times, I take the time and use an app, because the app keeps track of the groceries you need to purchase.
Having that information handy helps your shopping go smoother.
Finally, you start your planner by just writing down or putting into the program of your choice 1 or 2 weeks ( or if you want to go for the gusto), a month’s worth of meals that you and your family like.
Now while some meal plans do dinners only.
I choose to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals planned out as well.
I do not want to think about what my meals will be, because I have prepared them in advance.
- sit down with calendar or app
- write down meals your family enjoys
- shop your fridge and pantry for ingredients you have on hand
- ways to save on groceries would be to check weekly sales at your local store
- plan meals that use the same ingredients, this saves time and money.
- repurpose a meal (such as tacos one night), then use the leftover meat for spaghetti.
- double the recipe and freeze for another night
SCHEDULES
When you are preparing your meal planner, always check your to-do list or calendar for events you have going. If you have a date night with your spouse or perhaps you are going to visit friends. Maybe you have a vacation coming up.
You will need to plan your calendar accordingly. Although at any rate, nothing is written in stone, your calendar can be tweaked if necessary. Your meal plan is a tool to save you time and money but can also be adjusted to meet your schedule should that schedule change.
Checking your event calendar in advance can help you plan ahead for those days you won’t be home and have to eat elsewhere.
HOW CONVENIENT IS IT TO WRITE IT AND FORGET IT?
There you have it. Meal planning in a nutshell. What meal planning is. Why we need it and how to get started.
If you are new to meal planning. Please leave me a comment and let me know how it has worked for you. If you have any other ideas. Please share them. I am always looking to improve in this area.