10 Easy Steps To Meal Planning

Weekly Meal Planning

It's always a good idea to get a handle on meal planning.

It really does simplify home cooking, makes meals interesting and eliminates the need to think about what to make for dinner all day long.

Not only that, you can save on your grocery bills because you only buy what you know you will be using - no food waste!"

10 EASY STEPS TO MEAL PLANNING

1. Grab your meal planner notepad.

2. Grab your weekly calendar and check your schedule to determine how much time you have to cook each night.

3. Decide what type of food you wish to eat during the week. You don't want to be eating pasta every night because that get's boring. Why not try a fish dish or a vegetarian meal?

4. Find a recipe based on what you want to eat and how much time you have to cook. For instance, on Monday you've decided to eat chicken. You look and see that you have a class on Monday night and only have 1/2 hour to cook and eat.

You will need a super fast dish, such as chicken fajita. You may consider cooking a roast chicken on Sunday night so you can throw the extra chicken into the recipe or buy chicken that's already cut into strips for an easy stir-fry.

5. Write down where the recipe is, (cookbook and page number) or bookmark the website, or cut and paste the recipe into OneNote.

6. Decide on your side dishes. Will you have a salad? Vegetables? Rice? Potatoes?

7. Start a shopping list.

8. Check your pantry and see what needs to be replaced. Since you are going to the grocery store, you might as well buy food you are running out of.

9. Go and do your shop.

10. Give yourself a pat on the back for completing a meal plan. You will find that your cooking will be enjoyable; you will eat better, have more time and have less stress.

Motivating Tips to Meal Planning

Start small and plan for a few days a week. Don’t forget to plan meals with the food you already have in your freezer or pantry.

Be mindful not to get stressed out over the meal prep process, it should be enjoyable. Remember the “why”….you’re doing it to feed yourself and your family.

If you don’t feel like cooking one night, ask someone else to cook, or make a quick and easy meal (we all have a few we can turn to in a pinch)…my go-to is a tuna melt with a green salad!