Meal Planning Basics
The Benefits Of Family Meal Planning
Make A Meal Plan And Save Time And Money
Are you ready to save some time, feed your family healthier meals and save some money along the way? These are just some of the benefits of family meal planning. Lets look at all of them in a little more detail.
Eat Healthier
Planning your family meals will cut down on your trips to your favorite fast food restaurant and the amount of pizza you have delivered to your door. Food you prepare at home tends to be much healthier than hamburgers with fries, fried chicken or pizza. When you plan your meals, include some lean protein like chicken breast, as well as some salads and vegetables.Your entire family will benefit from the healthier meals.
Saving Time
How much time are you spending now running to the grocery store a few times a week? I used to run to the store at least 3 times a week to buy something to fix for dinner. Planning your meals out for a week at a time and then putting together a grocery list with everything you need to cook for those meals will cut your trips to the store down to once a week. This alone will save you a few hours each week. Plus you wont be standing in front of your fridge and pantry every night trying to come up with something you can fix with what you have at hand. Make a plan and stick to it. Less food will go to waste, and you may find that your favorite healthy snacks will already be on your shelf.
Save Money
All that eating out and having food delivered can quickly add up. By preparing more meals at home you will save quite a few dollars each week. In addition, you will save on your monthly grocery bill, since you will be making a list of everything you need for the week and won't end up buying extras that just go to waste. I used to be unorganized about food preparation until I started make plans for the foods I like to buy and eat. You will be amazed at how much money you will begin to save by just planning ahead.
Less Stress
You know the routine. Its 6 pm, everyone in the family is starving and you have no idea whats for dinner. Trying to come up with something to cook from what you have in the kitchen while your kids are tired, hungry and screaming is not one of the most fun family activities. You will be much more relaxed about dinner, when you know exactly what you are going to cook ahead of time and know you have everything you need in the house. Your planning may not be perfect when you start but after a while it will get easier and it's one less surprise for a busy week's agenda.
Quality Time Together
Meal Planning also encourages everyone to gather around the dinner table each day. Who could resist the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen? Dinnertime has always been a great time for families to gather and share news and experiences of the day. Parents and children can give each other undivided attention. Cook some dinner, set the table and don't forget to turn off the TV and put your phone down for a few minutes. Mute that ringer!
Make dinner a daily family tradition again. Knowing each other better is a way to understand and appreciate one another. When you spend a little quality time with the ones you care about, you will be more in tune to the needs and feelings of each other. Also, if you eat alone, and many people do, use the time to reflect on the goals you have planned. You can get some quality thinking time done and you won't even have to waste any of it figuring out what's for dinner. Dinner doesn't have to be a chore, it can be an enjoyable event. Plan ahead.
Give Meal Planning A Try
You can be sure that you and your family will see the benefits within less than a week. It may take a little practice. You will want to change your plan at first, but once you start to get used to the idea of not having to worry about your menu, you will save your changes for next week's plan. Some ambitious meal planners go even farther and plan for the whole month. Some people, "preppers" plan for the whole year. Which one are you? Start small, a few days or a week and then you can plan farther ahead. You will easily begin to see which items you use the most and which ones are the most economical for your budget. Soon, you will begin to save money too!
Here are some tips for you.
MEAL PLANNING TIPS
How to plan meals for the week?
Plan Weekly Meals Easily With A Little Practice
See what you already have. Look in your freezer, cabinets, and refrigerator. Plan to finish already opened packages.
Use a calendar, pen&paper, calculator to plan your meals.
Create a list of recipes to try and ($) Buy seasonal items that have a good price.
Be sure and plan a few of your favorites…. Donuts Sunday morning, Spaghetti on Thurs nite, lunch with Mom
Think about your schedule and how long you want to cook
Plan to use leftovers, opened boxes, and jars in future recipes.
GO HERE. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/eathealthy/budget/budget-weekly-meals
Example Planner
