Do you want to save time, save money, eat healthy, reduce waste, and know what you’re cooking for dinner? Ummm..yes, please!
Enter meal planning! Yes, it will take some up-front time and planning, but it’s so worth it. You won’t be opening the fridge just to stare into it hoping that dinner will fix itself. You won’t be aimlessly walking around the grocery store wondering what to cook for dinner.
You’ll know what’s up and your family will love you. Yes, that’s true already, but meal planning will make your life SO. MUCH. EASIER.
Here are my ten tips for super easy meal planning:
1. Do an inventory of what you already have.
That includes the fridge, pantry, and freezer. Do you need to use those potatoes before they go bad? Do you already have extra bread crumbs in your pantry? No need to purchase duplicate items. Not only will this reduce your grocery bill, it will keep you from wasting food.
2. Take a look at the week ahead.
Is it a crazy week? Are there nights that are always a little hectic? Wednesday nights are rushed for us, so I know that I’m not going to be making a new recipe that night. It needs to be super quick and easy or made ahead in the slow-cooker or maybe we just need to plan on eating out that night. My point is…be realistic.
3. Write it out.
It may seem obvious, but have a list (free printable here). For two reasons…not only do you need to have a list to take with you to the grocery store, but keep a list at the house so you remember what you are supposed to prepare! 😀 I have mine written out on a chalkboard in our kitchen.
(We had a lot of seafood this week per my husband’s request.)
4. Write out and organize ingredients as you go.
This tip goes along with #3. Rather than making a menu and then going back to list out all the ingredients, write down the ingredients on your grocery list as you fill in your menu. It saves time and helps you think about how you can use ingredients for other meals. It also helps to have your list arranged by where items are located in your store.
If you’re thinking…”whoa, wait a minute…that’s a lot of work.” No worries; I’ve got you covered. This printable does the work for you!
5. Plan to use up ingredients.
Take into account using extra ingredients for more than one meal. For example, you can use leftovers from roasted chicken for multiple meals…tacos, casseroles, etc.
6. Plan for the number of meals you will actually make/eat.
I usually plan for six meals a week. We end up eating leftovers and doing what I call a “fridge sweep” at least once a week. This helps to reduce waste (and save money.) Maybe you plan on eating out once a week. Just know how many meals you are planning for.
7. Make an extra meal to put in the freezer.
This is super nice for those days when you know you’ll be rushed. You’ll already have dinner covered. Boom.
8. Have a dedicated shopping day.
It seriously makes it easier to know you’ll be going to the grocery store on a specific day. You can plan it around sales, your schedule, your kids’ schedule, or all of the above.Whatever works for you. Just get in the groove of actually going to the grocery store.
9. Don’t forget about breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
Include breakfast items, fruit, beverages, etc. on your grocery list. Think through what you and your family may want to snack on. Having healthy snacks actually available makes it so much easier to stay on track with eating healthy!
10. Create a Pinterest board with new meals/recipes to try.
Of course, you have your go-to meals, but it’s nice to change it up. I try to do one new recipe per week. If it’s a winner, I add it to my rotation. Not only do I get ideas from Pinterest (you can follow me here), but I also get ideas and recipes from cookbooks and magazines. Old-school.
Well, those are my top ten tips for meal planning. Check out some of my go-to recipes and be sure to grab my free printable!
If you have any tips or questions, please share them in the comments.
Happy planning!
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