6 Tips for Easy Meal Planning
As an avid meal planner, I’m sharing my 6 tips for easy meal planning. Cooking and eating are two of my favorite things. Guys, I wake up in the morning and the first thing I think about is what I’m going to eat for dinner. I meal plan because I enjoy cooking and eating, but meal planning is also a helpful habit.
Weekly meal planning allows you to be prepared when time gets tight. Work, kids, errands, activities; lets face it, we are always running around and putting a delicious, balanced meal on the table can be tricky. I don’t know about you, but if I come home after a busy day and have no clue what I’m making for dinner, there is a good chance I will order take out or pop a frozen pizza in the oven. By planning ahead, you can save money, eat healthier and be less stressed.
Where should I get recipes?
- Cookbooks. I love me some Joanna Gaines and Pioneer Woman. Browsing through cookbooks can be time consuming, but I do enjoy it! A lot of my recipes and inspiration comes from these ladies.
- Pinterest. I love Pinterest to search for recipes. Example: “ground beef recipes.” It’s a visual platform, so I can easily and quickly make selections based on the images I see. I just click the image and it takes me straight to the recipe.
- Google. What would I do without Google?! I use it to search everything, including recipes! When I find a recipe I like, I either screenshot it and save it to my phone or pin it to my Pinterest board.
- Instagram/Facebook. Find a few different pages or accounts to follow that specialize in cooking. You can search hashtags to find accounts to follow or just follow my favorites!
Favorite Accounts to Follow:
When to meal plan?
I like to create my weekly meal plan each Saturday and hit up the grocery store on Sunday to get everything I need for the week. Try to do it on a day that you can be consistent with and fits into your schedule. Example: have to take your kids to practice in town every Monday? Prep your meal plan on Sunday and head to the grocery store while they’re at practice. Pick a day that is most convenient for you.
Heading to the Store
Start by picking 5-6 meals you want to make for the week and write them down on a piece of paper. Under each one, jot down the ingredients needed. Next, take inventory of what you already have, what you need and what can be substituted so you’re not buying more than needed. Cross things off your grocery list as you take inventory.
Make it Official
I write the weekly menu on my planner and our family’s kitchen chalkboard so the entire family can see. You can also get meal plan calendars, like this one from Amazon.
