Meal planning it essential on many levels for me.
Lets break it down the top three, shall we.
{this weeks meals}
1. Save dolla dolla bills - Sundays is my normal shopping day. When its time to make my grocery list, I start with our meals for the week. Then I make my list. This ensures, that I will not over buy and can over lap ingredients if I can. And one trip a week is much cheaper then going several times a week for meals.
2. Get our health on - When meal planning its much easier to include fresh veggies and try healthier recipes. And avoid boxed processed foods, like Tuesday Turkey Sloppy Joes, those bad boys are from scratch. Plan on seeing them here Wednesday.
3. Keep my sanity - Like I said above, Sunday is our normal food shopping day. Which means ONE day a week I need to ask myself "what's it going to be for dinner?" and it also gives the family the opportunity to make requests. Every morning I take out anything that may need defrosting and thats it. No standing in front of the pantry at 4:30 pm frantically trying to figure out what to make.
Did I sell you on meal planning?!
Will some free pretty printables help seal the deal?!
Check these out.
Ok now get to meal planner people, its for the better!
Ughhhh. You might have. I have been talking about it for a while but it seems like it is so much thinking! xo
ReplyDeleteoh, i'm a big meal planner too. i used to do a monthly meal plan, then buy the meats for the month and freeze them-- then just need to get the fresh veggies that week.
ReplyDeletethat worked for about three months. now i'm back to weekly.
something else, i do my meal plans based on what's on sale. You know that bunch of junk mail you get on tuesdays or wednesdays? it's sale ads for grocery stores. pick your favorite store and find what meat and veggies are on sale. that helps make your menu that week!
All about some meal planning! Actually, my husband does the dinner meal planning and he does the shopping. The other day though, I had the thought...why don't I plan breakfast and lunch out because I do stand in the kitchen thinking...pb&j again?! And like you, I prefer to make what I can versus premade stuff. It was so nice and worked so well! I need to keep that up.
ReplyDeleteLove it! Can I come over for dinner? Your menu looks fantastic:) Thanks for sharing and so happy it helps!
ReplyDeleteYES!!! I need to do this, I literally drive myself to the crazy house each week with trying to figure out meals... mean seriously it can't be that hard right.
ReplyDeleteI love to plan my meals for the week! I'm totally one of those (at 4 pm) "aw crap...what am I gonna make for supper" type gals!
ReplyDeleteGreat work in spreading the meal planning word! Meal planning is on of the food trends of 2012 and so it should be, I think that it's a lifestyle choice and one that I certainly make! You save money, reduce your food waste, provide healthy meals for your family and reduce your stress levels. Win win!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Sian.
Yeah babay -
ReplyDeleteTotally the way to go!
Thank you for the fun links!