If you hate that feeling late in the afternoon when you realise you didn’t take anything out of the freezer for dinner then Meal Planning could be perfect for you. Before I figured out the art of Meal Planning I would often throw food away that I never got around to using or spend a heap of money at the Supermarket looking for ideas for dinners. Today I am sharing my tips for successful Meal Planning that will save you time, money and food wastage.
How To Start A Meal Plan:
Make A List Of Your Families Favourites. Your plan needs to include foods you know everyone will eat otherwise you are wasting your time. If you feel like experimenting save that for one night a week and have the rest of the meal plan as foods that are safe. Aim to plan for at least 5 days allowing weekends for eating out or take-a-way night.
Plan For Fright Night. In most families there will be one night where you have sport, music lessons or someone finishes work late, this is fright night and you need to include this in the meal plan. This night is perfect for a slow cooker meal or something frozen.
Cook Once Eat Twice. Make more of a meal and freeze half, or freeze what’s left at the end for lunch or kid sized meal. If you are making a wet dish always make it go a bit further and by freezing half this can become a meal for next week, this is also a great frozen option for Fright Night.
Writing Out Your Meal Plan. There are all sorts of fancy templates available on the net to write up your meal plan but that can then just become one more job to keep on top of. I just write mine up on a piece of paper and pop it under a magnet on the fridge. Keep each weeks meal plan then after awhile you wont even have to think you can just rotate through different meal plans.
Hit The Shops. Make a shopping list around your meal plan and hit to the shops. It pays to check the pantry and freezer and use what you already have. If there are any great specials grab them and include them in next weeks meal plan.
Once you get a hang of it you will wonder how you ever survived without the fore thought of creating a meal plan. No more running out of an ingredient, no more throwing out mouldy pumpkins or grabbing take-a-way heart attack food as you don’t know what to have for dinner.
Renee
If you have just found my blog be sure to ‘Like’ my blogs Facebook page so you get all my tips on organising, DIY, parenting, meals, gardening, party planning, just anything to do with channelling your inner Supermum! Feel free to share any links with your other yummy mummy friends to help them too!
Leave a Reply