We are sure that this question is asked often in your household. Trying to decide what to eat and you end up just ordering a pizza. That money spent on a pizza could of went to something else if you had a did correct meal planning!
Many people tend to set a new year’s goals to meal plan more often. But many of us realise that we were also wasting money as we would end up tossing leftovers and produce that had spoiled because of not using the product or did not feel like eating leftovers.
If you live by yourself, it is hard to make meals for a single person. Some people do not want to eat the same meals all week! Here are some tips and benefits of meal planning to get started:
Make A List Of Your Favourite Recipes
We all those meals that we make every week and some that we make on occasion. Write all of those down. Or make a list of recipes and stick it on to your refrigerator as it will be easily accessible. This will quickly help you decide what to make during busy weeks. Planning meals 3 times a week can also help if you don’t prefer having same meal each time. Try to incorporate a variety of foods when planning recipes. Checkout some great meal planning ideas here!
Check Out Pinterest And Other Websites For Recipes To Make For Meal Planning
I love watching Food Network on the weekends and will sometimes see a recipe that I want to try out. I save the recipes on my computer (Make a favorites bookmark on your computer). Take out a bit of time during the weekend and gather a list of healthy meals out there. Pinterest is the best app for that since it has a collection of meal plans which you can follow and cook delicious meals.
Make An Inventory Of What You Have
Go through your pantry, fridge, and freeze and see what you already have. This will save you a lot of time when planning to cook a meal. Try not to overstock as it can lead to food waste since you will tend to forget what you already have for your meals. Make a grocery list only for the essentials you need to stock up for.
Start Meal Planning One At A Time
If you are new to this, you don’t want to plan for a whole month. Start with planning for 2-3 days (Maybe just breakfast), then plan for a week. Make sure to check your calendars and see what is going on that week. You don’t want to plan a big feast on Thursday when you know that the kids have soccer games that night.
Opt for Healthy Meal Planning
We know how much you love having delicious meals and do not want to compromise on your taste buds. Nevertheless, the food choices you make can have an impact on your overall health. We are not saying to give up on delicious meals but also to include healthy meals and focus on healthy eating. Opt for a balanced meal which includes the right ratio of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
You can just toss a salad with your favourite sandwich or make a nutrient-dense smoothie for breakfast. Nutritious foods can also be delicious if you make them that way. Some good examples for healthy food choices include grain bowls, smoothies, acai bowls, yogurt with fresh fruit, black bean corn salad, brown rice, cauliflower rice and more! Do your own research and find what works for you.
Grocery Shopping!
An effective meal planning comes with making your grocery list. Only shop for items that you need for that week (or two weeks depending on how often you shop). Once you get into meal planning, you should start seeing your grocery bill reduce a little bit!
Also shop at grocery stores that have everything in one place. That way you won’t have to wander around to different places and waste time and become overwhelmed.
Prepare In Advance
Sunday/Monday are the common meal prep days. You can make a big batch of rice for the week, make breakfast, and chop all the veggies and fruits that you plan to use for the week. That way when you get home from work, not much should have to be done!
You will notice that once you have started meal planning, you will notice having grocery money leftover in budget! You won’t be stressed out about what you are going to eat each night because it is already planned out!
Before meal planning- You tend to was go for fast foods almost daily to get things done quickly. Now that you prep my breakfast on Sunday nights-you don’t have to worry about what are you eating for breakfast!
BOTTOM LINE
Meal planning won’t be for everyone. It will take a few trial and error moments to get the hang of it. But it is nice knowing what you plan to eat for that week and are spending less eating out.
This is great for those that do not have the normal 9-5 job! Do you meal plan? What tips do you have?
