Meal Planning: Make Mealtime Easier, More Organized and More Affordable
Feeding a family can feel like a full-time job. Between busy schedules, grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning up, it’s easy to find yourself asking, “What are we having for dinner?” at 5 p.m. and clicking on the UberEats App. A little planning can make a big difference.
Nutrition is important for fueling our bodies, and making the choice to plan, shop and chook for your family can help you eat healthier, save money and reduce stress. When you have a plan and the ingredients you need on hand, you’re less likely to hit the drive-thru or order UberEats at the end of a busy day. The key is to fid a meal planning system that works for your family, your lifestyle and your current stage of life. There is no one right way to meal plan. Experiment until you find a system that makes your life easier.
Find a Meal Planning System That Works for You
Meal planning simply means deciding ahead of time what you’re going to eat. It eliminates some of the daily decision making and gives you a plan for shopping and preparing food. Some families plan weekly, while others prefer to plan for an entire month. Other options include:
Weekly or monthly meal planning
Once a Month cooking
Meal Services
Co-ops
Main dish swaps with friends or neighbors
Theme nights
Cooking several meals at once
Your plan can be as detailed or as simple as you need it to be. Consider your family’s schedule, the weather, upcoming activities, spouse travel, what’s already in your pantry and freezer, and what is on sale. You might designate Monday as Meatless Monday, Tuesday as Taco Tuesday, Friday as pizza or Family Night, or one night as “breakfast for Dinner”.” You could even have an “On Your Own” night when everyone is responsible for making their own meal.
Start with Your Calendar
Before planning your meals, look at your calendar. Knowing what your week looks like will help you decide what meals make sense for each day. A simple blank calendar can be a great meal planning tool. Write your meals directly on the calendar and make a note about how your family responded to a particular recipe. Over time, you’ll have a record of meals your family loved—and those that probably don’t need to be made again.
Choose a regular day and time to plan your meals, make your grocery list and do any necessary prep. Maybe Sunday afternoon works for you, or perhaps another day is less hectic. Your grocery list can be whatever works best for you: a notepad on the refrigerator, a shared phone note or a grocery shopping app.
Shop With a Plan
Once you have your menu, create your grocery list. Organize your list according to the layout of the store so you can shop more efficiently and avoid unnecessary purchases. Meal planning can also help you save money because you are buying what you need rather than making multiple trips tot he grocery store and picking up things you don’t need.
A few ways to stretch your grocery budget:
Check weekly sales and digital coupons
Understand the rules behind store promotions
Try generic or store brands. Start with a few basic ingredients.
Look for reduced or clearance items, including bakery items and produce.
Buy seasonal produce and consider frozen fruits and vegetables.
Stock up on frequently used items when they are on sale.
Consider Costco or Sam’s Club for items your family uses regularly and can store.
Use rebate apps such as Ibotta when they make sense for your shopping habits.
Use What You Have
Before heading to the grocery store, take a look in your refrigerator, freezer and pantry. Make an effort to use what you already have before buying more. We all have those random ingredients sitting in the back of the pantry. Find a recipe for them, use them up or donate them. Regularly cleaning out your refrigerator, freezer and pantry can help prevent food waste and keep you from buying things you already have.
Make Meal Prep Easier
Once you have a plan and your groceries are home, make your kitchen work for you. Before you begin prepping, gather your recipes, ingredients, bowls and measuring cups. Having everything ready will make the process more efficient. Look for simple tasks you can do ahead of time:
Wash and cut fruits and vegetables
Cook chicken or ground beef ahead of time
Hard boil eggs
Chop lettuce
Grate cheese
Prepare marinades
Make chicken salad or homemade ranch dressing
Portion snacks and lunch ingredients
Prepare ingredients for upcoming meals
And don’t do it all yourself! Enlist your family to help put groceries away and prepare food.
Prep Dinner Ahead
You don’t have to cook an entire week’s worth of meals in one afternoon to benefit from meal prep. At the beginning of the week, decide which meats and ingredients you can prepare ahead of time. You might cook chicken or ground beef, wash and chop produce, or prepare ingredients for several meals. Look for opportunities to make one meal do double duty. A roast can become sandwiches or tacos the next day. Cook extra chicken to use in salads and casseroles. Make a double batch of lasagna and freeze one for another night.
Store prepared meals and ingredients in clear containers and label them with the food name and the date they were made or purchased. A little organization can make a big difference when you’re trying to find something quickly in the refrigerator or freezer. For freezer meals, consider using dispoosable containers so you aren’t tying up your glass baking dishes. Disposable containers also make it easy to send a meal to a friend or neighbor without worrying about getting your dish back.
Plan for Leftovers
Don’t underestimate the power of leftovers. When planning your meals, think about how you an repurpose food rather than starting from scratch every night. Cook extra meat and use it in another meal. Make a larger batch of an entree and freeze half. Leftovers can become lunch the next day or the foundation for an entirely different dinner. Meal planning doesn’t have to mean eating the same thing over and over. It means being intentional about how you use your time, food and money.
The Goal is to Make Your Life Easier
Meal planning is not about creating a perfect menu or spending your entire weekend in the kitchen. It’s about finding a system that works for your family and using organization to make your everyday life a little easier. Start small. Plan a few meals each week. Use what you already have. Prep one or two things ahead of time. Get your family involved.
Once you find a rhythm that works, you’ll likely find that meal planning saves more than just money__it saves time, stress and the daily decision of figuring out what’s for dinner.
