Hello, busy wonder woman! š
I have a confession to make – I really, really, really donāt like cooking! (an odd way to start talking about meal planning, isnāt it? However, things will be clearer in a few moments, I promise! š )
Even though this feeling is here to stay (it sure looks like that to me), Iāve found a system to make the whole process at least a little bit easier.
Thatās what Iād like to talk about today – meal planning.
We all agree on this one – meal preparation is an inevitable part of life (a sad fact for me).
Therefore, you can imagine how I feel when it comes to this matter (hint: not so good).
Thereās breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, EVERY DAY to deal with.
Along with the eternal questions – what will I make, do I have all the ingredients, would the kids like to eat it, how long does it take to prepare it (aka will I have any time left in a day to do something else?)?…
If youāre finding yourself in these words, too – I feel you, the struggle is real.
So what to do make it (at least a little bit) easier?
Meal planning
A quick fact – not many persons are planning meals in my surroundings (if any, that is).
At least not for longer than two days in advance (it mostly boils down to āWhat will I make for tomorrow?ā – ha, ha⦠get it? boils? ahem⦠to continue!).
And since meal planning (the way I do it now) is not as common here, I was also one of those people – those who think about their meals only for 2-3 days in advance.
For a long time it didnāt even occur to me there is a better system which helps to make mealtime so much easier (and less stressful).
Until the day I accidentally discovered it.
I was beginning to reach my tolerance limit (and my sanity) about it and was looking for a way to make it at least a bit simpler. (ok, maybe to cut some corners as well⦠but donāt tell it to anyone, letās keep it our secret! š )
You can guess who Iāve turned to for help and guidance – the almighty internet, of course! š
And there it was.
Meal planning (for real!).
It was such a game-changer for me!
It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders.
I got to say, Iām a hard nut to crack, and I STILL donāt like making meals.
However, for me, meal planning has made this household task to be quite bearable.
Advantages
What were the things which made me want to jump for joy?
Well, for a start, I didnāt have to think about the eternal question āWhat will I makeā every day of the week.
That is such a relief, knowing I planned the meals in advance and all that is left is to prepare them. (and to use the meals wisely. more on that later)
It also frees up my time a bit.
I could easily spend around half an hour each day thinking what to prepare, checking do I have the ingredients, trying to remember when was the last time I made the same dish (I donāt like to repeat the same meal more than I have to)…
Half an hour doesnāt sound much, but itās 3.5 hours per week. Looks different now, huh?
Hereās another thing to be happy about.
Once you set it up, you can almost automate it, and never again spend the time on planning. (yaaay to that! š – Iāll also come to this later on.)
Meal planning helps with having a balanced diet.
Letās be honest. Who doesnāt like sweets?
With a meal plan, you can allow yourself (and the members of your family) to indulge in your favorite desserts while being sure everyone gets all the necessary nutrition at the end of the day.
Letās not forget this – it can help you save money.
Because you know what youāll cook, you can plan out grocery shopping the most effective way.
Meaning – you can buy in bulk, look for the best deals, and choose the time which suits you to do the shopping itself.
Oh, and one more thing!
This one is huge for me, as well.
If you involve your kids in meal planning, they will be more willing to help around when necessary, and also less picky when itās time to eat (at least my kids behave that way! and I got to say, they have a strong character…).
How it looks like in real life
My real life, at least. š
Here goes!
This is what my meal planning looks like now, after searching and testing for the best system.
For this purpose, I use the Meal planning section of my household binder.
First off, I make a list of meals which are the ācandidatesā to be considered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Because the way I view it, every family has their own dishes which they like to eat (or donāt), so it doesnāt make sense to simply copy someone elseās meal plan in full.
For instance, for a long time, my kids didnāt eat sandwiches! Any! At all! Can you believe it?! Therefore, they werenāt on my menu. (I donāt like making two or more dishes for one meal. Makes sense?)
From there, I make a weekly meal plan for as many weeks as I possibly can (say, 6 at least).
Thatās also the part where I include my kids.
Iāve created a separate, fun weekly meal planner especially for them – because I like to have two snacks sections for the kids to see (but I also like cute things, too š ).
Iāve printed it off and laminated it so it can be reusable and almost eternal.
With a dry-erase marker, my older child fills this weekly meal planner up, and the younger one gets to wipe off the meals once the day ends.
I also always plan (at least) one meal in a week to be left for – leftovers (because no matter how much or little I cook, somehow the remains of the food always show up – and I really donāt like to throw the food away).
So, once I have enough weekly plans to work with, I create a monthly meal plan by combining them.
Also, if it turns out I have the same dish on the menu again after a relatively short amount of time, I can decide to make a double portion and freeze half of it for later.
I simply love these little time savers!
And weāre coming to the part where the āautomatizationā kicks in.
With enough weekly meal plans (say, around 10 at least) you can quickly create a meal plan for the entire year. š®
Of course, with some little seasonal tweaks regarding the ingredients and/or different occasions/holidays.
You get the point!
Next, when I create a monthly meal plan, I fill out the grocery list in my binder for all the ingredients Iāll be needing.
And the last step is to make a shopping list.
(donāt forget to check for sales and/or special offers on items you anyhow have to buy!)
And that’s about it! All the steps necessary to send mealtime hassles into history!
If you like the process and consider doing the same, check out the printable (and fully editable!)Ā Busy Momās Household Binder.
(you know, along with meal planning, this printable binder has other sections designed to help you organize and store various household information/tasks which each mom faces on a daily basisĀ šĀ )
Hereās to beating the mealtime-overwhelm! š
Pssst... Here are more related posts just for you, dear! š
You and I must be soul sisters. Honestly if I could never make another meal in my life….. well, I wouldn’t cry long š Great tips! Thanks so much. Sharing!
š š š Do you even need the word “long”? š š š (i know I don’t š ) Thanks for the comment, it really cheered me up! <3
I would be lost without meal planning! These are some great tips, some of which I already follow!
That’s great, Kristin! If you have some good ones of your own, do share! Thanks for the comment.
I agree that meal planning makes meal time less stressful. The weeks I do not meal plan, I feel chaotic and scrambling to pull meals together. I especially love crockpot meals!
I know… And yay to the crockpot! š