The Beauty Of Meal Planning
Ahhhh – the beauty of meal planning! I am sure some may not see the beauty in it but I promise you - it is a game changer!
There are a few things I can guarantee will happen if you begin to implement meal planning into your life:
1. You will make healthier choices! A little time spent on the weekend creating a menu and grocery shopping for what you need upfront saves you from the dreaded – “what will we eat” syndrome which so many times leads to a quick trip through a drive thru and unhealthy decisions.
2. Time savings! Cook it once, eat it twice! Pick recipes that make an abundance of food or that you can double so that it covers more than one dinner or can be used for lunches or snacks. When you can get ahead of the game and plan out your week you are better prepared for the “unseen variables” that always pop up. I find this extremely helpful with my lunches and snacks. The few hours spent Sunday cleaning and chopping up fruit and veggies or making tuna/chicken salad, boiling some eggs and portioning out snacks gives me many options during the week that are at my fingertips. No need to think – just grab and go!
3. Technology makes it easy! Be sure to keep your planner or phone handy as you lay out your menu. Synching with your calendar is key – what activities do you have planned? Is your partner working late one night or do the kids have plans? You need to know this upfront so that you plan accordingly. There are nights that a quick crock pot meal is in order or perhaps you do need to eat out. Also there are sooooooooooooo many apps that make meal planning easy! Pinterest is great for time saving, yummy recipes and if you are out of something needed for a recipe, a quick log on into InstaCart or Shipt will have what you need delivered to your doorstep in no time.
There are simply no excuses to keep you from planning healthy meals for yourself or your family. Dedicating this time will pay off greatly and leave you feeling prepared for the week and ultimately more productive overall!
Enjoy!