Wouldn’t it be nice to have a quick but healthy answer to the dreaded late afternoon question, “What’s for dinner?” Having a plan in place for what you’ll be eating allows you to enjoy several benefits that ultimately make time for the things that matter most to you:
– Eat healthier
– Feel good about fueling your body with nourishing meals
– Feel confident about what you’re cooking
– Save money
– Waste less food
– Create more time for your family to sit down together at the dinner table
Meal planning starts with a well-organized pantry (check out our previous article for tips on that!). Once your pantry is in order, follow these steps for quick and effective meal planning:
- Build consistency. Set aside time each week—ideally on the same day—to plan your meals for the upcoming week. At a minimum, focus on planning dinners, as they’re often the trickiest to navigate.
- Let activities be your guide. List out the family activities for the week and identify which days are the busiest. That way, you’ll know when it’s realistic for you—or someone else in your household—to cook. Download a worksheet to make this process even easier.
- Use what you have. Look at what you already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer, and build your meals around those items to save money and reduce food waste.
- Assign them. Then, plug your planned dinners into the calendar and assign who will be cooking each night. This way, everyone is on the same page, and the process feels manageable.
- Shop for what you need. Once your meals are planned and the cooking assignments are made, create a grocery list based on your week’s menu. Only shop for the items you’ll need for the week’s dinners to avoid impulse buys.
- Include alternates. It’s also a good idea to have a couple of quick and easy frozen meal ideas in your back pocket for days when plans change. Building flexibility into your meal plan ensures that life’s unpredictability doesn’t throw off your efforts to prioritize healthier eating and family time.
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Work hard and be kind!
Love,
Your friends at Cut the Clutter RVA