Keeping your week running smoothly is always a challenge with a busy family. You need time to rest and relax on your days off. Taking time to make a family eating schedule for the week seems like the last thing you would want to think about, but planning actually saves time and money and can greatly reduce stress. Intentional meal planning can really make a big difference as you plan for healthier and more convenient choices that fit into the family budget. Here are 8 tips to get you started.
- Look at the family calendar or schedule for the upcoming week. This will help you decide which meals to plan for. There is no point in planning dinner for Thursday night if everyone will be at a soccer game.
- Write up a menu for the week. Try this basic Weekly Meal Planner to get started. Note what everyone likes to eat for a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Come up with a few family favorite meals to make on a busy weeknight. Also include a few meal ideas that you can make ahead on your time off and reheat later in the week. If possible when you are cooking a meal make a double batch and put the second batch in the freezer for another week.
- Check the sales at your local grocery store. Choose recipes and meals from your list that use the items that are on sale. Using the weekly sale items will help to cut costs at the grocery store and help you to stay within your budget.
- Make a shopping list of the items you will need. Check first at home to see what ingredients you may already have – like tortillas, canned vegetables, rice, oatmeal, fruits or veggies that you bought last week but haven’t eaten yet. Take a look at the Cooking 5 Ways ideas on this site to help you think of new ways to use what you may already have. Then make a shopping list of the items you do not already have on hand.
- Plan a time to go grocery shopping that works for your schedule and leaves you time on your day off to prepare a couple of meals. Consider ordering your groceries online so all you need to do is drive by the grocery store and pick them up! The online ordering systems let you save previous grocery lists so you can quickly reorder your family’s favorite foods. Plus, you can see a total of how much you are spending and adjust accordingly. After you are comfortable with the grocery ordering system it will only take a few minutes to order your groceries. Best of all you can log on from your phone to place your order any time of day or night. You can use time waiting in line or picking up your kits to order your groceries. This is a huge time saver! (And ordering online prevents being tempted to buy cookies and chips as you walk by them in the store.)
- When you bring your groceries home, do some of the food preparation right away. Wash apples and put them in a bowl on the counter. Cut up some fresh vegetables like sweet peppers and onions to use in salads like this easy Pasta Salad, a stir fry like Stir-Fried Vegetables with Beef, Chicken or Tofu or quick scrambled eggs. Grate some cheese to put on tacos, sprinkle on enchiladas or add onto a salad.
- Post your menu on or near the refrigerator so your family will know what is available for healthy snacks and being served for meals that week.
- Once you are comfortable with basic meal planning, prepare some meals ahead to reheat later in the week or to put in the freezer for another week.
Start with one or two of these tips or try them all! It may seem like extra steps at first, but it can really help you stick to your budget, spend less time shopping and preparing meals so you have more time to enjoy your family!
