Planning

Meal planning: If you fail to plan, you already plan to fail! 

 

One of the most important things you can do for your mind, body and soul is to plan your meals for the week. Once you create this habit of meal planning and implement it....you will wonder how you ever lived without a plan in the first place!  

 

There are several benefits to meal planning for you and your family.

 

By learning how to plan weekly meals and eating meals at home you can:

 

1. Control your portions.

2. Avoid eating hidden calories & hidden chemicals.

3. Save money! Meals eaten at home tend to be less expensive, it also cuts back on food waste and saves money on your gas since you won't be driving around looking for food to eat every night. 

4. Be certain your family is getting the nutrition they need. Homemade meals tend to be higher in nutrients.

5. Have less digestion issues. By sitting down together as a family, you tend to feel less rushed and can enjoy your food.

6. Less stress on you - by having a plan there is no more, "Hey mom, what's for dinner?"  and you have no clue and start to panic since it's 6 pm already!

6.Enjoy your family.Since you have a plan, you can actually use your time wisely. You can have quality time with the family - sit down and eat together. This makes for great bonding time with the kids and spouse. At my house I go around the table and ask 2 questions of everyone. 

 

A)  What was the worst thing that happened to you today?

B)  What was the best thing that happened to you today?

 

It can make for some interesting conversations!  =)

 

Your time is important!

Whether you work outside the home or you’re a stay-at-home parent, we are all juggling a ton of things on a daily basis.  When you first start planning a menu it will take you a bit of time, but it will definitely save you time in the end. (Creating new habits take time and practice - keep at it)

If you plan your "menu" for the week you will always have the ingredients you need to create that meal. No more running around to the store for that last minute item or opening the fridge 100 times to figure out what to make for dinner.  Or realizing it’s 6 pm and you just spent an hour trying to figure out what's for dinner when dinner could have already been prepared, cooked, and on the table. 

With a plan in place, all you have to do is pick a meal from the list, make it, and sit back and enjoy real, wholesome food with your family.