4 Reasons Your Meal Planning Isn't Working
Meal planning can be so helpful. Â It is a really great habit to develop. Â I'm sure you have read plenty of posts and articles about the "best" way to meal plan. Â I've compiled just a few tips for you. Â These are the things that I have learned over the last 5 years of meal planning.
1. Not planning according to your activities
This one is really a problem in the summer and during the holidays. Â I know that I can write out a really great meal plan for the week and buy all the groceries and then only end up making half. Â We love to be outside in the summer and there are plenty of days that we stay at the pool longer than I had originally planned. Â We like to hike and we may decide to follow a few butterflies and take our time coming back down the trail. Â Those days are not the days that I come home and can muster up the energy to make a new recipe or a detailed dinner. Â Give yourself the luxury of putting sandwiches on the menu. Â Or plan to have pasta salad for dinner and throw it together before you head out to your adventures in the morning. Â Cold cut sandwiches, fruit, and some veggies are a wonderful dinner. Â So is a frozen pizza tossed on the BBQ to cook for 15 minutes after a fun day at the pool.
2. Planning too many new recipes
I LOVE finding new recipes. Â I am constantly clipping, printing, and writing out new ideas for meals. Â I get myself in to trouble when I plan 4 new recipes in one week. Â It takes brain power to follow a new recipe and try new things. Â There are just some nights that I need to be on auto pilot and not have to think. Â Pull out the old favorites that you could make with your eyes closed (or GASP......boil noodles and heat a jar of marinara). Â Put one new recipe on the menu each week and plan it for a day that you have a little extra time.
3. Not leaving wiggle room
I know there are 7 nights every week. Â I know that my family will need to eat all 7 nights. Â But I still only plan 4-5 dinners each week. Â We like to heat up leftovers, go out to eat with friends, and recently we LOVE to get together with my grandparents who just moved down the street. Â If I plan dinners and buy for all 7 nights, I end up wasting food and feeling overwhelmed. Â And I always plan one "pantry/freezer" meal each week. Â That means that the meal only consists of ingredients that can be kept in the pantry without spoiling or in the freezer. Â This way if I don't get to that meal, I can just move it to the next week without worrying of wasting food.
4. Not planning according to your stage of life.
I have 3 little ones. Â My tiny guy is only 6 months old and still nursing frequently. Â My 3 year old is in the middle of potty training. Â All of this means that I don't have a lot of "stand time" in the kitchen. Â I need to choose meals that have little prep or prep that I can do ahead of time. Â My meals may need to be in the oven for 45 minutes, but I can't stand at the stove whisking a delicate sauce for 25 minutes. Â Make sure to give yourself grace and set yourself up to succeed. Â You will feel good about what you get accomplished and your family will love so see you eating dinner with a smile and not a frazzled attitude.
I love preparing meals and serving others. Â Food is such a comfort and the memories made are special. Â Try creating a meal plan next week. Â Do just 7 days at a time and see how it goes. Â Then bump it up to two weeks.
I hope these tips help you. Â I know I am always tweaking my system and adjusting as I go. Â There is no perfect formula but these are some good tips to help you get going in the right direction.
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