Got Meal-Planning Mayhem? These Tips Are For You!

How often does 5:00 pm roll around, and you just haven’t thought about dinner? Maybe by Thursday and Friday, you are scrambling around, trying to find something that’s easy to pack for you or your kids’ lunches. Meal-planning is something that we all have to do, but if you live a busy lifestyle, it can get overwhelming. The good news is that it’s very possible, with practice, to avoid a lot of meal-planning stress. Here are some tips on planning your meals with a minimum of hassle:

• Think ahead for the week when it comes to dinners
  If you are used to going to the grocery store every day or two, this takes some effort. Each weekend, pull out your calendar to see what you have going on each day. If your son has soccer practice on Tuesday, for example, you’ll need to make something quick and easy for dinner. Maybe you work late every Thursday, and you like to have a crock-pot meal waiting for you when you get home. Or perhaps you go out for pizza every Friday. Think about what types of meals you want to make those nights for dinner and write down whatever ingredients you don’t already have on hand. This is the beginning of your shopping list.

• Take a look at the school lunch calendar and your budget
  If your children sometimes get school lunch, sit down with them on Saturday to figure out which days they would like to buy lunch at school for the following week. It might help to write down their answers, because inevitably, one child will claim that she does not want to bring lunch on a day that she had previously agreed to do so! Also, think about how much money you want to spend on your own lunches, if you sometimes eat out, and determine which days you will bring lunch from home. Next, consider what type of foods you would like to bring with you or pack for the kids. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box: A thermos can keep hot foods hot, so you needn’t be limited to only sandwiches. Foods like soup, macaroni and cheese, and leftovers from the previous night’s dinner can all work for lunch. These lunch foods will also be part of your shopping list.

• Don’t forget the most important meal of the day!
  If you and your kids typically eat cereal or oatmeal for breakfast then it’s easy enough to buy a box or two of whatever they like. If you like to mix things up a bit, be sure to write down your ideas. Consider adding a piece of fruit to each person’s breakfast as a way to boost the nutritional value of the meal. If your kids are frequently hungry before lunch, you might want to add some protein to their breakfasts as a way to help them stay full.

• Finally, buy a few snacks and treats
  If a problem in your home is that the fun snacks tend to all get eaten the first few days after shopping, then when you get home from the grocery store, package them in individual-sized portions and tell each family member how many servings they are allowed per day. If you buy perishable foods like yogurt and deli meats for snacks (or for meals), then you might consider going to the grocery store twice each week. In this case, buy half of the perishable snacks on the weekend, and make time to stop on Wednesday to pick up the other half.

• Post your menu plans on the refrigerator
  This will keep you accountable, and will let family members get used to the idea of eating a less-favored meal item in advance of that day. As you get used to menu-planning, you can ask that your children plan and prepare one or two meals per week, which can be a big help to you, as well as fun and educational for them.

Don’t let meal-planning get you down! Follow these tips and stay on top of mealtime mayhem.