For many busy families, meal planning is the key to getting through a given week with little stress and hassle. To do that, though, you’ve got to know how to do it right, so let’s look at some key tips for planning out your family’s meals for the week.
Go Slow and Start Small
If you’re new to meal planning, remember that it can take on a life of its own if you make it too complicated. To avoid that problem, start small by planning a couple of meals a week, then add on as you become more familiar with the process. That way, you won’t bite off more than you can chew and end up creating chaos in the process.
Cook Together
One of the best ways to do meal planning for the week is to make cooking a family and team-building activity. It’s great for bonding, and it lets everybody have a voice in what you make. It may feel like it takes a little more time, but you’ll thank yourself when you see the results.
Make a Menu Map
You can use your phone, a notebook, or some scrap paper to make a menu map, and this basic start will help you down the line. List ingredients, recipes, side dishes, desserts, and so on, and try to cross-reference the categories where there’s overlap. Doing a thorough job of this will prevent you from missing anything and give everyone a voice in what they eat. The best part is that you’ll make better, healthier choices as you improve, and it will streamline the whole process and make it more efficient.
Make a Grocery List
This one might seem even more obvious, but it’s essential. It prevents those trips where you wander through the aisles, dazed, only to get home and discover you’ve forgotten some essential items. Let yourself be spontaneous along the way, but don’t leave it out entirely.
Do Your Inventory
One of the key tips for planning out your family’s meals for the week is to know what you have and what’s missing. You can do this regularly or periodically, but make sure you do it. It’s one of the best ways to stay on track. Remember that the penalties for not doing it include cleaning out nasty things you’ve overlooked or forgotten and missing key items for meals.
