Now I have realized that it is much more efficient to plan for the week ahead, not just that night's dinner. I have made Sunday my official Meal Planning Day. On Sunday, I scour the Internet for recipe ideas and make a comprehensive grocery list. I will search the Internet or use apps like RetailMeNot to find any available coupons. Then, I either go to the local grocery store or place an order on Fresh Direct. We usually get takeout on Sundays, so I don't have to worry about that night's dinner. And it feels great to have all of my shopping and meal planning done for the week ahead! I am free to concentrate on cooking--the fun part!
I know that most of my readers are cooking newbies like myself. So I drew up this simple list of ways to make your meal planning more efficient. Efficient meal planning is cost-effective, timely, and just generally makes your life easier. Ready to make a change for the better? Let's get started!
- Keep a meal journal
Purchase a basic weekly planner for this. Your meal journal should serve two purposes. One, you can use it to look back on past meals for inspiration. Two, you can use it to plan for the week ahead.
On a designated day of the week, search the Internet, cookbooks, and your own past recipes for the following week's meal inspiration. Once you have decided what you are going to cook each day, write up a grocery list of all of the items you need. Next, decide where you are going to get the items on the list. Some grocery stores might be better for certain items than others. Finally, get shopping! Having all of the items ready at your disposal is much easier than going out every time you realize you don't have a necessary ingredient. You will also save money this way.
Tip: try adding pictures of each night's dinner to your meal journal. It's fun to look back on what you ate a month ago or even a year ago!
2. Plan your meals around sales
Look at grocery circulars (either from the newspaper or online) to see what's on sale at your favorite grocery stores and plan your meals around that. Also, try coupon-hunting apps like RetailMeNot and Ibotta to save even more money. This doesn't take much effort at all and it always makes me happy to know that I am saving money!
3. Try theme nights
As you may have noticed, I take pictures of each night's dinner. These photos are helpful in many ways. One way I use them is to determine if I am cooking something too frequently and need to branch out. Sometimes I will realize that I am stuck in a rut of cooking the same things over and over. One way I get out of this rut is by planning a theme night.
Most families have done a Taco Tuesday, but have you considered doing a Macaroni Monday or a Weiner Schnitzel Wednesday? Your theme could be a certain culture, like Indian or Italian. Or you could try Thanksgiving in June or a picnic in the dead of winter. The possibilities are endless.
4. On a diet? Check calories counts before you shop!
Meal planning and dieting go hand-in-hand. Research shows that people lose more weight if they plan their meals ahead of time.
Once you have drawn up your grocery list, Google each item to find out the calorie count. If the calorie count is higher than you were expecting, research lower-calorie alternatives. Or simply make the next meal a light and healthy one to make up for your splurge. It's okay to cheat once in a while!
If you're cooking for someone other than yourself, ask them what their favorite dishes are and make a master list of ten or twenty recipes. Don't forget to include your faves on the list too! This master list will be your "go-to" list when you have no idea what to make for dinner. Rotate between the meals so everyone gets to enjoy their favorite entrée.
6. Keep staples on hand
You don't want to spend hundreds of dollars at the grocery store every week, so it is important to keep your kitchen well-stocked. Take note of the foods and spices you find yourself using constantly and make sure to always have them in stock. Here are some of my staples: chicken breasts, olive oil, Smart Balance, shredded cheddar cheese, bell peppers, diced onions, minced garlic, paprika and good ole' Frank's Red Hot Sauce.
7. Use leftovers strategically.
I used to just throw away all of my leftovers, thinking I would forget about them and they would start to smell if I saved them. Now I realize that I should take full advantage of leftovers in order to save money and cut down on trips to the grocery store.
It's important to package leftovers correctly so they stay fresh as long as possible. As soon as I store the leftovers, I make a note in my meal journal of when the product should expire and then try to work my future meals around that. I often push other planned meals back a day to make sure I use the leftovers first.
7. Use leftovers strategically.
I used to just throw away all of my leftovers, thinking I would forget about them and they would start to smell if I saved them. Now I realize that I should take full advantage of leftovers in order to save money and cut down on trips to the grocery store.
It's important to package leftovers correctly so they stay fresh as long as possible. As soon as I store the leftovers, I make a note in my meal journal of when the product should expire and then try to work my future meals around that. I often push other planned meals back a day to make sure I use the leftovers first.
These are just a few easy ways to get started with meal planning. Got any other tips? Leave a comment below and let me know!
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