by Due to technical difficulties that plagued the blog all week last week, I have chosen to reissue last weeks articles. The good news is that we have moved to a different server and everything APPEARS to be fixed! Thanks for bearing with me and we will now resume our regularly scheduled content! ~Stacy
I would like to tell you that I am a very organized person. I also would like to say that I always plan healthy nutritious meals for my family and my pantry and refrigerator are well organized too. The truth is that I am not very organized and I often forget about dinner until the last minute. My fridge is full of leftovers and my cupboards need to be purged. I am no expert on menu planning. I will tell you that I save myself tons of time and money when I plan a menu ahead of time.
Save Time-I save time by knowing exactly what is coming up for the next meal. When there is a clear menu plan, I do not stare into the refrigerator for 10 minutes, trying to come up with something to eat while I am hungry and irritable. I also don’t waste time on unnecessary trips to the supermarket to gather ingredients I could have picked up had I planned ahead.
Save Money- I save money using menu planning because I can “shop” my pantry first. I have the ability to look at ingredients I have and plan meals around them, meaning I only have to pick up a few more ingredients to make a meal. By planning ahead I also can shop sales and plan meals based on what items are on sale that week. We also tend to eat out less when we have a plan in place.
Step 1-After you have made the commitment to try menu planning, the first step is to decide on the time frame of your menu. Some people plan meals 1 Month ahead of time. Others plan ahead by 1 or 2 weeks. I personally plan a one week ahead. This works well for us because I have a clear picture of what is happening for the next week and can plan around events and appointments.
Homework-Look through cookbooks or online to find easy recipes that you are comfortable making.
Here are a couple sites to get you started:
Kraft Foods
5 Dollar Dinners
Menu planning need not be a complicated ordeal. If you are not accustomed to planning meals ahead of time, it may be time consuming at first, but after you have been doing it a few weeks, it will become quicker and you will see the rewards. In this 3 part Menu Planning Series we will learn the steps to planning menus that have flexibility built into them to accommodate families growing schedules.
In part 2 of the Menu Planning Series, which will be published Wednesday, April 8, we will print a planner and talk about recipes and shopping sales.
What are your menu planning tips?
(Photo Credit: Stephen Cummings)
Navigating the dangerous minefield of the snack food aisle at the super market can be treacherous. If you step one way you get blasted with cookies that are loaded with sugar and fat while if you go the other direction you are bombarded with chips and crackers packed with sodium and empty calories. We try to eat healthy snack foods, yet these convenient pre packaged snacks can be a lifesaver for those moments that you are dashing out the door and need a quick bite.
