Meal planning feels like a chore more times than it feels like fun, but as I've learned time and time again on this journey is that a lot of the time life isn't about doing the things that you want to do but the things that you have to do. I started meal planning more often in 2019 when Rohit and I made a decision to bring me home full time and that meant losing our second income. We had to really knuckle down with our budget and tighten our belts to make things work on his salary alone. This included bringing our grocery bill down as much as humanly possible. A skill that I am still working on to this day. However, meal planning has gotten so much easier for me through the years. I was an early user of Pinterest. I joined way back in 2011. I have thousands of pins and close to 2000 recipe pins alone. What this has afforded me is flexibility with meal planning.
Here are my tips for meal planning..
Tip 1: Write it out
Don't try to keep information in your head. My hubris has for decades tried to keep me trapped in a over confident-forget-self loathing cycle for a really long time. I think to myself that I'm so super smart and I'm not going to forget! News flash. You forget. I forget. We all forget. It's okay. So make sure you write it down and use that list! I usually keep mine somewhere on either a Google Sheets or Google Doc that I can access from anywhere. I've also started posting my weekly dinner menu on my Instagram page once a week.
Tip 2: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Silly)
Keep it simple! Don't put things on your meal plan that you can't make. Sometimes it is good to try something new but don't over complicate your life. If you only know how to make baked chicken and spaghetti then make that. Start small and work in new simple meals every week as you go. Don't go overhauling your entire recipe index. Work small. Work with what you have.
Tip 3: Check it
Keep your menu somewhere you can find it and check it when you don't remember what you put on it because it was 7 days ago. Also, when you're compiling your grocery list make sure you check your list against what you already have in inventory in your house. This will save you money in the long run and will lower the risk of you missing something.
Tip 4: Digitize your grocery list
I stopped writing down my grocery list about a year ago. I started making a shareable google doc that my whole family can access and add items to when they notice we are running low or are out. This way the list is always on my phone and I never accidentally forget it before leaving the house! It has been a game changer. I would always forget my grocery list on the counter when I would head to the store and then have to either turn around and go home and get it or just try to rely on my very unreliable memory to get all of my groceries. I would usually always forget almost everything for one meal.
Tip 5: Give yourself a break.
I try to pick at least one meal per week that is almost mindless to make. This used to be something frozen and processed but as I've moved away from processed foods this has become something I can pop in the airfryer for 30 minutes and then have a meal like my favorite air fried chicken wings. There's little to no hassle and they always come out delicious. This gives me a break as I cook breakfast, lunch, and dinner for three people three times a day (dog not included).
So these are my 5 tips for meal planning.
For the rest of this week we are having:
Sunday: Taco Pie
Monday: Taco Salad
Tuesday: Cajun Chicken Legs
Wednesday: Beef Kofta with mediterranean salad
Thanks for reading!
Peace,
Hannah
No comments:
Post a Comment