Meal Planning Part 1

Meal planning part 1 is the first in a series of 3 parts that discusses ways to help make your life easier in the kitchen.

The holidays are over, the new year is here and my keyword for the month is ORGANIZE. This is the perfect time to introduce my new meal planning 101 series. Before we start chopping veggies and doling out snack baggies for the upcoming week, let’s talk about meal planning and why these steps will ultimately make your life a whole lot easier.

What Are The Benefits To Meal Planning?

Meal planning part 1 focuses on the benefits of having a plan in place. Obviously the main benefit is to save time and make your life stress free. There are other benefits too.

• Saves money! that’s right. When you go to the store with your list of necessities to cook your weekly meals, you’re less likely to grab items you don’t need which will save money in the long run. Typically when my kids were home I would only run out to get more milk or juice during the week.
• Meal variety. When you give yourself time to plan, you won’t resort to the same few meals every week. How many of you leave work not knowing what to cook for dinner, run to the market and pick up a taco kit or a rotisserie chicken? Only to realize you did that 4 days ago. I have been there too.
• Healthier eating! When you plan your meals, you are planning to cook those meals using healthy nutritious ingredients. This is better than stocking up on frozen foods, sugary items and snacks full of empty calories.
• Food waste prevention! How you ask? Well when you plan your meals you are planning servings and how to use any leftovers!

Where To Begin with Meal Planning?

Meal planning Part 1’s first tip: Choose a day to commit to organizing cookbooks and loose recipes.

There are a few different ways to organize cookbooks. The first is by method. For example place all grilling books are together. The next is by author and of course food network celebs. The third is to group by color of the book jackets. Do whatever resonates with you and will entice you to pick one to read.

Next, organize loose recipes pulled from magazines, printed from the web and pinterest or handwritten. I initially started with an accordion file and grouped them by meal, but that became to overflowing. Two years ago I bought a crate with hanging files and file folders. Now I am organized by ingredient (pasta, chicken, beef etc…) and parts of meals (veggies, breakfast, dessert and holidays)

Get rid of recipes that you have made and don’t care for or that you may have duplicates of. Another tip is to use post-its in your cookbooks to mark recipes you would like to try!

Make a list of family favorites. Include your whole family in this process. Your kids will feel like they have a say and be more willing to eat.

The Next Step in Meal Planning Part 1

Now that your recipes are organized and you have an idea to what the family wants to eat, it is time to organize! (and clean…lol). Check your cabinets, pantry, refrigerator and freezer.

• Check expiration dates on all your food (fresh, canned and frozen). Don’t forget to check your spices too. As you do this, rotate items to the front that are about to expire.
• Thoroughly clean everything. I know, I hate this step too. As you take things out of the fridge to check their expiration dates, it is a good time to wash it down. Wipe out your cabinet shelves.
• This is also a good time to make things pretty too. Why not transfer rice and grains into pretty jars! Label them with cute DIY tags made by your kids!
• Take pictures on your phone of your pantry so when you shop you know what you have and what you need to replace. Also keep a copy of my blank grocery list on your fridge and write things down as you use them up. (you can find this in the subscriber library)

Meal PL

Meal Planning Part 1’s Final Organization Step!

Take a moment to stand in your kitchen and reflect. Really feel it. Does it work efficiently? Can you re-arrange things to make it flow better? I am ALWAYS changing things up!

Look at your cooking accessories. Here are a few to help make your life easier: a slow cooker, an Instapot, an air fryer, a set of small preparation bowls, glass containers with lids, re-usable baggies and don’t forget Bento boxes for lunches!

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The Essentials: