So today we are going to go a bit more in depth on the FREE meal planner we looked at and is still FREE to download.
The meal planner is a great tool to keep you on track, but staring at a blank planner at the beginning of the week can be a bit daunting.
Im not saying that you will have to cook every meal from scratch, every single day. The idea of the planner is to make your life easier so lets dive in and you will see how easy it can be.
- Make a recipe master list:
Make a list of your favourite meals that you and your family really enjoy. Now write your recipes down for each of those meals. You can write individual pages, get a note book you like the look of, on your computer of even on your phone. This will make your meal planning so much easier when you come to it each week as you can refer back to this list when you are staring at that blank page. Keep adding to this list each time you find a new recipe you enjoy.
2. Choose your shopping day
There is no law that says you have to shop on the weekend. Find a day that works best for you that you can use consistently each week and this will make your planning go so much easier.
3. Check your calendar
Take a look at your calendar and see what activities you have planned that week for you and your family. This is a huge help when planning your meals so you know not to plan something really complicated that day. You might even have days where you don’t have to cook at all. There is no set in stone rule to say you have to cook every single day for the rest of time. Although a home cooked meal will taste better and be a healthier choice, there is nothing wrong with a take out now and then or convenience food now and then. Just plan ahead so you know that’s what you are looking to do on those days.
4. Write out your meal plan
So this is the part where you use the free meal planner that I have made for you. Just print it out and away you go. I usual do this the day before my errand day so I can go through what I will need to cook those meals and what I already have at home. Also its nice to sit and ask your family what they might like to eat that week. It helps you out because you don’t have to come up with all of the weeks meals by yourself and it gives them a little of input on what they enjoy eating. Everyone wins. I try to make 1-2 really big meals during the week so that I have leftovers for lunch the following day.
5. Make a grocery list
This is a really short step and will make your life so much easier. Go through your menu list and then grab your FREE downloaded shopping list. check what you will need for each meal and then check what you already have in your cupboards. This is a great way of using up all of those spontaneous buys you did when you went shopping without a plan. You know that package of tortilla chips that are sat at the back of the cupboard that you haven’t used of the special rice you thought looked nice, use those up! Shopping in your own home first will reduce waste, release prime real estate in your cupboards and save you money.
Now write down all things you will need to buy for the week on your shopping list page. I have organised the list into categories so it should make your shopping even more efficient when you get to that section of the grocery shop.
6. Cooking
So now you have done all that planning and shopping, it’s time to start the fun part of cooking all of those beautiful meals.
I keep my meal plan easily viewable in my kitchen so I know exactly what I am cooking each day. I also can see if I need to get something out of the freezer for the next days meal etc. The planner I have made for you is perfect for sticking to your fridge.
Another thing you can do to help your future self is when you do your weekly shop, you can prep some of the veggies etc ready for when you want to cook them during the week. You don’t have to do this, but it can make the weekdays run a bit smoother. One thing I do is to peel and freeze some bananas ready for smoothies during the week.
Now once you get back to your designated shopping day your cupboards should be looking quite bare and you are ready to start the cycle again.
In my new download I have made some cheat sheets for menu planning. I have given you a starter master list for your main meal and breakfasts. I haven’t included lunches as that depends on if you are at home of working away from the home. Also you might want to make leftovers for lunch which I do quite often.
In my next Blog I will be going into creating a good pantry to help even more with meal planning. This is especially helpful at the moment to reduce the need to leave the house during our current restrictions. Having a good plan and a working pantry will reduce the stress and the fear some people are struggling with at the moment and make sure that we all have a good meal in our bellies with the need to panic shop.
I hope you find this helpful in creating your new streamlined meal planning in your own home. I’ll be back on Friday and we will look at starting a working pantry.
Speak soon
Sam x