Do you often resort to takeaway because you have no idea what to prepare for dinner? Or can you never think of meal ideas that the entire family will enjoy? Take the stress out of dinner by preparing a detailed meal plan. If you don’t know how to get started, a meal plan for the family with HelloFresh is a great example and will give you insightful ideas. Whether you are feeding hungry teenagers or picky eaters, planning your meals makes weeknight dinner fun.
What Are the Benefits of Meal Planning?
If you feel like you barely have time to cook daily or have to cook different things to satisfy everyone’s palate, you definitely need a meal plan. Creating a meal plan may not be your favourite thing to do, but the benefits are worth it. Read on to discover some of the benefits of meal planning.
Less Stress
Ever stood by the fridge wondering what to make for dinner at the last minute? Having a weekly meal plan for your family reduces the stress of choosing what to make for dinner every night. Besides, you can ensure you have all the ingredients at hand, and you will have less pressure, which is helpful when everyone is hungry.
Cost-effective
Planning your meals in advance prevents you from grabbing takeaway on your way home or forgetting to use the leftovers in your fridge on time. It reduces impulse buying since you only buy what you need for your weekly dinners.
Saves time
How much time do you spend thinking of a meal to make for your family or searching the pantry for the items you need for your meal prep? Aside from saving you daily trips to the supermarket, you get all the thinking out of the way ahead of time, and your weeknight dinners will be a breeze.
Variety of meal choices
If you are feeding a picky crowd, you don’t want to serve the same food every night. Your meal plan provides a variety of delicious meal choices to suit everyone’s taste preferences.
Steps for Planning a Meal
Preparing a meal plan is not rocket science. However, it takes a little time upfront. Once you get used to creating meal plans for your family, it will only take a few minutes. Before determining when you should prepare chicken and rice soup or Italian dishes, note your family’s schedule. How many people will be eating each meal? Do you need to prepare snacks and meals to be eaten away from home? Are you having family meals with guests that week? For instance, if you are inviting colleagues or extended family for Sunday tea, your plan should cater for the guests. Some of the steps for creating a meal plan include:
- Gather the items: Get the items you need to plan your meals, like the family calendar to plan meals around everyone’s availability. For instance, there’s no need for a meal when you are going for a barbeque. Don’t forget the list of foods your family likes to eat and that new recipe everyone liked.
- Fill in the no-brainer: Does your family have routine meals? These are the no-brainers since they must appear in your meal plan and will cut out a third of the process.
- Complete the rest of the meal plan: The remaining days on the meal plan depend on your schedule. How much prep time do you have? Do you want elaborate meals or simple dishes?
- Inventory the food in the pantry: Take an inventory of the foods in your freezer and refrigerator. You need to use the items within the meal plans to ensure they don’t go bad.
There are different ways to create your meal plan, and you should find a solution that works best for you. Don’t forget to create space for leftovers in your menu to ensure the food doesn’t go bad.
Feature image by Abdulmajeed Hassan from Pixabay