11/07/2017

Meal Planning Tips and Ideas

In September, I shared some of my weekly meal planning tips to
several women in an evening Relief Society meeting.

At about the same time, I was able to listen to
Sara Wells from Our Best Bites deliver a similar message
to another larger group of women.


Here's what I learned from Sara:

Figure out why meal planning is hard for you. Get specific.

Pick 1 or 2 of the ideas below to help you.
Don't try to do all of these.
Just pick a couple that could help you out
at this season of your life now.

Do you hate grocery shopping?
If yes, consider online grocery shopping and just simply pick it up.
This is becoming the new norm for many people.
Others still like to grocery shop, but just need one less thing to do,
and this is becoming a convenient way to help them.

Consider a meal planning service.
They deliver the ingredients and recipe to you.
All you need to do is prepare it.
Blue Apron is an example of this type of service.
Our family has done it, and we loved and enjoyed it.

Do you need ideas of what to cook?
Do you need some recipes?
-Ask friends/family for their favorite recipes.
 Facebook/Email works well for this.
-Check out Cookbooks at the library,
 or simply buy used/new cookbooks.
-Food Magazines are another great resource.
-Have each family member pick a day of what they want to eat for dinner.
-Subscribe to a menu plan. You usually pay a small fee,
 and they will email you a monthly/weekly menu plan,
 with a recipes, and a list of ingredients.
 Here are some menu plans options:
Our Best Bites or Mel's Kitchen Cafe
 You can google other menu plans.
-Repeat your favorite meals often.
 Your family likes pizza, implement Friday pizza night.
 They like Pancakes, have them for dinner every Sunday, etc.
 Pay attention to when your family is excited about something they've eaten.
 Do that meal often.

Do you have picky eaters/kids?
(Sometimes the adults or yourself are the picky eater.)

Find out why they are picky about foods.
Is it the texture, the seasoning, something they are unfamiliar with?
Sometimes just understanding the why can help.
An example: They don't like soggy broccoli?
Bake it instead, maybe serving it a little crisper can help.
Roasting/Baking Veggies in the oven at 400 for 20-30 min.
can often change the texture and taste of veggies for kids in a positive way.

Be sensitive to some of their pickiness.
Sometimes they have good reason why
something doesn't taste good to them.

Start your kids young on lots of different foods.
Baby food grinders work great with this, when you have infants.
(This might be my favorite baby item. We loved ours.)
The more variety of food they are exposed to at younger ages,
the better they will adjust later.

Involve your kids with the foods you prepare.
Let them touch it, see it, smell it, etc.
Let them help prepare it too sometimes, this can help with picky eaters.

Dip it and Wrap it, are good ways to help them eat foods they are picky with.
Dip it in Ranch, Ketchup, etc.
Wrap it in Tortillas, and suddenly they'll try it.

Some families have a rule to not let kids complain or say anything
about the meal until after the meal is over.
Or the 1st kid done, needs to do the dishes.

Do you struggle with the time,
or family schedules?
-Plan dinner in the am.
 Thaw the meat, chop up the veggies, etc.
Just know in the am what you are eating at dinner.
This helps at 5 pm when you're HANGRY!
 Set your phone on an alarm reminder at 10 am -
 What's for dinner?
-Set the table by late afternoon,
 this lets everyone know dinner is coming.
-Have a set time your family will eat dinner.
 Let everyone in the family know. We eat at 6 pm, BE THERE.
-Sometimes with everyone's schedules dinner at
 dinner time just doesn't work.
 -Implement snack time before bed.
  Keep it simple. Piece of Toast, Apple slices, etc.
-Take advantage of all the semi-homemade products you can buy at the store.
 This can simplify and give you needed time.
 For example/ Canned soups - add your own fresh ingredients as it simmers.
 (I often boil up extra noodles, and cook up carrots to add to canned chicken noodles soups)
 Frozen Pizzas, Cut up fresh veggies to add on top. Green Peppers, Tomatoes, etc.
 Use the Rotisserie Chicken for enchiladas, or when a recipe calls for cooked chicken.
 Buy the Bread Bowls for soup instead of making homemade bread bowls, etc.
-Add fresh, grated cheese to your box of macaroni and cheese.

This is what I shared:

I believe in the 2-week meal planning method.
I've done it for many, many years and it still works.

I take my family calendar, and a piece of scratch paper.
On the scratch paper,
I write down a dinner meal for each of the next 10-14 days.

I then, write down on another piece of paper, the ingredients
I need to buy at the store for those meals specifically.
After I've gone to the store, I have ingredients for those 10-14 meals.



Things always change. I may not be in the mood to prepare
what I have written down for that assigned day.

This doesn't matter. The point is I have ingredients and ideas
for 10-14 meals to use as needed.

I try about 1-2 new recipes a month.
This helps me stay interested in eating and meal planning.

Here are my favorite food blogs for new recipes and ideas:
I love them all and use them regularly.

A Bountiful Kitchen
House of Nash Eats
Six Sisters' Stuff
Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Our Best Bites

Remember that the food bloggers listed above,
eat cold cereal, frozen pizza, etc. just like the rest of us.
They are not preparing nice meals every night.

I also include 1-2 dessert recipes in my meal plan,
and ingredient list of the store.

Happy Eating and Good Luck!

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