Does meal planning sound like a foreign concept to you? I know and understand your thoughts! Until recently, I thought this had to be complicated and time-consuming! Who really does this anyway?! Well, meal planning saved my sanity more than once this spring. And I bet that with all the activity you have going on in your life, meal planning can help you too!
Meal Planning for the Working Mom Demystified…
I am a natural-born planner. My life is organized, on paper, and I keep track of appointments, activities, etc. in my calendar. But until six months ago, I never took the time to sit down and plan our meals. Why? I thought it would take too much time. In reality, the pre-planning allowed me to focus on feeding my family homemade food, even on those busy nights when we had a track meet until 8:30 p.m. or an away basketball game.
I HATE fast-food with a passion! The flavors disappoint me, I know it is loaded with unhealthy trash, and yet in some small towns in the midwest, that’s all that’s open at 9 p.m. after a ballgame or track meet or scholastic bowl meet or whatever weeknight event you have. Meal planning saved my family from the disappointment of fast food many nights, allowing us to eat food I felt good about serving.
Please note, this is simply how I do meal planning. Others might have other ideas, but for me, I want it to take very little time yet give a roadmap for our food choices.
How I do meal planning…
Step #1–Write down every meal your family likes. This was my master list. I simply found a small pad of paper and wrote down every. single. meal. our family likes. Most people eat the same meals frequently. (Some of our favorites: spaghetti, tacos, chicken divan, chili, pork loin, scrambled eggs, pancakes, grilled cheese, red beans and rice…) In fact, I know people who eat at the same restaurant every Monday. They eat at the same restaurant every Tuesday. This continues for the week! We are creatures of habit. So take a few minutes, your family can help, and write down the recipes you make most often.
Step #2–Get out your calendar or planner and write down something to eat every day for a month. Please realize this works best if you already have your kids’ activities written down for each day. Why? You will have more time to eat together as a family after a practice than an away game/meet/match. This will allow you to plan accordingly. I have been known to pack a homemade picnic to take to track meets so we can eat stuff that is good for us. (It saves money, too!)
Step #3–Make your grocery list. I buy the same stuff at the grocery store almost every trip. So for me, this isn’t a big deal. When you make food from scratch you just need a few staples. I don’t have to decide what boxed mix to buy because I don’t buy them. Instead, flour, sugar, dried pasta, meats, etc. are my focus. This, too, saves me a lot of time.
Step #4–Stick to your plan! Of course you need to be flexible, but for the most part, following the meal plan is very important. It saves time, eliminates wastefulness (ever found a bag of lettuce that’s been in your ‘fridge too long?), and gives a sense of organization. No more last minute stressing about what to eat!
Step #5–Make use of leftovers. Leftovers save me…a lot! Not everything reheats well, I understand. But by making a large pot of chili, I can feed my family for at least three meals: chili, chili, and “taco” salad. Plus, my husband might have some left to take in his lunch to work. This is just one example. Use whatever you like.
You Can Do This!!!
These five steps are simple, right? You can do it! Involve your family and ask what foods they like and go from there! Take baby steps! Try planning for a week at a time and see how that goes. You can always increase your length of planning as you get more comfortable. For instance, I’m considering planning two months at a time this fall. What a freeing thought!!!
If you have ideas for how to meal plan, please send me a note! Helping other working moms have success in the kitchen is very important to me!
If you’d like to see what products I use for meal planning, please see below. Please know, these contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission on any sales, at no extra cost to you. The income I earn helps to pay for maintaining my blog. Thank you so much for your support!