Make life easier by making a menu plan ahead of time to keep stress levels down and family life organised!
So I never used to menu plan only until about a year ago. And its been a bit of a saving grace for me. Not only do I work in food but writing and planning the week ahead has made life easier. I have a calendar on the kitchen wall, black board and journals which I use to make meal planning alot easier.
How to get started?
Make your meal planning attractive, give it colors, stick on pictures for reference, use highlighters. Why not even get the kids involved?
To start I find a quiet spot on the weekend to have a think about the week ahead, what dinners/lunches and snacks can we have. I check to see what the little one is eating for lunch at school and adjust the meal plan to suit that also. For example if she has tomato pasta for lunch I will probably doing a protein and veg dinner to get her a mix of nutrients/vitamins for the day. Sometimes too many carbs can be a nightmare!
Get some inspiration
Have a look through some food magazines, those little recipe inspiration sheets you get in supermarkets or even cookery programmes if your feeling adventurous. This is where I look, including social media I might save ideas I find interesting.
Make a Shopping List
Writing a list will help you to plan and BUDGET your week for food shopping. Don't underestimate having a list!
Once you know what to make/cook for the week ahead, you can make a list of everything you need so it helps you not to impulse buy as much at the supermarket or even shopping online. Stick to it! If you know you might fancy a takeout the end of the week make a plan for it and you won't feel so guilty.
Hope this helps guys! Have lots of fun trying out menu planning, make it fun! These things can be enjoyable and a great life skill for the kids so get them involved.
Selina x
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