We talked about gardening yesterday and I mentioned it’s a great time to start one and I feel the same about the topic of meal planning–now is a great time to work on this!! We are home more so it allows us to have more time to do this. We can’t go to a restaurant to eat out (we can order take out at a lot of places though and that can be figured into your planning). Kids activities are not going on in the evenings, etc. In addition, supplies are limited in the grocery store, and if you are ordering online for pickup, many places require you to order several days in advance…..thus resulting in the great skill of PLANNING!!! I am a big proponent of meal planning as it really does help us make better choices but it also helps us manage the pocket book better. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Think about your schedule. When are you going to be home for supper, when can you prep some food to make it easier, can you do any batch cooking, etc. Figure that into your planning.
2. Write down your choices for each day. You can plan out each meal or just supper–whatever works best for you (something is better than nothing!). Ask your family for input and have them help with the choices and prep. School age children at home can help with this!
3. Make your meals balanced: think about MyPlate–1/2 your plate fruits and veggies, 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 grains/starches. Figure that into your planning. I personally always start with the meat and work my way around with adding everything in.
4. Incorporate take out options and/or leftovers into your menu if you’d like.
5. Allow for some flexibility in case you change your mind with what you feel like that day!
6. Each week, look at your plan and make appropriate steps for you to follow it. Ie- take meat out of the freezer to unthaw, wash and chop the veggies so they are ready to go, brown the hamburger, slow cook the pork loin, etc. These little steps will make following the plan easier on you.
Here are a few ideas that I have done lately: Pork loin in the crockpot slow cooked—can eat a few meals out of this, sandwiches, plain with a side, etc. Spaghetti with a salad Scalloped potatoes and ham with a side of veggies (I used leftover ham from Easter). Slow cook chicken in the crockpot to shred and use for salads, quesadillas, tacos, casseroles, etc. These are simple things….it doesn’t have to be hard…..just take a little bit of time to put your mind and efforts to it! We can get into the habit of doing this now while we’re home more and it’ll stick with us when we go back to a busier routine! If you need any help, don’t hesitate to contact me! I do offer telemed visits as well! -Kelsey
