Five Fabulous Benefits to Meal Planning

I just got a new recipe book, I’m so excited! : ) New things to make, new things for my family to try..I seriously hate a meal rut. (. . but I’m totally down with repeating the recipes my family will always eat..and I have memorized!!)

My coworkers laughed last year when I scrolled my menu on my Notes app. We plan our meals on the weekend, order groceries, and plan a pickup order for Sunday or Monday..every week. I have a running menu..and it’s over a year old (so it takes wayyy too long to scroll to the bottom. But I just can’t get rid of anything. It helps me plan future meals when I’m stumped.)

So . . why do I meal plan? Just a few reasons (and I was dying to say Six Sexy Benefits..but that sounds bad. Even to hungry people. and I only thought of five.)

Save money.

I meal plan to save money in a few ways. Have you ever been starving, and waited until the last moment to start dinner? You didn’t have all the ingredients, you couldn’t wait 45 minutes for it to be ready to eat, and you decided to order pizza or just go get tacos? Nah, me neither. And those options aren’t expensive at all. I have also grocery shopped when I’m hungry (btw..don’t do that), and impulse bought end cap food (oreos, soda, chips, cheez-its, mac and cheese, etc.), which adds at least $20 to my bill . .EVERY time, I can’t help myself! If I plan ahead, arrange a grocery order, have a goal . . I really do spend less money. I only get groceries once a week, and keep a running list for things I might need soon (toilet paper, paper towels, etc.). Then I don’t impulse buy, or ditch it all to eat out.

When I plan our family’s meals in advance, I also save money if I plan to prepare food myself (with recipes). Pre-prepared foods are helpful in a time pinch (and totally less expensive than eating out), but preparing a meal yourself is simply less expensive. If a company does it for you..they are charging you for that convenience. (The only really cost-effective prepared food I love is a prepared roasted chicken-those things are only $5!)

Save time.

Another reason I meal plan for the following week..is to save time. It takes me a little bit of time on the weekend to plan our schedule- what nights need an easy dinner and which ones can get more of my time. . . but it saves me BIG time the rest of the week! I can look at what is on the menu for the following day (hooray for an easy night!) and know when I need to plan for 5-10 minutes to prep a crockpot in the morning so my family comes home to a yummy-smelling home and a dinner ready the next evening! I do love a crockpot meal. I feel like a dinner fairy visited my house. It is so easy.

It also saves me time in the evenings. Not knowing what I’m going to feed my family makes me feel desperate . . I have to pore over my recipes trying to find something I have both the ingredients and time to make. (Obviously, I’m very familiar with the feeling. I’ve visited this me many times over the years.) I know myself well enough now to plan ahead. With a game plan, I know if I have to get to work prepping some meat or veggies. Or if I know it’s an easy night..I have extra time to do some laundry, or go outside with the kids (or lay down and look up more recipes on Pinterest. . haha!)

Eat healthier.

I really do believe we eat healthier. I plan to cook a specific type of meat no more than twice a week, I plan a colorful plate (so I’m thinking about the accompaniments as I plan), and always add veggies and/or fruit to our dinner. When you make a recipe, you generally have finite food available, so I find it helps with portion control too. I have big, growing boys who are hungry, and I always want them to go back for more (or finish so I don’t have to put away leftovers!). But I feel like when I prep their plates, I fill them all up with more veggies and fruit than meat or cheesy things (which makes me always consider my plate too..). The extra side effect is it helps us all maintain a healthier weight.

Preparing your own fresh meats, veggies, and fruits if possible also reduces preservatives. Every little thing helps. I also buy extra veggies and prep them on Sundays for the week. If I have little baggies of sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli, red peppers, and cucumbers, it’s easy to throw them into school lunches, and easier for them (and me!) to grab for afternoon snacks!

Reduce stress.

I literally hate being in a deadly meal crunch and binge eating chips and dip trying to pick a recipe at the last minute. It is a nightmare. I feel the weight on my shoulders at meal time. I don’t know why (society’s expectations? a southern thing? no idea.) But when my kids’ tummies are rumbling, I have to put a plan together or die trying. (also a good time to have those precut veggies . . to appease the tummies!) I seriously look for ways to reduce stress. Momming is hard, and when I’m stressed I overeat (usually chocolate), my hair falls out, I don’t sleep well, and I’m irritable. I hate all of those and do all I can to avoid stress if at all possible. If I have a plan-a recipe, the ingredients, time to make dinner, I truly enjoy making dinner. Chopping veggies can be cathartic, browning meat with butter and onions fills my home with a delicious smell that draws the kids close so I can request assistance or talk about their day. Washing and cutting fruit honestly makes me appreciate God’s goodness, farmers’ hard work, and humbles me that I have all these people to thank. And when my family all sits down to a delicious meal, it makes me happy. I did this. I brought these people together. No better cure for stress.

Try new things.

The last thing I really think meal planning helps me with is trying new things. My son requested Ratatouille. It’s actually really good, it just required a lot of veggie cutting. I love that they can watch a movie, and ask for something new (and be willing to try it!). I don’t make them eat all of anything, but it helps us all expand out palate. How can you hate something you’ve never tried? I am always on the lookout for new recipes, and that’s how I’ve found some of my very favorite recipes. I also like to dabble with the recipes (as an amateur, of course). I change things up, switch ingredients, and find new applications for them. I’ve learning that olive oil and a broiler are magical! I even try new gadgets and appliances to see what I don’t actually need (and what I can’t live without). My pasta maker? Really unnecessary. My strawberry huller? LOVE it. Experimentation = joy!

Go find some recipes, find a variation of an old favorite, and shake up your dinner. Or just buy a bag of salad, some croutons, and plan for next week. Here’s to new foods. Hugs, friend!

love, mom