Meal Planning

“I hate trying to figure out what to make for dinner.” I have heard this no less than one million times. Seriously, I would like to know how many people out there actually like to figure out what to make for dinner. It’s one of my favorite tasks. Meal planning for the week, making a grocery list and then going shopping. I’ve been doing it since my kids were old enough be involved in the planning. My son always wanted pork chops and apple sauce (homemade, mind you) and my daughter didn’t care as long as it included pasta. Meal planning takes a little time and effort but, trust me, it pays off later in the week.

I created a menu that we use month after month. Depending on time of the year we plan one or two weeks out and shop accordingly. Breakfasts and lunches are not put on the menu because those are usually predictable. Dinners take a little more preparation and if you plan ahead it will save time as well as money and calories. (Sure it’s easier to pick up the pizza on the way home, which equates to $20 and 2500 calories.) With a little planning it will cost less than $5 and equate to 500 calories.

We start with salad. Everything revolves around fresh leafy greens and salad. The more fresh vegetables you put into your diet, the healthier you are and the better you will feel. Salads don’t have to be boring tossed salad, however that creates a great base that can be put together for the week (I have found it will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge). Lettuce, onions, peppers, radishes, carrots, try not to add cucumbers and tomatoes until you are ready to serve because they will make it soggy unless you use cherry tomatoes. Once you have your base salad created for the week, you can turn it into gourmet dinners. Add tuna and sliced hard boiled eggs, grill a steak, sauté a marinated chicken breast, add cottage cheese and fresh pine apple, or baby spinach, sliced strawberries and slivered almonds. The possibilities are endless.

Once you create the menu and you have the food in the fridge, you don’t have fuss about what to make for dinner. You can mix it up and change things around based on your mood. I’m including a blank menu so you can try it out.

Until next time,