Meal planning is extremely popular (and with good reason!). Being able to plan ahead for busy nights not only allows you to still have a healthy meal on the table, but it also saves you money on those busy nights when you don’t stop for fast food.
Don’t mistake meal planning with freezer meal cooking or meal prep. Those can both be part of meal planning, but they don’t have to be. Let’s take a closer look at meal planning for busy moms.
Use a Planner
First of all, if you’re not using a planner, you should be. You want to always know what’s going on for the week. This will help you plan meals accordingly. For example, if your kids have soccer practice on Wednesdays, you know that you need something easy to fix. If everyone is home on Thursday nights, you can spend a bit more time in the kitchen. If you don’t want to use a planner, at least use a calendar.
Before we plan our meals for the week, I check the calendar on my phone for all activities going on in the evenings. I also take note if I have a lot planned during the day also where I may not have much time for meal prep.
Create a Master List of Favorite Meals
Rather than try to come up with fresh meal ideas, why not keep a master list of your favorites? Without a master list, my husband and I just look at each other for meal ideas trying to remember what we like. But, with a list, it's a matter of just rotating them into the lineup along with a few new recipe ideas.
Plan ALL Your Meals
Meal planning isn’t just about dinner. If you’re the type of mom who often skips lunch because you’re busy, you need to plan your meals. Think about what will be easy for you to make on busy days. Even if you’re writing down Lean Cuisine dinners, at least you’re planning to eat something (and those meals then make it onto your grocery list!).
Grocery Shop Once Per Week (or less!)
For me, it's not just about planning the meals, but also getting my shopping done which makes my week work well. We plan our meals and create our grocery lists all at once. Then, I place my Walmart Grocery Pickup order for the week (what a time saver!). I don't even have to go into the store. I park during my scheduled hour and a Walmart employee brings my order out to my car.
We also make a Costco list and make a quick trip to Costco for the rest of our list.
Utilize an Instant Pot
Let’s be honest. There is a huge craze around the Instant Pot. It’s a well-founded craze, too. The Instant Pot not only allows you to pressure cook meals, but many can also be used as a slow cooker. Regardless, with an Instant Pot, you can plan meals that are so easy to make. Best of all, even if you want roast during the middle of the week, you can make it.
Take Advantage of Extra Time
If you do have extra time in your day, consider prepping ingredients for future meals or spending a day cooking meals that can be put in the freezer. For example, you can easily make a large pot of chili and freeze in containers for later use. You’ll be so glad you have these homemade meals waiting for you.
The thought of a day of cooking to prep meals ahead just exhausts me! But, what I can do is double the recipe for those meals that we love and freeze well (like my homemade spaghetti sauce). I make it once and then we have spaghetti sauce for 3 to 4 additional meals.
Meal planning will make your life so much easier. If you’re tired of standing in front of the open fridge, waiting for inspiration to strike, you need to start planning your meals. You’ll save time and money when you plan ahead.
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