How To Start Meal Planning?

Always having to think about what you will have for breakfast or dinner can be very stressful.

It is not only frustrating but also a waste of your time. That is why meal planning is something that everyone should practice. Even though the process of executing a meal plan varies depending on the number of people involved, it does come with a lot of advantages, the main one being not having to think about what meal you will have

Article Summary: Meal planning can be a daunting practice to newbies; that is why in this article, I am committed to helping you get the hang of it. Once you master this craft, trust me-the results will be resounding.!

Getting Started

Below is a highlight of the steps you need to follow during meal planning:

1. Identify Your Need;

2. Find the Right Recipes;

3. Make a Precise but Substantial Grocery List;

4. Execute the Plan.

Identify Your Need

Meal planning is not a death sentence. It should stop you from looking forward for pizza night!

In fact, a great meal plan should still allow you not only to eat healthily but also slip in

some cheat days. This is why it is very important that you first think about what you need to achieve before you dive into meal planning. Do you want to save money on food? Is preventing food waste your ultimate goal? Do you want to eat better by experimenting? Or you want to save on time when choosing what to eat for lunch? Decide on what significantly matters to you and use it as a foundation for your meal planning adventure.

“The fact is:

If you want to lose fat or gain weight the most important thing is to adjust your calorie intake accordingly.”

Find The Right Recipes

Once you decide what you want to accomplish with your meal planning, it is time to arm yourself with the right recipes. The recipes you choose will certainly kick start your quest to get the perfect meal plan that works for you. Start by deciding on the number of times you will eat at home during the week, consider your children and other family members, and don’t forget to account for any guests you are expecting over the week.

Considering all of those factors will help to ensure you cook the right meal at the right time, without anyone being disadvantaged. Go for recipes you are very familiar with but also add a new one each week.

These recipes should be of food you want to eat and ideally require shared ingredients.

Lastly, try to use recipes that leave you with leftovers that you can have at some other time. That will help you save money and reduce food waste.

Make A Precise But Substantial Grocery List

After choosing your recipes, it is time to make a grocery list to guide you when shopping.

Use your recipes to do some stock checking in your kitchen and determine which ingredients are still available and which need replenishment. Remove from your list any ingredients that are already in your kitchen. Then, come up with a well-organized final grocery list so that you can shop with ease. After shopping for the ingredients, store them in specific places (such as cupboards or pantry shelves) in order to create an organized system that works for you hence saving time while cooking.

Execute The Plan

At this point, you already know what your meal plan is aiming for, you have the right recipes and you have shopped for all the ingredients you need. It is now time to start implementing your meal plan. You can either start with chopping vegetables, washing tomatoes or batch cooking. By doing so, you will curb the fatigue that often accompanies cooking throughout the week

Meal planning will help you to achieve what you need in terms of having a flexible meal plan that saves on money, blesses you with leftovers and allows you to eat your favorite healthy meal ( but still lets you sneak out to McDonald's occasionally). However, getting the right meal plan is not a walk into the park!

Following the steps outlined above will help you come up with the right meal plan that works for you. Keep repeating the process of meal planning as often as needed while making necessary changes to arrive at what suits you.

Always remember that meal planning is not restrictive. It is flexible and convenient. You can still enjoy your favorite ice cream