As a wife and then a mom, one of the most dreaded questions of the day will always be “What’s for dinner?”
My kids live far from home so I now cook just for my husband and me. It’s not my favorite task, but it lands on my plate. A dinner plate, I suppose. My saving grace over the years has been meal planning.
Many think meal planning is an arduous task, but it’s such a time saver! As a young stay-at-home mom, I didn’t plan meals, and it was frustrating. I often had to take two babies to the grocery store just to grab one ingredient for one dinner. Cooking was not enjoyable for me because I was disorganized.
Now I am older and wiser, I can’t imagine not planning weekly meals. Here are some tips:
Each week I figure out how many nights I’ll be cooking. It sounds strange but I also check the weather forecast. Who wants to grill burgers when it will rain all week or eat soup when the weather hits 60 degrees?
Next, I chose my recipes. With pen and paper in hand, I jot down the ingredients I need to buy. When making my list, I always separate my items by sections at my local grocery store so I don’t have to backtrack through the aisles.
We freeze almost all the proteins I buy for the week. There are times when our schedules change, so that meal will then rotate into the following week. Our food saver saves us money and time.
Taking 15-20 minutes each week to meal plan and go grocery shopping only one time per week is a time saver. Also, if I were to stop more than once, I know I would buy extra things on a whim.
If ‘What’s for dinner’ stresses you out, try my tips on meal planning for one week. If I check in with you at 4 pm on weeknights, you’ll probably feel less stressed knowing what you’re going to make and ready to cook your family a meal with all the ingredients right at your fingertips! Let me know how it goes…
Nicole MacPherson
I meal plan as well – how else do you know what to grocery shop for? Also the thought of not knowing what was for dinner at 5pm, well, that makes me feel nervous and sweaty!
myheartinpen
Haha..same. I’ve always been a planner, even with meals. If I didn’t have a plan or list, I would be roaming around the grocery store for an hour.
Nancy L Anderson
Meal planning is always worth it!!
myheartinpen
I think so! It’s so less stressful and it makes me enjoy cooking more!
Writer McWriterson
I meal planned for years when the kids were little. I still meal plan, but it’s a little less strict now. I think I’ll definitely be more like you once it’s just me and my husband. It’s so much more efficient this way — and it saves money too!
myheartinpen
I totally agree! I don’t enjoy grocery store shopping so get me in, and get me out! Sometimes I ask my husband to go with a list, but you know how that ends up. He deviates…lol
Writer McWriterson
OMG, do I ever know how that goes…🤣
Suz
I do this, but in a flexible version. We generally eat the same type of veggies and proteins, so I have my ‘staples’ on hand and can whip up a few different versions of dinners when needed. ya know, sometimes our moods change. 🙂
myheartinpen
I do have to say my husband is somewhat of a picky eater. However, a couple months ago I told him to plan a meal once a week. Needless to say that was short lived..lol. Generally we eat whatever veggies are in season, and yes, staples are important to making dinner! I have a small stash.