Meal Planning
One of the most time-consuming, expensive, and stressful events in my life is meals. But home-cooked, nutritious meals are so important to me, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. That's where meal planning comes in.
First off, why is this such an important aspect for me, and why do I think it should be for you and your family as well? Home-cooked meals allow you control over what energy you are putting into your body, and great quality whole foods will make you and your family less fatigued, sleep better, have more energy throughout the day, fight depression and sadness, and overall increase your health. It is also a time that everyone can come together around the dinner table, and connect about important things. Doesn't everybody want this? The food you eat really will do ALL this.
I have been focusing on this area for over one year now. This has been a lifestyle change. I have been making small changes and am starting to feel like not only do I have a grasp on it, but I am thriving and actually enjoying the process. Slow and steady works. One change at a time. What I have learned is the MOST helpful thing is meal planning. Meal planning saves us money, time, and takes the stress out of having to decide every single day what to make. There are so many ways to meal plan. I think the most important thing is you do what works for you. If it is an app, a piece of paper, writing it on your phone, pick something that you are most likely to stick to. I'm a pen and paper kind of gal. I have tried other ways and they just don't stick. So make this change customized to you.
The whole idea is to plan every meal and do a little bit of meal prep for the week. Sunday's are usually the ideal day, but pick what works for your schedule. I break it up. I buy all our meat in bulk every six weeks, portion and freeze it, on a day that my daughter is in daycare. Then depending on how my weekend goes, I will meal plan on Sunday or Monday. I will buy the majority of supplies on a Monday and pick up odds and ends near the end of the week if need be. With meals planned, you can pre-pick recipes, or use tried and true ones. I try only one new recipe a week so I'm not completely overwhelmed. Then from this meal plan, you can make a grocery list. At this point, you can use apps or flyers to coupon shop. I know moms that save $100-300 a week doing this! I'm not onto it yet, but I do find I save WAY MORE by sticking to a grocery list, and therefore waste almost no food. This to me adds up to about $100 a week in savings. By purchasing our meat in bulk and freezing it, we save another $50-100 a week.
We are by no means perfect, but I am trying very hard to make simple changes. Eating meat is still in our diets, but I have been trying to cut it out a little bit more. My husband has a bean allergy and has a physically demanding job which makes his body crave a lot of red meat. My daughter has recently been found to be dairy-intolerant. Do what works for your family. Nobody is perfect. Do the best you can. Really, just the little things change everything!
If you have any questions about meal planning, or anything real estate, contact me today. Let me help you put down roots in our beautiful community.