Meal planning is much more than just a fad that came across the internet. It’s a true time, money and health saver anymore. There isn’t one of us out there that has all day to cook some grand meal, EVERYDAY. Yes, many of us would love to, but we work, we take care of the kids, and then we have to take the kids to their sports or extra-curricular activities. Let alone our workouts and meetings we go to as volunteers.
1. Planning and cooking ahead will save you the added expense of eating out for how ever many meals you need to purchase or that dreaded last minute grocery store trip. I know it used to be a $20 stop a few years ago, it’s not even close now for our family if we haven’t planned ahead.
2. Some nights there just isn’t time to cook. We get home from work or finish our appointments and it’s time to run the kids around. Or we need to get to the gym and take care of our own health. We are very important and need to workout as well, so we can take care of our families for many years. The fact we need to get dinner on the table keeps a lot of people from making healthy choices.
3. Eating healthy makes the entire family more productive. Healthy foods keep everyone’s body in check. If you aren’t planning ahead then it’s much easier said than done. If you have the meal already cooked and just have to reheat, then you are so far ahead of the game it can’t even be counted. Very few take-out meals have nutrients. But menu planning makes sure that you are ready for all those busy days and everyone is getting the nutrients needed to push ahead.
Meal plans come in all shapes and sizes. Your diet needs come in those same needs. For many, the general Once a Week Cooking menu plan is much better than they are eating already or it is what the majority of their family will eat. Join the newsletter for more info when specialized menu plans become available.
Val Selby is a certified personal trainer. She’s been married for over 15 years and has 2 kids that are teens. She does know about having to balance everyone’s chaotic schedule and get the food on the table. She also has to help create her clients meal plans to fit their goals and schedules. Frugal cooking, meal planning and freezer recipe tips can be found at Once a Week Cooking.
