If you’re a client or friend of mine you are no stranger to the plan! Planning ahead is crucial. Many of you have even heard me say “if you fly by the seat of your pants, you could end up needing bigger pants!” Now, I’m not saying your meals planned for the week are set in stone. I’m having friends for dinner tonight–it was a welcomed change of plans. However, most of the time it’s a good idea to at least think through your week…
- The PLAN for the week.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
-
Look in your pantry and freezer to see what’s available.
-
Think about protein sources you have and ones you need to pick up.
-
What veggies do you have and need to use up? I have lots of salad greens so we’ll plan salad twice this week.
-
Are there starches you’d like to include. This week I’m going to cook ahead some quinoa.
-
Write it down!
-
Get the items you don’t have at the grocery TODAY so you’re ready for the busy week. If you’re a coupon cutter, check the sale flyers and put those items into your plan.
-
Plan in new/challenging foods if you need to work on variety in your diet!
-
Repeat next week…
Not only does planning ahead help you stay in your pants, it can save you money too! Have a tasty week and don’t forget about the tasty recipes on Born to Eat!
Advertisement
Hi! I enjoyed today’s blog entry and I wanted to add a couple of things.
Every Sunday morning, my husband and I talk about the food we want to eat during the week. If I plan all our meals by myself, we eat the same meals over and over, and I get tired of having to come up with new ideas by myself.
Once we have our list of meals, I sit down with my cookbooks (Good Housekeeping and Joy of Cooking are my two favorites), and make my shopping list. If I think I have an ingredient but I’m not sure, I go and check. I buy almost everything for the week in one trip. If we’re having fish later in the week, my husband picks that up on his way home from work on the day we’re going to eat it.
My friends seem awed that I plan ahead and do all my shopping in one day, but the fact is that planning ahead is cheaper and more efficient. No more last minute trips to the grocery; no more standing around, wondering what to cook, and then giving up and going out to eat.
Another kind of planning is called “mise en place.” It is a fancy term that just means reading the recipe and getting all the ingredients measured and utensils ready to use. Much of this can even be done the night before work. Some people like to chop vegetables the night before, but I prefer to wait until the last minute, because the vegetables tend to dry out.
I love to plan ahead because it saves money and lets me cook more healthful, more delicious meals.
Thank you!! This is very helpful info!
I am becoming convinced that this has been one of my main problems in the past – no planning! I am working on changing this though with your help so this is a very timely blog post!