Seven Steps To Meal Planning

1. Set Your Mind To Succeed. Decide why meal planning is critical to your life. Do I need to be more organize with my eating habits for my health or for my love one’s health? Do I need to plan my meals in order to have time for other things that I am missing out on by wasting an extra hour on what I will eat, running to the grocery store in the middle of my meal prep, or preparing food that I won’t eat and ultimately discard? Once you set your mind to the fact that meal planning will make my life better you are ready for the next six steps.

2. Family Conference Time. If you share your meals with family or others, start by asking them what they’d like to eat. Make sure to include your young children, even if you may have to modify their choices; “buy in” is a major key to meal planning success. Things that you want to discuss are meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, & snacks. Think about time each meal takes to prepare and don’t forget cost. Work to included at least one night a week where everyone helps to prepare the meal if possible.

3. Get Inspiration: from cookbooks and online recipes that you may want to try. Think simple to prepare, wholesomeness of nutrients, and health goals.

4. Fill in your Weekly Meal Planner go to c2bcreates.com to download a simple weekly meal planner. Write in all your meals for the week, don’t forget special event food items you may need for school or work.

5. Time For A Grocery List. Staples should be checked first. These are your daily used items such as milk, eggs, sugar, salt, bread, butter, cheese etc. Make sure for each recipe all items are checked off to ensure when it is prep time you have it. Leave the grocery list where everyone can add to it before grocery shopping day. Electronic grocery lists are great from your favorite store, because they give you location shelf, sales, and cost. Great way to know you are within the budget.

6. Schedule time to go Grocery Shopping. Work at a set day & time; add it to your calendar so you know the commitment is set. Make sure to have a snack before going to shop and if you take the children make sure they know the rules for “the shopping cart.”

7. Plan for leftovers. Make extra chicken for chicken salad, make extra soup to freeze, & make extra lunch. Generally thinking a meal or two ahead will save on time and money. Ensure you have containers that leftovers can easily be re-heated in or pulled for lunch boxes.

Meal Planning is one of the great skills for a lifelong goal of healthy you & healthy family.