Meal planning can seem overwhelming at first. Planning, shopping, and preparing ahead takes effort upfront. On the backend, you’ll save time, money and stress less about what’s for dinner. How do you become a meal planner? With these top 5 meal planning tips, you’ll find your groove in no time.
1. Use What You Have
Starting any meal plan requires shopping and stocking up at the grocery store. But before making your list and heading out, head to your kitchen. Take stock of what you already have and can use. Dig around the back of the pantry and fridge. You may have forgotten about some items.
The DishQuo meal planning app takes into account what you already have at home. When following your meal plan, DishQuo tracks leftover ingredients from previous meals reducing waste in your kitchen, as well as your wallet. It’s a win-win.
2. Repeat What Works
Meal planning takes trial and error to find what works and what doesn’t, especially when cooking for a family. When you find a winning recipe that everyone loves, press repeat. Literally, press repeat on your DishQuo app. You can customize your meal plan to use the same recipes each week. The more you prepare your favorite dishes, the quicker you’ll get at cooking them. It will become second nature. This is the beginning of finding your weekly meal planning flow.
3. Batch Cook and Freeze
Now that you have your favorite meals picked out, take your meal planning a step further. Batch cook meals you know are weekly or monthly favorites. Adjust your shopping list quantity for multiple servings. When cooking, make two, three, or even four meals worth the same recipe. Freeze your extra meals for a super simple mid-week dinner.
4. Prep Ahead for the Week
Take time on the weekend to prepare for the week ahead. Shop for your groceries and stock up the kitchen. The DishQuo app makes this easy. DishQuo syncs your meal plan to your grocery delivery app, bringing your grocery list right to your door. Wash, chop, and store all your fruit and veggies in the fridge. When it’s mealtime, pull out your prepared produce and toss it in to cook.
Looking for simple, healthy snacks during the week? Having cleaned and chopped produce on hand makes healthy choices quick and easy. Prepare some extras for a quick snack.
5. Keep Your Kitchen Organized
Segment your kitchen pantry and fridge into sections. Organize food by groups and place more often used items at the forefront. Keep it consistent. You’ll move through your kitchen and cook in less time with less stress.
Empower kids to make their own lunch. Place kid-friendly foods on low shelves with clearly marked bins. Give simple directions like one fruit, one veggie, one protein, and one carbohydrate. It frees up time for you and gives them a sense of responsibility for their own healthy eating.
Meal planning may seem overwhelming at first. With practice, you’ll give a rhythm that works for you. Have patience, enjoy the process and you’ll repeat the rewards in no time.
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