Planning Meals Ahead Of Time

To make meal time and the rest of the day run smoother, it is helpful to plan meals ahead of time, usually a week in advance, or two if you’re lucky to find the time! I know it sounds like a daunting task, but, once you find your stride, you’ll be amazed you didn’t do this before!

First, you should have paper and pen either on your refrigerator or your pantry door. Always take a running inventory of what you have used, what is running low, or what you will need for a recipe. The easiest way to keep this list current is to write down the item prior to grabbing it, such as last four eggs in a carton or the last splash of milk in your coffee.

Second, to easily plan meals ahead, you need to designate one to two hours a week, preferably in one sitting, to view your grocery’s stores weekly flyer against your list. Staples such as eggs, butter, flour, etc. are not normally on sale, but sometimes you will luck out. You will also find that sale items will help you plan meals ahead of time as they usually are paired items. Normally, chicken, rice, and soup will be on sale at the same time and make a delicious casserole.

Third, when you plan meals ahead, you will want to make foods work for you more than one night. If you plan to make tacos one night, brown two pounds of beef, and then store the other pound to add to store bought red sauce for a semi-homemade meat sauce to serve over pasta as an easy, meal one night of the week. You can almost plan meals ahead of one staple meal. The extra soft shells and lettuce from taco night can also go into a wrap for lunch! Just don’t forget to write your weekly meal plans down!

With a small chunk of time each week, you can easily plan meals ahead of time and save yourself time and trouble!