5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Meal Planning

*Disclosure – This is a paid collaboration.

I’ve been meal planning for around several months and I wouldn’t be without it now. It was my lovely friend Kim from Life As Kim who got me into the whole meal planning routine.
Since then the weeks run so much smoother, we’re more organised and mealtimes are a doddle.
Here are 5 reasons why you should consider meal planning too.

Saves Time

I have wasted so much time previously, pondering on what to have for dinner. Having a meal plan in place has certainly freed up some time. Take the supermarket shop, for instance, If I made a shopping list it would take me a good hour or so trying to think what we could have and what ingredients we would need. On the occasions that I would go without my list and just try and wing it, I would walk up and down the aisles aimlessly trying to put enough food in the trolley to keep us all fed for the week ahead. With a meal plan in place, my shopping list takes minutes and the trip to the shops is a doddle.

Saves Money

As a family of four, I am always frugal where possible. Getting the best deals and making our money go further is something I like to keep on top of. Meal planning helps save us a lot of money. By having a plan in place you know exactly what to get in one shop. I don’t know about you, but whenever I am shopping, I always used to end up buying ingredients for recipes that I think we are going to have, but never actually did. By knowing exactly what you need also helps to cut down on those impulse purchases!

Cuts Down On Waste

As you have already chosen the meals you are going to have for each day, you check the dates on the produce as you get it. We choose frozen and tinned food for later in the week, and fresh food for the beginning of the week, to make sure that we no longer have bags full of food that is past its best. Meal kit providers that send the ingredients for the most popular recipes can be a good choice as they only send the correct amounts for each dish. Another tip is when you shop, choose loose fruit and vegetables so that you are not tempted to buy a large bag which then leads to wastage.

Keeps You Organised

It is amazing to find how much of your time is taken up thinking about planning meals. By organising your meal plan at the start of the week, you can cater for all eventualities. If you know on Wednesday you are going to be late home, you can plan something for dinner that is really quick to prepare. If you are all going to be eating at different times, you could prepare something in the slow cooker so everyone can help themselves when they are ready.

A Good Variety Of Meals

We all have a number of recipes that are our safety net. Those dishes that are a massive hit with all of the family, you can make with your eyes closed and never ever go wrong. I know only too well how hard it can be to introduce new foods to the dining table. It’s so disheartening when you have cooked something lovely that the kids won’t even try isn’t it? One of the best things about meal planning is that you can involve the children when you do your plan. They get the opportunity to choose new meals with you, which then eliminates the surprise when it is dished up and reduces the amount of wasted food. You could use the internet for inspiration. Scouring Pinterest or even just searching easy and quick recipes gives you and your children all of the ideas that you need to add new favourites to your recipe resume!

Do you meal plan?

Why not check out our recipes page for inspiration? Or maybe our Slimming World friendly recipes.