Meal planning and back to school go together like peanut butter and jelly.
A new academic year provides the rhythm that helps you get back into the practice of eating dinner at a regular time every evening. Meal planning allows you to achieve that goal with less panic and crying (from both your kids and you).
As you gear up for a new year, take a minute to pause to make a plan. The small difference of being prepared in advance has an impact on both your bank account and your bodies. You’ll save more money and make better choices for your health in just a few easy steps.
Plan with calendar in hand
Back-to-school night, practices, work functions and more — the boxes on our calendar have already populated close to a month in advance. It’s essential that you consider your week and even the day of the week when you plan meals. Some nights, you won’t have the energy, let alone the time, to do much more than toss a frozen pizza in the oven.
Take a deep breath. That’s OK. So as you begin to make a plan, take into consideration what else will be going on in your world when you’re trying to prepare that killer new drool-worthy recipe. You may have time on some evenings, but not on others.
Start small
When you’ve been bitten by the meal planning bug, the temptation to plan an entire year’s (or at least a month’s) meals pops up. However, if you’ve never taken on meal planning before, it’s wiser to begin in small ways. Choose a five-night window to launch your journey.
In the same way, this is not your moment to begin a second career as a high-end chef. Your goal is to begin consistent habits, not to cook complicated fare. Stick with classic recipes you know your family will eat over new ones. Eventually, you can introduce different meals to your tribe, but in the beginning keep things simple.
Think long shelf life
There are nights when you don’t have the time to chop fresh veggies and whip up glorious side dishes for your main course. For this reason, it’s wise to keep an assortment of pantry stable options on hand. Rice, pasta and potatoes all stay fresh for an extended period of time and give you quick, non-thinking side dish options.
Consider stocking your freezer with family-favorite frozen veggies. Ready in a matter of minutes, you’ll have a nutritious dish to pair with your main course.
Use your appliances
Remember that air fryer your mother-in-law gifted you for Christmas? How long has it been since you used your slow cooker? Are you one of the lucky few to own an Instant Pot? The back-to-school season provides the perfect opportunity to put the appliances hidden in your cabinets to good work. Don’t forget to dust off the waffle iron for a breakfast for dinner night.
The best meals are those prepared in the mornings. You’ll come home to a delicious smell and a meal ready to be plated and devoured. Put those appliances to work during the day while you’re gone.
Share the work
Thank the goodness there are other people on this meal-planning journey who can help kick start our own efforts. If you’re stuck in a rut or simply don’t know where to begin when it comes to meal planning, do a quick Internet search and see what it yields.
Again, fight the urge to introduce all new meals and foods. Find a basic plan you can modify to meet your family’s unique tastes. Whether you choose a paid service such as eMeals, check out the $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook from your local library or even look over the $50 ALDI Meal Plans on queenoffree.net — allow someone else to initiate the process and spark your own creativity. Just remember to make the meal plan your own.
It’s time to get down to business. The new school year is your perfect opportunity to become a meal planning whiz. Do some research and then put those ideas on paper. Planning meals keeps you out of restaurants. You’ll spend less money on dinner and more time with your family. Who wouldn’t want more of that?
