Meal planning for the week helps you save money, eat healthier, and live a better life. Plus, it minimizes the amount of trips to the grocery store. Making multiple, unnecessary trips to the grocery store is a painful, especially if you have kids because you know you’ll be walking out of there with more than you intended.
We’ve all faced the dreaded question of “what’s for dinner?” on more than one occasion. It’s the question that’s in the back of the mind and avoided until the time gets closer. Nothing at that point seems appealing and just grabbing some on the go is just easier. Besides, it’s been a long day and the thought of cooking sounds dreadful.
The easy option isn’t always the healthiest option and before you know it, you’re not feeling the best and adding some weight. Think about the times you have eaten something unhealthy like fast food, chances are you didn’t plan on eating there but it was quick, easy, and convenient.
Meal planning for the week minimizes the unhealthy options because you have a written plan. You’re more likely to stick with a written plan than not having one at all.
You’re also less likely to throw out leftovers. There is nothing more painful than throwing out food, it’s like throwing money in the garbage. When you plan to eat leftovers, you are more likely to do it which ultimately results in you also saving money.
Pick one day a week where you are going to write out your meal plan for that week. Try to do it the same time every week to get into the habit and routine of it. The more you do it, the easier it gets and the happier you’ll become because you will be feeling good.
We are what we eat. When you are eating healthy food you start to feel better, sleep better, have more energy, and live a better life.
Here are the meal planning for the week must haves to make it easier
Having the right setup for meal planning will set you up for success. These tools will help you get organized each and every week.
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Printable
This printable provides a layout to keep your meal plan for the week neatly organized. It provides the framework you need to be successful. Download
Using a clipboard will allow you to hang up your meal plan so you can see if for the week. You can hang it on the refrigerator, outside of the pantry door, or on the wall in the family command center, somewhere you can see if everyday.
Having a visual is a constant reminder of what the plan is and helps keep you on track, you’re less likely to cheat.
Print out a few printables at one time at least four to five, so you have them handy when it comes time to meal plan again. Having them ready to go makes the first step of meal planning easier because they are there. If you have to print them out every time, you’ll be less likely to do it because it’s another task that has to be complete.
Simplify the process by printing out multiple pages at a time.
Other things you can keep on the clipboard besides the meal plan are recipes and coupons. Having recipes on the clipboard makes getting the recipe you need effortless. It’s easy to forget coupons and also frustrating when you’re checking out at the grocery store knowing you have a coupon at home to be used. Keeping coupons clipped to the board makes them easily accessible.
3M clips are amazing. They work great for many things such as hanging towels, clothes, and dog leashes. These particular clips work well for hanging smaller items such as clipboards. Use these to hang your clipboard so you can see it daily and access it quickly.
Post-its are a beautiful thing. They can really help you organize any project. With meal planning, they work extremely well for shopping lists.
On the meal planning printable, there is square in the bottom right corner. A post-it note fits here perfectly. Use a post-it to keep a running shopping list for the week. Having a colored post-it note makes the shopping list pop from the page.
The flexibility of the post-it note makes it easy to grab your shopping list and bring it to the store rather than bring the entire printable. When you get to the grocery store, put the list on the handle of the shopping cart. It sticks there nicely and you don’t have to worry about holding it.
Nothing will stop you in your tracks meal planning if you don’t have a pen. These G2 pilot pens not only write smoothly, they also clip nicely onto the clipboard so you have a pen handy at all times.
Having a pen clipped to the clipboard comes in handy especially when you’ve just run out of an item and need to make a quick note of it.
These tabs are perfect for organizing your cookbook and recipes. Label the tabs with the days of the week and then mark the cookbook or recipe with them. The view of the tab allows you to find the recipe quickly without having to search for it.
Label the tabs to keep your recipes and cookbook organized. They provide clear, consistent font that makes it easy to read. Consistency is key to staying organized.
Conclusion
These essential meal planning tools make meal planning for the week easier to do and maintain every single week. Having a written plan on display every day where you can see it will help you stick to your meal plan. Use the post-it notes and tabs to organize your shopping list and recipes.
Start meal planning today so you can save time, eat healthier, and live better.
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