10 reasons why planning your meals will change your life
18. June 2018
[:en]
Meal Planning is the preparing and scheduling of your meals in advance to make your life easier in the present.
I started meal planning about 4 years ago. And it wasn’t always smooth. I would start motivated but could never keep up with the plan, planning time took too long, plans changed and to be real I was planning way too many complicated and new recipes.
It took some time to find a routine. That said it was worth it!
10 reasons why planning our meals changed our lives:
1. Save money
I plan our meals with our set food budget in mind and save between 300 to 500 NOK for each weekly shopping trip.
2. Save time shopping
My average time preparing our weekly meal plan is between 5 to 10 minutes. In the store I spend around 20 minutes once a week. And yes, my toddler is with me discovering the aisles and filling the trolley.
3. Save time preparing food
I know the dishes for the week and can prepare accordingly. Often I cook quinoa for 2 to 3 meals or chop onions for a few days. I have the ingredients on hand and know what we need the next days.
4. Personalized schedule
I know which evenings I have more time or less time and I’m prepared. I have more breathing time and stay relaxed also on busy days.
5. “Emergency” meals in the freezer
As much as I love cooking, it can feel like a chore rather than enjoyment if I do it daily. Hence I make sure I involve my partner and also have at least one meal planned coming from the freezer.
6. Batch cook
I learned how to batch cook. About once a week I prepare a meal for 2 to 3 dinners. Some of it ends up in the freezer.
7. Reduce food waste
I only buy what we need and use. We’re not drowning in food that gets bad and is thrown away.
Sometimes I prepare the salads straight away after shopping, going in an airtight glass container without dressing and voila we have the salad ready for the next days and it lasts longer in the airtight glass container.
8. We eat healthier
We use seasonal, nutrient dense foods. Adding many colors to our meals and repeat dishes that we enjoy.
I bring more variety into our daily choices and consider upfront what we like to eat and what will nourish our family.
Often last minute choices are influenced by cravings and stress. Further at the end of the day we start to have decisions fatigue which makes the choice for a nourishing and delicious meal harder.
9. More energy and time
One of the biggest gains for me is to get rid of the question “what’s for dinner ?” . This question by itself drains me from energy. That I prefer spending on the couch or playing with my son.
10. Stress is bad
Our meal planning helps me to plan according our family’s schedule. It takes off the pressure and ensures everyone is getting his or her favorite meal occasionally, so everyone is happier. Out for soccer on Wednesday; just prepare some food from the freezer that day. Thursday is your shopping day; use Wednesday’s meal to empty the fridge by making a nice casserole or soup.
Otherwise I have chosen staples in my meal plan, like Monday is left over from weekend day, Tuesday is soup day, Wednesday is freezer day, Thursday is wok day, Friday is fish day .
Here are 13 tips to get you started:
- Be flexible – change and adjust meals as you go and as you feel like
- Plan anything – also not to cook or a take away
- Personalize – fine tune until it works for you and your schedule (consider energy levels during different days in the evening, evening activities,…)
- Be open – try new things once in a while
- Recipes – I use recipes as a foundation and add or leave out depending what is in the fridge or how I feel like
- Use your and your family favorites
- Not a morning person – plan ahead for simple nourishing breakfast, maybe prepared the night before to save some time in the morning
- Always the same at lunch or going out – prepare enough food the night before and have some leftover, it saves your time and your money
- Prepare things ahead of time to save resources later
- Reduce grocery store trips – if your weekly menu is planned you can buy everything in one trip to the store
- Shopping for groceries gets faster – you know what you need and can stop wandering and thinking in the store
- You can prepare your food when you have time, when you know the menu you can prepare in time. Example, you use a lot of onions or other veggies in the next couple of days, just cut them all up at once and store until needed. Rice is on the menu, just prepare for enough rice for the next days.
- Plan and freeze leftovers, busy day – just check what you got already in the freezer
For me it really works. It took some time to find a working routine. But it’s worth it. To get you started check out the 2 weeks meal plan.
What is your experience with meal planning? Have you spend some extra time with your kids or on the couch relaxing?
One little side note on the end, life can become messy and sometimes the best is to forget the plan for a day or two or even a week. I’m not perfect so there are weeks without a meal plan at hand. And that’s okay too!
Want to get started and don’t know how? Fole Godt and I have a workshop coming up:
“Enkle, raske, gode og sunne måltider for hele familien – workshop måltidsplanlegging med matlaging”
Cheers
Cathleen
[:de]
Meal Planning is the preparing and scheduling of your meals in advance to make your life easier in the present.
I started meal planning about 4 years ago. And it wasn’t always smooth. I would start motivated but could never keep up with the plan, planning time took too long, plans changed and to be real I was planning way too many complicated and new recipes.
It took some time to find a routine. That said it was worth it!
10 reasons why planning our meals changed our lives:
1. Save money
I plan our meals with our set food budget in mind and save between 300 to 500 NOK for each weekly shopping trip.
2. Save time shopping
My average time preparing our weekly meal plan is between 5 to 10 minutes. In the store I spend around 20 minutes once a week. And yes, my toddler is with me discovering the aisles and filling the trolley.
3. Save time preparing food
I know the dishes for the week and can prepare accordingly. Often I cook quinoa for 2 to 3 meals or chop onions for a few days. I have the ingredients on hand and know what we need the next days.
4. Personalized schedule
I know which evenings I have more time or less time and I’m prepared. I have more breathing time and stay relaxed also on busy days.
5. “Emergency” meals in the freezer
As much as I love cooking, it can feel like a chore rather than enjoyment if I do it daily. Hence I make sure I involve my partner and also have at least one meal planned coming from the freezer.
6. Batch cook
I learned how to batch cook. About once a week I prepare a meal for 2 to 3 dinners. Some of it ends up in the freezer.
7. Reduce food waste
I only buy what we need and use. We’re not drowning in food that gets bad and is thrown away.
Sometimes I prepare the salads straight away after shopping, going in an airtight glass container without dressing and voila we have the salad ready for the next days and it lasts longer in the airtight glass container.
8. We eat healthier
We use seasonal, nutrient dense foods. Adding many colors to our meals and repeat dishes that we enjoy.
I bring more variety into our daily choices and consider upfront what we like to eat and what will nourish our family.
Often last minute choices are influenced by cravings and stress. Further at the end of the day we start to have decisions fatigue which makes the choice for a nourishing and delicious meal harder.
9. More energy and time
One of the biggest gains for me is to get rid of the question “what’s for dinner ?” . This question by itself drains me from energy. That I prefer spending on the couch or playing with my son.
10. Stress is bad
Our meal planning helps me to plan according our family’s schedule. It takes off the pressure and ensures everyone is getting his or her favorite meal occasionally, so everyone is happier. Out for soccer on Wednesday; just prepare some food from the freezer that day. Thursday is your shopping day; use Wednesday’s meal to empty the fridge by making a nice casserole or soup.
Otherwise I have chosen staples in my meal plan, like Monday is left over from weekend day, Tuesday is soup day, Wednesday is freezer day, Thursday is wok day, Friday is fish day .
Here are 13 tips to get you started:
- Be flexible – change and adjust meals as you go and as you feel like
- Plan anything – also not to cook or a take away
- Personalize – fine tune until it works for you and your schedule (consider energy levels during different days in the evening, evening activities,…)
- Be open – try new things once in a while
- Recipes – I use recipes as a foundation and add or leave out depending what is in the fridge or how I feel like
- Use your and your family favorites
- Not a morning person – plan ahead for simple nourishing breakfast, maybe prepared the night before to save some time in the morning
- Always the same at lunch or going out – prepare enough food the night before and have some leftover, it saves your time and your money
- Prepare things ahead of time to save resources later
- Reduce grocery store trips – if your weekly menu is planned you can buy everything in one trip to the store
- Shopping for groceries gets faster – you know what you need and can stop wandering and thinking in the store
- You can prepare your food when you have time, when you know the menu you can prepare in time. Example, you use a lot of onions or other veggies in the next couple of days, just cut them all up at once and store until needed. Rice is on the menu, just prepare for enough rice for the next days.
- Plan and freeze leftovers, busy day – just check what you got already in the freezer
For me it really works. It took some time to find a working routine. But it’s worth it. To get you started check out the 2 weeks meal plan.
What is your experience with meal planning? Have you spend some extra time with your kids or on the couch relaxing?
One little side note on the end, life can become messy and sometimes the best is to forget the plan for a day or two or even a week. I’m not perfect so there are weeks without a meal plan at hand. And that’s okay too!
Want to get started and don’t know how? Fole Godt and I have a workshop coming up:
“Enkle, raske, gode og sunne måltider for hele familien – workshop måltidsplanlegging med matlaging”
Cheers
Cathleen[:no]
Meal Planning is the preparing and scheduling of your meals in advance to make your life easier in the present.
I started meal planning about 4 years ago. And it wasn’t always smooth. I would start motivated but could never keep up with the plan, planning time took too long, plans changed and to be real I was planning way too many complicated and new recipes.
It took some time to find a routine. That said it was worth it!
10 reasons why planning our meals changed our lives:
1. Save money
I plan our meals with our set food budget in mind and save between 300 to 500 NOK for each weekly shopping trip.
2. Save time shopping
My average time preparing our weekly meal plan is between 5 to 10 minutes. In the store I spend around 20 minutes once a week. And yes, my toddler is with me discovering the aisles and filling the trolley.
3. Save time preparing food
I know the dishes for the week and can prepare accordingly. Often I cook quinoa for 2 to 3 meals or chop onions for a few days. I have the ingredients on hand and know what we need the next days.
4. Personalized schedule
I know which evenings I have more time or less time and I’m prepared. I have more breathing time and stay relaxed also on busy days.
5. “Emergency” meals in the freezer
As much as I love cooking, it can feel like a chore rather than enjoyment if I do it daily. Hence I make sure I involve my partner and also have at least one meal planned coming from the freezer.
6. Batch cook
I learned how to batch cook. About once a week I prepare a meal for 2 to 3 dinners. Some of it ends up in the freezer.
7. Reduce food waste
I only buy what we need and use. We’re not drowning in food that gets bad and is thrown away.
Sometimes I prepare the salads straight away after shopping, going in an airtight glass container without dressing and voila we have the salad ready for the next days and it lasts longer in the airtight glass container.
8. We eat healthier
We use seasonal, nutrient dense foods. Adding many colors to our meals and repeat dishes that we enjoy.
I bring more variety into our daily choices and consider upfront what we like to eat and what will nourish our family.
Often last minute choices are influenced by cravings and stress. Further at the end of the day we start to have decisions fatigue which makes the choice for a nourishing and delicious meal harder.
9. More energy and time
One of the biggest gains for me is to get rid of the question “what’s for dinner ?” . This question by itself drains me from energy. That I prefer spending on the couch or playing with my son.
10. Stress is bad
Our meal planning helps me to plan according our family’s schedule. It takes off the pressure and ensures everyone is getting his or her favorite meal occasionally, so everyone is happier. Out for soccer on Wednesday; just prepare some food from the freezer that day. Thursday is your shopping day; use Wednesday’s meal to empty the fridge by making a nice casserole or soup.
Otherwise I have chosen staples in my meal plan, like Monday is left over from weekend day, Tuesday is soup day, Wednesday is freezer day, Thursday is wok day, Friday is fish day .
Here are 13 tips to get you started:
- Be flexible – change and adjust meals as you go and as you feel like
- Plan anything – also not to cook or a take away
- Personalize – fine tune until it works for you and your schedule (consider energy levels during different days in the evening, evening activities,…)
- Be open – try new things once in a while
- Recipes – I use recipes as a foundation and add or leave out depending what is in the fridge or how I feel like
- Use your and your family favorites
- Not a morning person – plan ahead for simple nourishing breakfast, maybe prepared the night before to save some time in the morning
- Always the same at lunch or going out – prepare enough food the night before and have some leftover, it saves your time and your money
- Prepare things ahead of time to save resources later
- Reduce grocery store trips – if your weekly menu is planned you can buy everything in one trip to the store
- Shopping for groceries gets faster – you know what you need and can stop wandering and thinking in the store
- You can prepare your food when you have time, when you know the menu you can prepare in time. Example, you use a lot of onions or other veggies in the next couple of days, just cut them all up at once and store until needed. Rice is on the menu, just prepare for enough rice for the next days.
- Plan and freeze leftovers, busy day – just check what you got already in the freezer
For me it really works. It took some time to find a working routine. But it’s worth it. To get you started check out the 2 weeks meal plan.
What is your experience with meal planning? Have you spend some extra time with your kids or on the couch relaxing?
One little side note on the end, life can become messy and sometimes the best is to forget the plan for a day or two or even a week. I’m not perfect so there are weeks without a meal plan at hand. And that’s okay too!
Want to get started and don’t know how? Fole Godt and I have a workshop coming up:
“Enkle, raske, gode og sunne måltider for hele familien – workshop måltidsplanlegging med matlaging”
Cheers
Cathleen[:]
