Taking the time for meal planning is an investment that will save you time, money and energy.  I have been planning my meals for over a year now, and it is one of the best organizational methods that I do to keep my sanity.  Now when I hear, “Mom, what’s for dinner?”, I have an answer.  No more stress.  It also allows me to plan healthier options so we don’t just throw in a frozen pizza at the last minute. 

If you want to learn more about how I actually structure my meal plans (and save a lot of money in the process), you can read that article here.  I keep it as simple as possible.  You can also sign up here for me to send you a sample page of my meal planning and a list of 100 meal ideas that you can build off of.

Here are the 9 Tips that make Meal Planning Successful Every Week.

Save Money, Time and Energy by Planning Meals for the Week with these 9 tips.

1. Brainstorm a list of simple meals that your family loves to eat.  Keep this somewhere handy to reference.  Keep adding family favorites. Get my list of 100 ideas here.
2. Sit down one day of the week to plan the entire week.
3. Stay flexible and be prepared to switch.
4. Plan one meal with beans or alternative protein, eggs, fish, black beans, etc.
5. Don’t forget about Brinner – Breakfast for Dinner – Pancakes, or waffles.  It doesn’t always have to be a huge meal.  And pancakes are so simple!  Pair with fresh fruit and you have a great meal!
6. Have at least one meal that is very simple and easy to move around…frozen pizza, chicken strips, canned chicken, spaghetti, etc.
7. Use the freshest ingredient in the early part of the week.  Since you go to the store one time, plan the freshest meals at the beginning of the week. So you use them before they go bad.
8. Plan what your family will eat…what if they don’t eat leftovers?  This happened to me!  So, now I only make enough for one meal and lunch for me.
9. Be adventurous, try a new recipe once a week.  Sometimes it is just a side, sometimes it is a whole meal.

Simplify your life with Meal Planning!