Nutrition Know How

What’s my new year’s resolution? I want to get better at planning, really, any kind of planning. I tend to live day by day, which definitely has its benefits, but drawbacks it has too. What am going to plan? I want to do a better job at planning for the week’s meals ahead of time…meaning before 6 o’clock at night when I’m scrambling to throw together yet another dinner “creation.”

I could start with planning the whole week, but that is a big step. I think I’ll start small, more like two or three days a week, and dinner only. I don’t have kids to plan for, so it is just me and my husband. You might wonder, why plan your meals out? Or maybe you’re thinking, “What if I don’t feel like Spaghetti and Meatballs when it comes up on the menu?” That’s a good point. That is why it is important to make a plan that is flexible.

Meal planning ahead of time, that’s the key, ahead of time, can save you money, time, and make for more nutritious meals. It eliminates the stress when you get home from work and don’t want to have to make a decision about what’s for dinner. It makes grocery shopping simpler, more efficient, and more economical.

With any goal or resolution, it is important to be realistic. I have set out to plan meals in the past and I get lost in the middle of a cookbook or favorite recipe website, spending too much time browsing without making any sort of plan. This is most likely because I’m trying to accomplish too much all at once. This time around I’m starting small, only 2 or 3 days a week. It also allows me to be flexible with my plan. If something comes up on a weeknight that prevents us from eating the “planned” meal, all is not lost. We can have sandwiches and soup to fall back on. So whatever your goal or resolution is for the new year be fair to yourself and start small; don’t be afraid to adjust and make it work for you if your initial plan isn’t working.  In my next post I’ll let you know how this meal planning is going for a gal who is a little afraid of planning.