How To Meal Plan Effectively On A Tight Schedule
Do you have a busy schedule? Perhaps you work full-time outside of the house, and have a home with three kids who each have their own practice schedules, and you have two dogs, a spouse, and are back in school. Yes, you are busy. Finding time to meal plan is difficult for any person, but for a busy person it’s a nightmare. Here are some tips on how to meal plan effectively on a tight schedule.
Put Meal Planning on Your Schedule- When you’re constantly on the go, meal planning can be pushed to the back and forgotten. Create a time slot where you will sit down away from any distractions and put a “do not disturb” sign on your door if necessary. Dedicate yourself to creating a meal plan. Do not leave your room until it’s done.
Know Your Budget- If you have a tight budget, you’ll know that you have to be careful with what you’re choosing to make. Be prepared and incorporate store ads and a list of on hand pantry items. Make sure you have the latest coupon inserts and printable coupons handy.
Make A Rotation System- When you don’t have much time to meal plan, sometimes it’s best to go ahead and meal plan for a few weeks or even a month. The best way to do this, is to create a rotation system. Alternate menus each week, but only have two weekly menus for the month.
Create A Theme- Soup Sunday, Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday (kids choice), Take out Thursday, Freestyle Friday (create a serve yourself buffet style dinner), Slow Cooker Saturday. You get the idea, do what works for you.
Get Family Input- A few days before the big day (the day you choose to sit and plan), have your family members start writing down their favorite meals and meal ideas. This will do most of the work, you then have to assign a day for said meal on your calendar.
Go Through Pinterest- Feeling stuck on what to make? Go through Pinterest and write down your favorite recipes that go well with your theme.
Organize Your List- When you’re on a tight schedule, time is precious. When writing down your recipes, and the items needed, be sure to organize them by category (meat, dairy, grains).
Go Simple- When it comes to breakfast and lunch, go easy on yourself and delegate only 3-4 meal ideas for breakfast/lunch, and keep them on a rotation. Kids won’t remember, and it’s easy to plan out.
Consider Your Schedule- If you’re family’s schedule is busy, be aware that recipes that take 2-3 hours to prep and cook are not realistic on busy days. Look into possibly making more of your meals in the slow cooker, or meal prep them on your day off for the week ahead. Meal plan accordingly.
Hopefully these tips will help you create an amazing meal plan on your tight schedule and keep your family out of the restaurants and from ordering out.