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Are you interested in trying out what this whole meal planning thing is about?
If yes, then you’ve come to the right place!
Meal planning is all about having many options for meals throughout the week, backed with a plan that’ll also help you save money on groceries and of course, time and effort.
That’s where meal planning really comes to the rescue.
Saving both money and time are the two key factors that meal planners all benefit from.
And although, it may sound like a lot of work, planning your meals (ahead of time) and sticking to it, really benefits your health and your overall lifestyle.
If that’s something that piques your interest?
Then these 7 simple meal planning for beginners will really show you what it takes to become a weekly meal planner in no time at all and that it’s actually quite easy!
First, Let’s dive into the overall game plan for meal planning.
Meal planning essentially comes down to how you organize you and your family’s meals throughout the week.
Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, meal planning will give you an overall idea and outline for the week ahead.
It’s basically an easy to follow food schedule that’ll help you keep your food intake in order.
That way you can do less thinking about your food (on a daily basis) all while sticking to your dietary needs in a simple and orderly fashion.
And since meal planning is a fundamental game plan of creating an intentional outline of the foods that you will consume before you go out to the grocery store and actually shop for them?
Before we begin, you’ll have to figure out what’ll work well for you and your family first.
Everyone’s situation will be different when it comes to meal planning.
So, think about what you really need, what you already eat on a daily basis, what you’d like to cut out, and what’s practical for you and your own lifestyle.
These 7 simple meal planning tips for beginners are little action steps that you can do to help create your own easy meal planning ritual every single week from here on out!
Similar: 8 Meal Prep Tips That’ll Make Your Week So Much Easier
7 Meal Planning Tips For Total Beginners
1. Don’t over plan for your first week.
This sounds very contradictory to what meal planning is all about but if you are just beginning the meal planning process, then it’s best to start small and plan out your meals for only one week.
This way it will allow for some wiggle room for some improvisation.
Plus, if you are relaxed about it and start slow, you’ll really get the hang of planning out your meals in a breeze.
Most skilled meal planners still swap things out and change their plans mid-way through, so know that it’s totally fine to miss a thing or two.
As long as you have 80% of your meals for the week planned out, it’s totally alright if you improvise and do your own thing when the time comes.
2. Shop on a full stomach.
Try getting into the habit of going grocery shopping only after you’ve eaten something and are completely satisfied. It’ll help you from purchasing items that are not on your list and you’ll save more money on your groceries in the long run.
3. Prep your food straight away.
Typically, most meal planners do their meal planning prepping on Sunday but ANY day is good for this really. Just find a day that works best for you and plan an extra hour or two for after shopping for preparations.
Similar: 8 Meal Prep Tips That’ll Make Your Week So Much Easier
4. Store foods according to your schedule.
Next, wash and dry the ingredients that need tending right away like cleaning and dicing your fruits and vegetables for later recipes.
Not only will this help save you time (when you find yourself too busy to cook from start to finish) prepping your vegetables for later in the week is what meal planning is all about.
Doing this will also really help your meal planning efforts by allowing your food to last longer as well.
5. Use free meal planning apps.
Meal planning is so popular now that there are even apps out there that are filling the needs for new meal planners.
You should check out these 8 free food apps here if you haven’t started tracking your food on your phone yet.
But for starters, both FoodPlanner and Mealime are free apps that work great for newbie meal planners who are just getting used to this way of staying organized.
6. Think double
Make recipes do double the work for you. If you have some tolerance for leftovers you should also make a plan for them. Add rice to a leftover soup and you’ve got yourself a brand new meal!
Doing this can save you even more money at home, and of course, time and effort. Which meal planning is absolutely designed and great for.
7. Don’t be afraid to Personalize.
It’s 100% OKAY to reinvent the wheel. Remember meal planning is very personal, so don’t be afraid to tweak recipes and swap ingredients to your liking.
Meal planning is a way of being prepared so you aren’t grabbing less healthy foods or spending over your budget.
That’s really all there is to it.
So, swap out ingredients for less expensive ones (if you can), indulge, and enjoy yourself while you recreate dishes in your kitchen.
Who knows you might hang onto one of those improvised recipes for many years to come.
Meal planning will not only save you a lot of money, time, and energy but, most importantly, it’ll help you stay prepared and strong for when those unhealthy food cravings do ensue…
Everyone should start the meal planning process. It can be easily done if you have the right plan!
Author: Rebecca
Hi, my name is Rebecca and I am the face behind Everything Abode! I am a lifestyle and wellness writer based out of Vancouver Island. When I’m not writing or exploring mountains and beaches with my furry rescue, I love spending time learning creative ways to manifest a healthy home. Thanks for stopping by!
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