Is meal planning a headache for you? Here are 4 easy ways! (Meal Planning)

With all this housework, office work, children's work... isn't it a real challenge to cook on time, tasty, and well-prepared meals every day? Sometimes you might feel dizzy when you think, "What are you cooking today?" But don't worry, today we are going to talk about a few simple ways that can make this task a little easier, reduce your effort, and save you time and money.

So, how do you make this meal planning process easy?

This is really not a big deal. Once you do a few small things right, you will feel a lot more comfortable than you can imagine. Let's see what those methods are?

1. First, let's decide what to cook!

This is the most important thing. Once a week, or at least every three or four days, make a little plan of the meals you plan to cook.

• What are your family's favorite foods? Ask them. Maybe your kids will say that their favorite foods are lentil soup and omelette. If you add things they like to the menu, it will be a satisfying meal.
• There are some people who make a big meal at once and use it for two or three days. Imagine, if you put in a little effort one day and make a delicious sambol with rice, a meat curry, and two or three vegetables, you can eat it the next day too. Or you can take some of that gravy and eat it with roti at night. Some people also call this batch cooking . This saves a lot of time.
• But there are others who like to eat something new every day . They don't get bored of cooking often. In that case, you can choose different small dishes every day.

The most important thing is to find the easiest and most suitable method for you and your family. Try it out one by one. After a while, you will understand the best method.

When you decide on food in advance like this, you don't have to worry about the answer to the question, "What are you cooking?" You also have a free mind.

2. Before going to the store, shall we look at the things we have at home?

After making your grocery list, take a moment to check your kitchen, fridge, and pantry before heading to the store.

• Our homes usually have rice, lentils, chickpeas, coconut, and other staples. Maybe there are some vegetables from the previous week in the fridge, frozen vegetables , and eggs.
• Think about how you can use these items you already have at home to make your new meal plan. This will reduce the amount of groceries you need to bring from the store. You'll save money and reduce waste!
• Leftover food is not just a thing, it is also valuable! You can make delicious fried rice this morning with the leftover rice from last night. Or you can heat up some of the leftover gravy and eat it with bread. Using leftover food in a new way in this way reduces food waste and reduces the effort of cooking again.

Imagine, if you make a broth from the lentils you have at home, add the carrots and beans you have in the fridge, and make a stew, you'll probably only have to bring a piece of fish from the store. How easy, right?

3. Let's set aside separate times for shopping and cooking!

This is also something that many people miss. Just like going to work, setting aside a specific time in your day or week to go shopping, or to cook .

• Write that time on your calendar , or set a reminder on your phone . That way, you'll be less likely to miss the task.
• When you set aside time, you can browse through the items in a calm and relaxed manner . You can buy only what you need instead of running around the store. This also reduces the risk of buying unnecessary items.
• It's the same when cooking. You can cook without fuss, deliciously, and cleanly. Cooking won't feel like a chore then.

Some moms set aside one morning on the weekend to do some grocery shopping and prepare some of the things they need for the week (e.g., cleaning and cutting meat and fish). This makes the work on weekdays much easier. You can try a similar method.

4. Let's make a shopping list, keeping our budget in mind!

Okay, now that we know what to eat and have looked at the items we have at home, the next thing we need to do is make a shopping list that fits our budget.

• To save money, keep an eye out for sales in stores. Some supermarkets advertise special discounts in weekly newspapers or on their apps. Check them out and choose the ones that are cheaper.
• Do you know what a "store brand" is? It's a brand that some big stores sell under their own name. These are often a little cheaper than other well-known brands . If the quality isn't much different, choosing these types of products can significantly reduce your bill.
• Be flexible, meaning don't be afraid to make small changes. Imagine you were planning to make something with broccoli . But when you go to the store, you see that asparagus is on sale. In that case, you can buy asparagus instead of broccoli and add it to your recipe . Small changes like these save money and give you the opportunity to try new flavors.
• Another thing, don't go to the store hungry! When we're hungry, we tend to buy unnecessary things, sweets, and fast foods. So, eat something before you go to the store.

When you shop wisely like this, you'll find that you have a lot of money left over at the end of the month.

What other benefits does this meal planning have?

Not only does it save time and money, but there are many other benefits to planning these meals in advance.

• Reduces stress: You don't have to constantly think, "What to cook today? What to cook tomorrow?" That alone gives you a lot of freedom and a sense of peace.
• A nutritious diet: When you plan ahead, you have time to think about including vegetables, fruits, grains, protein- rich meats, fish, eggs, and legumes in your meals. This will help keep everyone in the family healthy .
• Eating out unnecessarily is reduced: Having food ready at home means that you are less likely to rush out to the store or order takeaway food . This also saves money and is better for your health .
• A good example for children: When you work in a planned manner like this, it sets a good example for children. They will also learn to work neatly and be interested in food. You can also involve them in this work little by little. Get them to help you make the menu, get them to help you find the items on the shopping list. Then they will also learn to appreciate food.

So, the most important things to remember (Take-Home Message)

Okay, so let's recap the main takeaways from what we've talked about.

• Plan your meals in advance for the week or every few days. Talk to your family and include their favorite foods.
• Before going to the store, be sure to check the groceries, vegetables, and fruits you have at home. Don't waste any leftover food.
• Set aside a specific time each day to go grocery shopping or cook. Treat it like an important item on your to-do list.
• Make your shopping list wisely, keeping in mind the budget you have. Keep an eye on sales and store brands, and make small changes if necessary.

Remember, this is not something you can do overnight. Start small. It will take some time to find the method that works best for you. But don't give up. In a few days, you will realize how easy and beneficial this is. Your whole family will find happiness, healing, and relief from this!

So, start trying these simple methods today, and you will feel a big difference in your daily life!

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