Meal Planning for Beginners
Too busy to cook? Or maybe just running out of meal ideas? Maybe it’s time to try meal planning instead. For some people who are used to crafting recipes from whatever is left in the fridge, meal planning can be a little intimidating. That’s why we identified the simplest and most effective practices for meal planning.
But Wait, What is Meal Planning?
Meal planning is the basic act of preparing your meals for an entire week, or even for a month especially if you have a very busy schedule. It is as simple as allotting time to plan your whole meal throughout the day from breakfast to dinner, or even your meals for cheat days per week or month. When you try out meal planning, you get the opportunity to choose the food that you want to eat, prepare a well-balanced diet, and stay on track with your fitness goals.
Importance of Meal planning
Whether you live alone, or have a family to feed, meal planning is an important act that comes with lots of benefits. Also, if you are still skeptical about it, check out the list below on why you should start doing meal planning.
Saves Time
Stick to your Budget
Saves Money
Healthier Diet with room for variety
Less Waste
Saves Energy and Prevents Stress
How to Start Meal Planning?
Meal planning for beginners may seem too troublesome. However, although meal planning mostly suits picky eaters, busy parents and fitness enthusiasts love this too. To start the process, follow the guidelines for meal planning listed below.
- Check Your Schedule
Before you start choosing the recipes for a week, check your schedule first. Set a day when you will do meal planning, and the most convenient day to do some grocery shopping. In addition, since our schedule may vary throughout the week, it is essential to know whether we have an important event to attend or to celebrate, so we can plan our meals accordingly.
- Check the Fridge and Pantry
The next step is to check your stocks in the fridge and the pantry. This step is essential to meal planning, especially if you're sticking with a budget. In addition, by checking your available stocks at home, you can incorporate them into your meal planning for the upcoming week to save up some money, and to prevent food waste.
- Find Recipes
Once you have checked your schedule and your available food stocks, you can then start finding recipes. To plan a menu for a week, you can check out meal planning ideas that will suit your budget and food preference. You can also ask your partner and your kids what they would like to eat for the week to include in the meal planning recipes.
- Create a Meal Planning Calendar
Now that you have gathered recipes that you would like to eat, or what your family wants to, you can start creating a meal planning calendar. Schedule each recipe throughout the week. You can also schedule varied meals for the whole day to make sure that you are getting a well-balanced diet.
- Make a Grocery List
Finally, once you have everything set, you can now make a grocery list since you know how many portions of fresh meat and fresh vegetables you will consume for the whole week. List down all the ingredients and supplies you need based on your meal planning calendar. You can start by checking out our online shop for the ingredients you need to start your meal planning journey.
