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If the thought of having to plan three meals a day, seven days a week sounds like more than you can handle, s
tart with just three or four meals a week and work up to what feels comfortable for your schedule. And it doesn't mean you have to labor over a hot stove everyday; a few simple ideas are all you need to get started.
- Spend a few minutes each week deciding which foods you'd like to eat the following week, and choose recipes that can easily be made. Lots of nutritious and delicious meals can be completed in 30 minutes or less.
- Jot down the meals chosen for each day, complete with side dishes, and create a grocery list of all the necessary ingredients. Be sure to check your fridge and pantry before heading to the supermarket; you just might have much of what's needed on hand already. Do, however, take advantage of fresh and seasonal foods. (
Writing the list according to the store's aisles and arranging by category at checkout for bagging, are tricks that can help save you time.)
- Consider batch cooking by choosing foods that can do double duty. A chicken can be roasted and later served in soup, stir-fry or salad. And almost everything goes with pasta!
You will be grateful for fully-cooked meals that need only to be heated or quickly assembled later on.
- Setting some time aside on the weekend to cook or prepare foods for the week ahead will save time-crunched hours during the week. It's a good time to put a slow cooker to work for one-pot meals that offer easy clean-up.
- Ready-made meals from the supermarket can be good choices, too, when paired with a salad or side dish, means you're offering your family a healthy meal in mere minutes. This may be a good time to get the kids involved. Have them choose at least one meal per week, and of course their contribution to meal planning should include cleaning up after dinner!
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