If you are anything like me deciding what to make for dinner is almost like pulling teeth. There are sometimes when I know exactly what I want to cook and then there are times when I am like it is dinner time already. Oh crap I forget to take something out of the freezer to cook. I have found that when I have a plan for dinner that I am more organized and ready for the week. When I do this the question “What’s for Dinner?” doesn’t give me a panic attack. Here are tips that I have found to make meal planning as well as dinner preparation easier. Hope these help you as much as they help me.
- Make a list of meals that you want to try for the week. Remember you might like something but others in your family might not. I always try to make a veggie alternative as well since Gracie has decided she doesn’t want to eat meat anymore.
- Plan easy recipes for those nights that you are on the go and more elaborate meals when you actually have the time to cook. On nights that we have soccer games, my time is very limited so sometimes we might have pizza and salad. Remember only you know what your family will and won’t eat. Which brings me to my next tip.
- Use your crockpot. It is my best friend all year round most people just use theirs in the Winter but not me. I love the idea of putting a meal on in the morning and forgetting about it until it is time to serve it.
- Go through the flyers from the grocery store and plan your meals according to what is on sale. Stick to the list unless you find an incredible deal you can’t pass up like a great sale on meat than you can plan your next week’s meal as well.
- Take stock of what is in your pantry. Just like today I wanted to make country style steak in the crockpot but couldn’t because I didn’t have cream of chicken soup. So if there are items that you need for a recipe make sure you check to see if you have all items needed this will help with those panic attacks as well.
- Keep your meals simple. Even it is hot dogs and beans the important part is that you feed your family foods they like.
- Don’t be afraid to share in the cooking duties. My husband loves to cook but doesn’t always have the time so I always ask ahead of time if he wants to cook on days that I am facing deadlines.
- Have your kids help out. That is one thing that I am glad that my girls do know how to cook simple dishes so I know they won’t go hungry when they move out of the house. 🙂 Plus this is a great way to bond with your kids.
- Set aside one day to just order in your meal. Sometimes a pizza with a salad that you throw together could be just what the doctor ordered.
- Breakfast can be eaten for dinner. Just tonight we had scrambled eggs with bacon for dinner. Simple meals are sometimes the best.
I hope these tips for meal planning have helped you to become less anxious when you get the question “What’s for Dinner?” Do you have some tips that you would like to share? Please share as I think we all are looking for tips when it comes to meal planning.
