So.. You are trying to get healthy and trying to have your kids eat better food. But it's the middle of the week and you have one of numerous after school activities today and just enough time to look in the freezer to see whats left for dinner. TRUST me I was there. I get it. Sometimes work and life get in the way of making something healthy for dinner. You have the best intentions, but that does not always work.
This is where meal planning comes in and has totally helped me out! I shop on Thursdays. Its just easy for me when the kids are not home and Work is a little more chill for the week. So I take about 20 min before I go to the store and look at the calendar for the NEXT WEEK. I take my paper and put the days of the week, starting with Friday and going through next Thursday. Then I do 2 things. First, I write any extra, after school event we have. It may be therapy for Youngest, or Baseball for Oldest, I teach at night sometimes, that goes on there too. Then I plan the meals around THOSE events. If I see I have a busy night, that will be a crock pot night. A slow night can be something more time consuming. This sounds super easy right? It is! After about 3 weeks of it the kids got so used to the "menu" being posted on the fridge, that when I did not put it up right away they were very upset! "Mom, what's on the menu? I don't see it and I need to know!" :)
This is a 2 fold bit of awesome. Its great to look at the fridge in the morning ( that is where I post it) and know what to take out and know what you are making later. Part 2? Well, you use your menu to shop, and you will not buy just junk and crap you do not need. I cut about 40$ off my food bills A WEEK. Yup A WEEK! Knowing exactly what I was cooking and buying that stuff only made a huge difference. I can use the coupons and flyers to help me out if I really want to get fancy, but that is a whole new post ;)
As you venture to start meal planning do not get down on yourself if you have processed stuff or maybe.. not the most healthy meal. We are Super Moms and Dads and our kids love us. We are all busy trying to make their lives the best and not every meal can be a 5 course sit down. My kids are getting mac and cheese tonight. There is nothing wrong with it here and there. Cutting that stuff out of SOME of their meals will be an amazing start! It gets easier if you take baby steps. This has been a several month process for us to get tot his point :)
