Get Organized: Spend Less Time Planning Meals with These Tips
Submitted by
Doug
Tired of hearing, "What's for dinner?" the minute you walk in the door—and then feeling like a deer in headlights because you've got no frickin' clue? Yeah, we've been there too. This is why you should get organized and start planning out the week's meals in advance. Menu planning sounds anal retentive, but believe us, it will save you time (because you won't be grabbing last-minute groceries), money (because you won't be ordering emergency takeout) and sanity (because you won't be freaking out so much).
Here's how it works: Take a little time on Saturday or Sunday to get organized and decide what you and the family will have to eat for family meals all week. Write a list of all the ingredients you need so you're prepared for grocery shopping. (Or, if you've got teens, send them out to do the grocery shopping for you.)
It gets better. Once you're done deciding the meals for the week, post the week's menu on the fridge, so you prevent questions—and maybe even some complaining! As the week goes on, you can use the original list to make notes about which family meals were a hit and which didn't go over so well. If something took you too long, jot down that it's more of a weekend meal. If the turkey tacos needed more cilantro, write that too. That way, next time you start to get organized for next week's meals, you've already got a cheat sheet to get you started.
Here's how it works: Take a little time on Saturday or Sunday to get organized and decide what you and the family will have to eat for family meals all week. Write a list of all the ingredients you need so you're prepared for grocery shopping. (Or, if you've got teens, send them out to do the grocery shopping for you.)
It gets better. Once you're done deciding the meals for the week, post the week's menu on the fridge, so you prevent questions—and maybe even some complaining! As the week goes on, you can use the original list to make notes about which family meals were a hit and which didn't go over so well. If something took you too long, jot down that it's more of a weekend meal. If the turkey tacos needed more cilantro, write that too. That way, next time you start to get organized for next week's meals, you've already got a cheat sheet to get you started.
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