Save Time and Money with Menu Planning!

A woman at the grocery store last week admired my organized list. I mentioned how handy the list is when it comes to menu planning, which naturally led to “Menu planning?  What is that?” I’ve menu planned for so long, I honestly don’t recall how NOT to menu plan. It is so easy, essential and helpful. I don’t know how folks survive without it, especially during this busy time of year!

Write down this week's calendar and note any special events or scheduling issues,  then think about what food you have on hand and what you want for dinner this week. For example:

• Sunday:  Dinner with friends, take a side dish
• Monday: Home day, make soup
• Tuesday: Volleyball game, left-overs
• Wednesday: Tacos!
• Thursday: Home early, grill chicken
• Friday: Tournament / scouts, Pizza?
• Saturday: Party

Why should you menu plan this time of year?

To save money and make space

Menu planning helps you use what you have and make room in the cabinets or freezer for baking or party food. Make space, buy less, waste less! Once you make your plan, you may find that you don’t need to go shopping!    

1. Plan your leftovers. I’m home today and have time to make soup, so I am turning a frozen Thanksgiving turkey carcass into turkey noodle soup by dinner.

2. Sunday I’ll make a ham, then dice the leftovers for chef salad and a carbonara pasta sauce. I also made extra cheese sauce the other day, to be used on pasta one day next week when we are really busy!

To save time

1. Don’t go to the grocery store unless you have to!

2. I can put a roast, soup or stew in the crock pot at 7 a.m., ignore it all day, and still have dinner ready at 5 pm. I have more prep time in the morning than after school, so this works out well. But making dinner at 7 a.m. requires a plan!

3. Plan your prep: I have a great tray that makes bringing veggies and dip to holiday parties easy. I peel and cut lots of veggies all at once, then use them for 3 or 4 parties, plus in recipes at home. And now my sons are old enough to help with the washing and peeling!

To provide good nutrition and peace of mind.

1. When the weather turns colder and the schedules heat up, we all tend to catch colds. Good nutrition helps us stay well and keep our energy up for holiday fun and activities. We eat better with menu planning. 

2. My 13 year old thanked me recently for NOT relying on fast food to feed him and his brothers, even when we’re busy (I was floored, right?!). Menu planning allows us to make our own food convenient, cheaper, tastier and healthier.

Give yourself the gift of time and a little holiday sanity, and give menu planning a try this week!

This is part of the Dec. 6 edition of Colleen CPO's Blog.