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Planning your meals a week
or more at a time is a time saver for even the busiest people, meaning
healthier eating with fewer trips to the drive thru and more meals at
home. This will also help you stick to your budget!
By setting aside time to
plan weekly meals and eating meals at home, you can control your
portions and avoid eating hidden calories. In addition, meals eaten at
home tend to be less expensive and more nutritious. Your family will
also be eating few preservatives and avoiding hidden additives that
you don't want your family to be eating. |
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Getting
Started
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First, get ideas from family members what they like to eat. Even the
pickiest eater will be more likely to eat what is prepared and it
will be easier to get help with the meal preparation and the
cleaning up process if their food preferences are considered.
Also this is the time to lay down the law that you are only going to
cook one meal. The days of eating out and making multiple meals are
over.
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Next, make a list
of all the main dishes you normally fix, favorite dishes of family
members. With a well-stocked pantry you will find yourself not
omitting meals because of missing ingredients. List all of the
ingredients that you will need to prepare these meals, then using a
shopping list make sure you are
buying enough of everything to last the number of meals you are
buying for. (I usually shop for 6 weeks at a time)
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Then, ask yourself these questions: How can I make these meals
quicker and easier? If I can cook a wholesome meal quicker, then
will my family eat out less? I find that using a modified Batch
Cooking along with a modified OMC to be
the trick for eating out less and making meal times less stressful.
There are no more “oops I forgot to defrost _____ so now I can't
cook it!”
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I can’t stress this enough don’t forget to add staples to
your shopping list. Having a well-stocked pantry makes it easier to
create quick and nutritious family meals. Remember, the food you
have on hand will determine how easy meal time will be, so always
keep your pantry well stocked.
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More Plan-Ahead Tips
Once you've got the meal plan, here are some
other tips that can help make your life simpler:
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Look ahead for extra-busy days
and plan something quick for them. Make an extra meal the week
before and mark it with the date to be used.
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Use a shopping list. Before
you go to the store, plan your shopping lists so you buy everything
you need. I try and shop for at least 6 weeks at a time, but if you
are just starting out you may want to do only once a week shopping.
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Make twice as much of whatever
you are cooking and freeze half (Modified Batch Cooking). It doesn’t
take much more time or energy to make two batches of lasagna, a
bigger pot of stew, or a larger pan of casserole, all you'll have to
do is thaw, heat, and serve.
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In addition to our double duty meals try these
tips:
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Browning ground beef for
dinner? Do at least a pound, freeze the rest to make a meal that
isn't batched already.
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Baking chicken breasts? Cook
two more, and then cut up later.
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Cook extra rice, put into a
container, and freeze. On a busy night, microwave it, stirring
occasionally, until heated through, and then use as you would fresh,
or throw in a can of mushrooms, some milk, butter and chopped
chicken for a quick casserole.
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Grate extra cheese and store it
in a zippered plastic bag in the freezer.
I have learned over the years trying different
things that a modified Batch Cooking and a modified
Once a Month Cooking works well for me and
my family to help speed things up!
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