Save Time and Eat Better with Meal Planning

Let’s face it; we are constantly busy with work or personal obligations. Somehow, we never have enough time to do the things we like most. Some of you may say that it’s all about prioritizing, and that’s partially true, but what do you do when you have too many priorities?

One of them is making a home cooked meal, especially for people with children. We all know it’s much healthier and overall better for you. Just think about the benefits, like having your family together at the dinner table and talking about your day, building that family bond.Well, here comes the harsh reality- when people get home from work, they either have to go to the grocery store or cook a “clean-out-the-fridge” meal. Nothing wrong with that, but wouldn’t it be easier if everything was there already?!Some people are good at planning their meals for the week so that they eliminate that extra step of thinking on the spot – What are we having for dinner? But for those of you who are not planners, there is a solution for you, in fact, there are few!

Hire a Personal Chef

Before you scoff at that idea, let me tell why it’s a fabulous service!

First, you select your chef according to your liking – cuisine, diet, availability, etc. Then, you decide how often you want them to come over and prepare food for you. You don’t even have to think of the recipes, all you need to do is approve, or not, and they’ll do the shopping, cooking, packaging, etc. Yes, some people have this service every day, but for the regular folk, once or twice a week is plenty! There are so many chefs out there, go and find yourself the right one! 

Meal Kit Delivery Service 

These kits are amazing! Recently I researched gluten-free options for a client and found plenty. Imagine the number of companies that are doing regular meals. I would dare say too many. However, this is the perfect solution for someone that wants to cook a meal at home and would like to have no leftover products (like me!). Everything you might need for the recipe is in the box, all that is needed are very basic must-haves for any kitchen – pan, oil, salt, pepper.Think of it as a Stress-Free Dinner! Twice a week you get to cook a delicious meal without the endless scrolling to find the right recipe, then going to the store to shop. You get home, and it’s waiting for you! In 30 min you have it ready 😊 

Groceries Delivery Services     

Another great service. A lot of the grocery stores have realized people would love to have their purchases delivered. You select your items on the website or their app and next thing you know they are arriving at your door. Now, this is where it requires someone to be home and receive the order. If you are not able to do it, no worries, we can. A lot of our clients are shopping online nowadays, but the human touch is still needed. For example, someone being there to get the bags inside and put the items away.

Weekly Meal Planning

If the first two options are not for you, then this will be it! To save yourself some headaches, time, and money - during the week choose a day that you could do some meal planning for the next seven days. If you think it’s too much, it’s not. Just grab a cookbook and pick your favorite recipes. You can play it so many different ways; I don’t even know where to start.If you are budget conscious, start with how much money you want to spend for groceries for the week, then choose recipes that overlap ingredients so you can get the most out of everything.For healthy meals choose something that sounds good to you, try new things. I try to find two recipes that have at least one ingredient in common, so I don’t have to throw away food. You can have leftovers for lunch or dinner in 2 days.The big buzz for the past few years has been to make your meals ahead of time and freeze them or line them up in the fridge; it works, and it’s so easy. The key here is to find recipes for meals that will freeze well.So, this is it, guys. Spending a few hours during the week to map out your meals can save you so much time! No more wondering and stressing about what to cook, or whether you have that ingredient in the pantry. Plan it, buy it, cook it.Happy Cookin’~Pavlina