Does this happen at dinnertime a bit too often?

You arrive home exhausted after a long day and start thinking about what to cook for dinner (that they will all eat)!  All you have in the fridge is some dubious-looking chicken and some vegetables that have seen better days so you either throw on some frozen goujons and chips or order a takeaway.

You are not alone. I love the odd takeaway and I think we all need those backups in the freezer. But I like to make sure my children are getting nutritious meals and as I'm getting older, I need those nutritious meals too.  

Working while ensuring that the household stays together in one piece, putting a wholesome, nutritious, tasty meal that the kids will eat and us adults enjoy somewhat of a challenge. That's why I began meal planning, it gets nutritious meals on the table fast when hungry toddlers are grumbling for supper!

If you like the idea of regularly serving up healthy meals then please read on.

The Benefits of Meal Planning for Mums!

Meal planning helps to minimise stress

Do you plan what you are cooking on the day? Is this you? Do you only think about what you’re going to whip up for dinner at 4pm, only to find you don’t have any of the ingredients or the vegetables you bought a couple of days ago are now wilted…

A meal planner, stuck on your fridge or pantry with each of the meals outlined for each day of the week means that you no longer need to wonder “what am I going to make for dinner”. You’ve already done the thinking and know in advance. And because you’ve written your shopping list from your meal plan you have the right ingredients available No more popping out to the shops to collect more ingredients. No more overspending because you buy everything on a whim at the supermarket. No more ‘chef’s block’ at 6pm because you have no idea what you can cook the family to eat. It’s all been organised and planned and all you have to do is cook and serve.

Meal planning helps you serve healthier meals

The times when my family get’s takeaway or some sort of convenience food are the times when I’m disorganised and there’s no planner on the fridge telling me what to do. After a long day chasing after toddlers, picking up toys, working, picking up toys, running, picking up toys, doing the washing, picking up toys, seeing clients, picking up toys… (you get the picture) – I’m usually too exhausted to think up something good and get it on the table. A meal plan gives me the tools I need to serve healthy meals to my family every night no matter how busy I am. Each of the meals that I plan have had plenty of thought to ensure they’re healthy and nutritious, the ingredients are ready and waiting for me and dinner is ready in no time at all.

Did you know it actually takes longer to get in the car, drive to a fast food outlet, order and pay for your food and bring it home to eat? You could steam some vegetables and grill some lean fish fillets in less than 15 minutes! But this is only possible if you’ve planned to have this ready and bought the ingredients in advance.

Meal planning helps you stick to a budget

Meal planning saves me so much money, it really does. When I create my meal plan I always check my fridge and pantry for leftover ingredients particularly fresh produce to ensure that it’s eaten before it’s use-by-date and nothing goes to waste.

A meal plan also helps you write a comprehensive shopping list and if you estimate correctly you should only have to go to the supermarket once a week. The more visits you make to the supermarket the more money and time you will spend. A list will ensure you only buy what you need, see how much you will save! €10 a week is €520 per year! Imagine how useful that would be come Christmas!

Meal planning takes a little time but it’s worth the investment.

Writing a comprehensive, detailed meal plan that successfully feeds your family and helps you shop smart on a budget will take a little more time when you are developing your own system which suits your family. The first time you may have to set aside a good hour to go through some recipe books, have a good rummage through your cupboards and fridge and write out a meal plan and shopping list that will empower you to put healthy, nutritious meals in front of your family every night of the week, even amongst the chaos. 

The good news is, the more you do it, the faster it becomes, the less stressed you’ll feel and the more money you’ll save each week! This time spent on planning and preparation will repay you in dividends of time during the week when you’re really busy playing the role of taxi driver, hair stylist, cleaner and chef!

Meal planning is a particularly brilliant for working mums, I’ve come to rely on it as one of my biggest time and energy savers, not to mention a sanity saver. It gets me through the week with less of that mental load. Meal planning just makes my life so much easier.

Are you ready to learn HOW to Meal Plan?

When I’m working with my nutrition coaching clients, teaching them how to create a practical meal plan that encompasses the whole family is one of the first things I cover. Good organisation is the key to successfully and consistently eating healthy food.

If you would like to Learn How to Plan Healthy Meals Quickly and Easily… then I invite you to join my coaching programme.