Meal Planning

Having a young family can be stressful enough, but when they get to school age, you also have to factor in afterschool clubs, sports and homework and you may struggle to find the time for proper mealtimes, let alone time to prepare the food. We take a look at the benefits of meal planning to see if it is right for you and your family.

Have you found yourself eating the same meals every week? Meal planning allows you to look at what you plan to eat in advance, which can reduce repetition and also encourage you to try something new. There are loads of websites with quick recipes which you can try, and this can also encourage your children to try different food too -- hopefully!

Less waste

By looking at what you have on a weekly basis, you can help avoid waste, as you can include leftovers in your meal planning. So, if you cook a roast, you can then use the leftover meat on another day and if you have a recipe that only needs 1 courgette when you buy a pack of 3, well why not plan another meal that week that needs courgette? You can also bulk cook any meals and pop the leftovers in the freezer, again avoiding waste but also saving you time on another day.

Saves time

Ok, so yes you do have to factor in the time to actually meal plan, but on a daily basis, meal planning will help save you time. You no longer have to look through your fridge and cupboards trying to decide what to cook, so you can get straight on with cooking your dinner and saving you valuable time when you need it most.

Eat Healthier

If you are tired and hungry, you are more likely to make bad choices when it comes to mealtimes and opt for a quick snack to try and curb the hunger or reach for that takeaway menu. If you plan your meals in advance, you can make sure you have all the ingredients ready for that day and also plan in meals you know you will enjoy and look forward to, rather than grabbing that takeaway on the way home from your kid's football practice.

Get the kids involved

Now we're not saying the children should choose every meal, but why not get them to choose one or two meals a week, then hopefully this will reduce the screams and shouts on the days they don't like what is placed in front of them. You could make the meal together as a family on a Friday or Saturday evening, try your hand at a fakeaway -- so much fresher, tastier and healthier when cooked at home.

So, you like the idea of meal planning, but where to start? There are plenty of online recipes you can try and you could even have a go at this easy 7 day family meal plan to get you started. If you are going solo, then factor in all your after-school commitments to work out which days you need something quick and the days you have a little more time to prepare.

You could also invest in a slow cooker or pressure cooker to help you prepare your meals on the days you just need something quick. You can then prep the meal the night before, or even better at the weekend and then pop the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, or pressure cooker when you get home at night and enjoy a hot, nutritious meal when you need it.