We have all heard the saying, If you Fail to Plan, then you Plan to Fail...and we often know this to be true in so many areas of our lives, (for example we would never expect to drive to a destination without knowing where we are going). Yet, one of the areas that we so often overlook is planning what we will feed ourselves and our families! This is the reason that takeout ends up on many of our tables during week, because let's be honest, food doesn't just 'appear' unless we plan it, (and come to think of it, even takeout requires a plan to order and pick up!)

If you have been a follower of Dashing Dish for any period of time, you probably know that I am a huge advocate of meal planning! In fact, I believe that meal planning is so important when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle that we spent two years designing a Custom Meal Plan Maker and Grocery List Builder to help make the process a breeze!

If meal planning seems overwhelming or like a foreign concept to you, I certainly understand! I always say that the very reason that we built the tools on our site is because of my amazing mom! Growing up, she always wanted to feed us healthy, but she was a mom of three working a full time job, and understandably, the last thing on her mind was planning meals. I remember watching her go to the grocery store, come home with tons of groceries, and when dinner time rolled around she would look in the fridge and say, “I don’t have a clue what to make for dinner!”

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone! Let’s face it, planning ahead and organization is not everyones strong suit, which is why we are doing all that we can at Dashing Dish to make it as easy as possible! So, if meal planning sounds like something you would like to begin, let’s start with a few of the basics!

What are the Benefits of Meal Planning?

• Improved Nutrition
• Improved Portion Control
• Weight Loss or Long Term Maintenance
• Saves Money
• Saves Time
• Less Stress
• Less Waste
• Convenience

Where Do I Begin?

1. Start Somewhere. Meal planning doesn’t mean that you have to plan out every meal for the entire week. I recommend starting with one thing, such as planning dinners for the weekdays and adding more meals on to your meal plan once you feel you have that conquered.

2. Work with The Time You Have. If you don’t have 1-2 hours to plan and prep your meals for the entire week all at once, simply work with the time you have! If you only have time to write down what you plan to make that week and go to the grocery store then you will be in better shape than if you don’t have any plan at all. If you manage to have another 30 minute block throughout your week, you could always do some of the prepping, but don’t feel that you have to prepare everything all at once.

3. Take Short Cuts. If you are new to meal planning, you may want to take short cuts such as buying vegetables or fruits that are pre-cut to save you time. You could also opt for frozen vegetables instead of fresh because they are pre-washed and chopped, and you can be assured that they won’t go bad if you don’t get around to using them.

4. Don’t Give Up! Even if you have tried meal planning in the past and feel that it is something you can’t seem to tackle, don’t give up! It may take a few tries to get to where you find what works best for you. For example, maybe you find that making meals the night before works best instead of prepping your meals all at once. Or maybe you find that planning and shopping for 3 days at a time works better with your schedule. The moral of the story is, keep trying until you find your groove, and I can guarantee that you will end up feeling thankful that you did!

Ready to Get Started? Start with the Four P’s!

1. Plan. Start by sitting down an taking a look at your week. Pick what recipes you would like to have based on what your schedule looks like. Once you have planned out your meals (which can be easily done on our meal plan builder, or on a weekly calendar) you will want to create your grocery list based on the meals you will be making, (which can be done in our grocery list builder, or written down on paper). Once your plan is created, head to the grocery store!

2. Prepare. When you bring everything home from the grocery store, unpack everything and put it into two categories, one being the things you want to prepare in advance, and the other the things you want to put away for later. Put the things away that you are not prepping ahead of time.

Things You May Want to Prepare in Advance:

• Chicken/ Fish/ Lean Pork: Marinate your meat in a ziplock bag if you are using it in a recipe that week and place it in the fridge or freezer, or you could bake your meat in big batches, or place chicken or pork in a crockpot for shredded chicken/pork that can be used in recipes. Pre-cooked meats stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days.
• Lean Ground Turkey/Beef: Cook your ground meat in a large pan, breaking it up as it cooks until it is brown. Pre-cooked ground meat stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Eggs: Hard boil or scramble eggs ahead of time for breakfast burritos, etc. Pre-cooked eggs stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days.
• Vegetables/Fruit: Wash, dry, cut vegetables and fruit you will be using throughout the week in recipes. Place them in a glass bowl with a lid and fill the bowl with water if it is a vegetable that is likely to dry out. You could also bake/roast vegetables ahead of time in big batches on baking sheet pans to use as sides or in recipes throughout the week. (I like to do this with roasted broccoli and cauliflower, and I also like to bake sweet potatoes, and cook spaghetti squash in advance to use in recipes). Pre-cut vegetables and fruits will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days.
• Pasta/Grains: Boil a big pot of water and cook your pasta or quinoa that you will use in recipes for the week. Strain and rinse the pasta in cold water and place in a sealed container in the fridge. Pre-cooked pasta and quinoa stays good in fridge for up to 5 days.
• Baked Goods/Snacks: Bake your muffins, breads, or even pancakes/waffles and place them in a ziplock bag. You can place them in the fridge for up to 7 days, or place them in the freezer and put them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds when you are ready to enjoy them, (or you could move them to the fridge the night before in order to thaw).

3. Put it Together. When it comes to putting meals together you can do what works for you and your family. Begin by asking yourself if your family enjoys meals that are warmed up, or if they prefer things that are freshly baked just before eating. Also ask yourself if you you have time in your schedule to prepare the meal just before eating, or if you have to plan ahead and have the meal ready to go when you are. Some things to consider for busy week nights for example are crockpot meals that you could throw in the crockpot the morning of, or casseroles/bakes that can be prepared in advance and baked just before you eat.

4. Put it Away. When you are done prepping the foods that you wish to prep in advance for the week, be sure to store them properly. If you are going to use the ingredients within 5 days, you most likely can put everything away in the fridge. If you are making meals ahead of time and plan to eat them beyond the 3-5 day 'safety' period, you can always make the meal ahead of time and freeze it. Be sure to pull the meal out of the freezer the night before you want to eat the meal to let it thaw. You can then bake it just before you are ready to enjoy it, or you could even bake it before freezing it, which would then require you to warm it up to your liking in the microwave or oven!

I hope this information helps you plan for success when it comes to meal planning! It may take some time to find what works for you...But I can just about guarantee that once you get start to see the benefits of planning unfold in your life, you will become a meal planner for life! xo Katie