This is a quick follow up to the meal planning post from a few weeks ago. I think there are a few details that I didn’t mention. The most important, especially for the beginning planner, is to make the menu before you go shopping. I am realizing that I need to emphasize this now because my substantial garden is just coming in. I’ve been harvesting chard and kale for a few weeks. The first variety of broccoli in the mixed seed pack is ready and the broccolini is loving life in a different bed this year. So, I need to think a lot before I make my list about what, if any veggies I need.
Also, my wife is working like a mad woman as she’s in catering sales and people are allowed to get married again. WooHoo! My suggestion is to look at your calendar for the upcoming week. Think about who is going to be around for dinner each night, who’s cooking, (assuming that’s you) how much time do you have to get dinner ready, what other evening activities are going on, and consider what you already have in the house (like salad greens that need to be eaten in the next two days,) and then plan your meals based on those factors.
If you do all that before you make your shopping list, it will be a much less mystifying process. You should waste less food and money. You should be more prepared for dinner each night. Yes, it may be uncomfortable to force your brain to do the executive function heavy lifting at first. But it will become second nature eventually. And, my family love being able to check the “menu” on the fridge as much as I love not forgetting what my plan for the week was. Give it a go!
[As you can see, it doesn’t have to be a master work. As long as it makes sense to you. Arrows, shorthand, etc. are all good.
Standard Disclaimer: In an effort to foil my own perfectionist tendencies, I do not edit my posts much… if at all. Please excuse and typos, mistakes, grammatical errors, or awkward phrasing. I focus on getting my content down. In my humble opinion, an imperfect post posted is infinitely better than a perfect post that goes unfinished.
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