The benefits of meal planning are numerous. From saving time to saving money to most importantly, saving your sanity when 5pm rolls around and you actually have a plan for dinner. Let’s take a closer look at why you should meal plan and what’s the best way to do it!
“What are we going to eat?” It’s a question that haunts many of us, especially those who crave vibrant flavors and diverse ingredients. The thought of planning a week’s worth of delicious meals can feel overwhelming amidst the chaos of daily life.
But what if I told you that meal planning could be your secret weapon for not only conquering dinnertime stress but also unlocking your inner culinary confidence and joy? What if it could be the key to transforming your kitchen into a vibrant place, where every meal is a celebration?
There’s a peace of mind that comes with having a plan. An inherent sense of confidence, effortlessness, and calm that comes with knowing what’s happening next. Without a doubt, meal planning specifically, brings a special sort mind shift that transforms dinner time from stressful to serene.
It takes some work upfront but the practice of meal planning goes beyond just a good way to maintain sanity on busy days. Especially for those of us who love to cook and put a great deal of importance on regular home cooked meals. For us passionate foodies, planning out our meals every week cuts down on food waste, ensures we have healthy meals in the rotation, and makes creating a grocery list a breeze.
I’ve been meal planning for years and much of what I do I learned while working as a chef in the restaurant world. Meal planning is essential in the restaurant business. It is the engine a restaurant kitchen runs on. You may have heard of its more common name–the menu.
Today I want to share with you some of the many, many benefits of meal planning and how I incorporate it into my weekly routine. I hope these ideas might inspire you to start meal planning. Try them out and see if they work for you as well.
Meal Planning Vs. Meal Prepping
First of all, let’s understand what meal planning is and what it’s not. Meal planning (or menu planning) is simply writing down a list of meals that you plan to prepare for an entire week. The number of meals may vary depending on how often you want to eat out or get takeout meals. Meal planning is just the plan, not the prep.
Meal prepping requires a little extra time to actually prep some of the ingredients. Many people have meal prep days (like a Sunday) where they wash, chop, or par-cook some of the dishes. There are many motivations to meal prep, whether for portion control or just to make wholesome meals easier to create during the busy week.
Streamline Your Meal Prepping Game
One benefit of meal planning is that it acts as a guideline for meal prepping. A great way to get a jumpstart on dinner is to prep as much as you can in advance. This is how we do it in the restaurant world and it works just as well for home cooks. The problem is, if you don’t know what you’re going to make, how can you prep? Creating a weekly menu and choosing the recipes allows you to prep when you can throughout the week.
I don’t have a regular meal prep day but I do like to chop and blanch vegetables for easy side dishes throughout the week or soak dried beans when I have a free moment. If you get in the habit of doing some quick food preparation here and there it makes meal time so much easier.
Makes Grocery Shopping A Breeze
Another benefit of meal planning is you can create a shopping list tailored to the recipes, minimizing waste. And if you have a busy schedule like I do, you’ll appreciate only having to go to the grocery store once, maybe twice a week.
Having a meal plan also cuts back on impulse purchases which means less money goes towards the grocery bill. After I figure out my recipes for the week I write one master grocery list of everything I need and hit the store. I get all the cheese, eggs, rice, chicken, whatever I need for the week in one single trip.
Effortless Healthy Cooking
A healthier diet becomes second nature thanks to curated menus and prepped ingredients. When you take the time to plan out your weekly menu, you can incorporate whole grains, fresh fruits, and other healthy foods that are in line with your health goals. With a solid plan in place, turning to fast food is much less likely.
If following a healthy diet is important to you whether for weight loss, disease control, or you simply want to make healthier food choices, having a weekly meal plan in place makes that so much easier. Especially if you combine meal planning with meal prepping you can prep out the portion sizes in advance.
I like to look at the weekly menu as a whole and make sure I have some vegetarian days, maybe 1 or 2 days with red meat, and the rest either fish or chicken dishes.
Wanna get a major headstart? Gain instant access to my meal planning checklist that is FREE! The checklist guides you step-by-step on how to start meal planning. Get the ultimate meal planning checklist now!
Spawns Flavor Adventure and Culinary Growth
My biggest reason to meal plan is it allows me to explore new cuisines and techniques with recipe guidance, broadening my palate and keeping cooking interesting. Making the same things over and over again gets real boring, real fast. Taking the time to find new recipes keeps things exciting.
Occasionally I’ll browse my cookbook collection but most often I cook recipes I find online from food blogs I love or ones I see on Pinterest.
Stress Reduction
Did you know that meal planning can actually reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone? A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that individuals who regularly planned their meals experienced lower levels of stress and anxiety, improved mental health and better weight management compared to those who didn’t.
More Family Time
By eliminating the daily “what’s for dinner” scramble, meal planning frees up precious time for you to connect with loved ones over a shared meal. Research published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior suggests that families who eat together regularly have stronger relationships and improved communication. When you are cooking your own food your family’s overall health significantly improves.
The Benefits Of Meal Planning Are Endless
So there you have it, just a few of the many benefits of meal planning. Taking about an hour to plan out my meals every week has given me not only peace of mind but has kept cooking exciting.
I believe that meal planning should be a joyful experience, not a chore. If you’re looking for some extra guidance in this area, or just don’t know where to start, I’m excited to offer you a free meal planning checklist, designed specifically for food lovers who want to simplify their cooking routine and discover the pleasure of stress-free, flavorful meals. Grab your free meal planning checklist now and never ask ‘what’s for dinner’ again!
leave a reply