Okay, so you’ve figured out what you’re going to have for dinner. But you’re missing that ingredient. So off to the store you go. And while you’re there, you might as well grab that People magazine or that little something on the end cap of the aisle. Cha-ching. Every time you go to the store – c’mon admit it – you end up with more than you went for. Meal planning let’s you shop once for the whole week, saving you about 25% on your grocery bill. Plus you won’t buy things and not use them (remember those veggies above). Not to mention gas money and don’t forget about your time. What’s that worth??
This is a big one. When you lay out your dinner recipes for the week on a list, you are actively thinking about what you are going to eat. You choose the recipes you make, and since most of them have nutrition data on them, can decide how to modify those that might need some tweaking. But most importantly, you are making dinner from scratch – you have the control over what goes into the recipe and therefore into your body. Without the meal plan, the longing for inspiration may prove to be too much and it’s out to dinner again. Where someone else decides what goes in your meal.
So, no excuses – find more time, save more money and eat a healthier dinner by taking 30 minutes to meal plan each week.
Thanks Amanda! Amanda has a great meal planning service on her site. I highly recommend you check it out.
