Menu Planning - Why It's Important

Think about how you approach dinner. Do you plan in advance what you'll be cooking, or do you just throw something together each night? I don’t know how I managed before I started menu planning, but I’m certain that I spent more money at the grocery store. Since I’ve started menu planning, I’m finding it’s making a huge difference in many areas. Not only am I less stressed and more organized, but I am finding that my grocery shopping is much more efficient.

If you don’t menu plan yet, consider the following:

• Knowing what is for dinner (and how long it takes to prepare) helps you plan your day. If you make a crock pot meal in the morning, you can enjoy the drive home from work by knowing that dinner will be ready when you return. If you're a stay-at-home-mom like myself, having dinner in the crock pot can free up your afternoon and avoid the "witching hour" meltdowns when hungry kids are making it a challenge to get dinner ready in time. It’s also helpful to plan ahead, so you can give yourself plenty of time to cook and dinner doesn’t sneak up on you.
• Menu planning helps space out what you are eating, so you can avoid eating chicken three nights in a row or getting sick of spaghetti. Try making a list of your favorite dishes, and then spread them out over the next couple of weeks. It's also fun to designate one night a week as an opportunity to try a new recipe.
  
• You save time when you plan your meals all at once. Each week, I take a few minutes and plan out each meal. Taking this time all at once is much better than wondering each night, “What am I going to make for dinner?” as you rummage through the freezer and the pantry.
• By planning your meals, you can control your diet better. There are certain dishes I love that contain a lot of pasta and cheese, but I want to make sure I’m not serving them too frequently. By writing out what you are making over the course of the week (or month), you can also plan for vegetables and salads, rather than forgetting about them.
• You will save money by grocery shopping less frequently. If you run to the store every few days for “just a couple of things,” you’re bound to spend more money. Sometimes it can be hard to stick to your grocery list, and cutting down the times you hit the store will reduce the amount of extra stuff you end up buying over the course of the month.
• Your groceries stretch longer. If you plan a meal using fresh cilantro but know you’ll only use part of the bunch, plan another meal for later in the week using the same ingredient. This way you don’t waste leftover cilantro, which will wilt before too long.
• You will eat out less. I love to eat out, don’t get me wrong. What I don’t like is eating out because I don’t know what else to make for dinner, and it’s 6pm. Save your restaurant money for dates or fun family outings – not because it’s the natural result of disorganization.