It’s been a long and draining day and the thought of preparing a meal makes you want to run screaming to the closest takeaway joint.  Even trying to work out what you can do with those limp vegies and that bit of chicken that needs to be cooked today is filling you with horror.

We’ve all been there.  Preparing meals can be a tedious job even when you generally enjoy cooking, and the result is we often reach for a less healthy option such as takeaway that can sabotage all the good work we put in with our training! But fear not dear reader, I have a solution and it is pain free, will save you money and have healthy meals at your fingertips.

The answer is Meal Planning!  OK, maybe not a surprise given the title of the blog….

The Results Are In
Now before you think ‘Cath is off her rocker, I’m not meal planning.  It’s boring!’  Let me highlight some advantages for you:

1.       Save money – planning allows you to buy only what you need.  No extra just in case things need to go in the trolley because you already know what you are cooking and exactly which ingredients you need to stock up on. 

2.       Less waste – because you have planned, you won’t have as much waste.  No buying leeks just in case you make a chicken pie and then they languish in the vegie crisper because you didn’t get around to it.  Nope, leeks (and any other groceries) are only bought when and if you need them.  Good for your wallet and good for the environment.

3.       Save time – because you know what you are cooking, you won’t waste time thinking about what is in the fridge, wracking your brain for inspiration, choosing something, and then realising you have to go to the supermarket as you only have three of the six ingredients.

4.       You are in control – you know how mow much sugar, fat or salt is in your food.  You can manage your portion control and you also know that there are no fillers, no hidden extras that will thwart your efforts at a healthy lifestyle.

Ready, Set Go
The best way to start out meal planning is to keep it simple.  You don’t need to get out all your cookbooks and plan gourmet meals that take hours and defeat the purpose of this very exercise.   Take a look in your fridge, freezer and pantry and work out what food you have on hand already.  What meals can you make from these ingredients?  How can you use these effectively, so they are all used, and nothing is going to waste?  From there, pop up a list on the fridge or note board of all the meals you can do over the next few days.  And that there is your first crack at meal planning done – easy peasy.

After this, you step it up a notch.  You already know what basics you have on hand (onions, garlic, herbs and spices and so on).  What would you like to eat for the coming week?  You might want to consider the following:

-          How many nights do you want to plan?  I would recommend a minimum of four (depending on your lifestyle, commitments and work of course).  If you know you are going to be home every night (can anyone say lockdown) then by all means, lock in 7 nights thanks Eddie.

-          What do you/your family like to eat?

-          What is quick, delicious and nutritious that you can get on the table after a long day?

-          What is on special this week that might help keep your budget in check?

-          What’s in season?  (This helps reduce cost and the flavour is always better!)

-          What can you cook in bulk so that you can store serve or two in the freezer for another week or that you can use for leftovers as lunch?

And now you shop

You know what you need now as you’ve planned what you are cooking.  If you want to make it even easier, then jump online and let someone else schlep around the supermarket, pack up and deliver your goodies.  You will get hours back in your week!  You can even arrange a delivery from the local greengrocer and butcher so you can still support local and access great quality.  If that’s not your thing, then make sure you have a list that aligns with your planned meals and off you pop to the shops.

Another trick…

If you’ve ever bought Hello Fresh or Marley Spoon or the like, you will know that all the ingredients for each meal are usually bagged up together or you keep them together in the fridge ready to cook.  So, here’s a little trick, get yourself some clear plastic containers (Kmart have great cheap options) and pop all the ingredients into separate containers for each meal.  Say you have a roast lamb organised for Monday – in goes the lamb, potatoes, pumpkin cauli, beans and so on.  Then Monday you just whip the container out of the fridge and most of your ingredients are in front of you ready to go.  You have no idea how much time and brain power this will save you!

What’s this up my sleeve?  Another trick!

How else can you save time with meal planning?  Actual meal prep!  Easy tips to save time during the week might include:

-          Cutting up all your vegies in advance.  For example, cut your cauliflower up and store it in fridge safe containers so you just pull out what you need as you need it.  Some people even like to peel and cut up their potatoes, pumpkin and use their vacuum seal to keep them fresh for use. 

-          Cook once, eat twice.  This goes to cooking a double quantity and putting half in the freezer for the week when you know you won’t have the time or the motivation to cook.  Voila, dinner sorted!

-          Slow cooker dump bags – these are brilliant for those of us who love a slow cooker.  You fill a bag with all the ingredients required including meat, vegies, flavours such as sauces and spices and freeze until you are ready to cook.  Pull it out of the freezer the night before and drop all of the ingredients straight into the slow cooker before you head out for the day.  The delicious aroma of a meal ready to go as you walk in the door will be your reward, along with more time in your evening to train, relax or prepare for the next day.  Check out this huge list of recipes for dump bags here and if none of these suit, there are loads on the internet – just Google “slower cooker dump bags”.

Remember, the best way to make meal planning work for you is to keep it simple so that you can stick to it and simplify your life.  I’d love to hear how you go – make sure you drop me a note or pop a post on our Facebook page!  Happy cooking….