Monday Meal Plan: Dinner Menu Prep
When thinking about the busyness of our everyday lives, the added stress of “what’s for dinner?” can surely take its toll. Can you identify with the dread that precedes Monday morning as you prep for the upcoming week of school, work, extracurricular activities and meal planning?
Let's make an attempt to help you avoid a case of the Mondays with a few meal planning tips and tricks to get your week started off on the right foot!
1. Pick a template to help you focus.
When you choose a weekly menu template (there are a plethora to use) it helps you to stay focused and plan ahead without too much unnecessary thought. Menu templates allow you to be simple and straightforward or give you the chance to expound as you can easily transition to a grocery list from the template you are using.
2. Lay out weekly activities as a part of your meal planning.
In addition to writing down dinner ideas on your menu template, list the week’s activities – meetings, fitness classes or social gatherings. With all the week's activities in the same location, menu templates can serve as reminders to the adjustments that are needed for meal time. If the day calls for a dinnertime that is earlier, later or even uncertain (because sometimes that happens), plan ahead to have a slow cooker meal ready to eat at a moment’s notice!
3. Gather your resources.
It’s helpful to have a foundation with which to start your meals. Try to provide variety by using an assortment of cookbooks, blogs or Pinterest. Having resources at your fingertips, while choosing menu ideas for the week really speeds the process along and keeps your mind free to enjoy the task rather than seeing it as a nuisance.
4. Stick with your comfort foods.
You know what foods your family prefers to eat and what fares they find less appetizing. Don’t think of menu planning as a way to force them into a lifestyle of healthy eating. And don’t burden yourself with menu planning as an attempt to become a gourmet chef. All of those shifts may eventually take place, but remember to start small. Not every meal needs to be handmade/homemade/from scratch. If it works for your family to have a meal out during the week or eat leftovers one evening, then do it! Recipes that your family enjoys should still be a part of the weekly menu planning. And remember to add organic vegetables, grass-fed meats and healthy fats to your meals.
5. Try one new food and/or meal a week.
That being said… don’t stay stuck in a rut! There are SO many meal options and such creativity available when it comes to building healthy recipes. It will take time to explore what is out there and to become accustomed to eating more nutritiously, so just elect to include one new meal or food item each week. Start minimally and eventually you’ll be able to increase your palate, incorporating multiple menu items that are new and exciting.
Menu planning and choosing healthy foods are skills that need to be developed. You may have heard that it takes 28 days to form a habit, but more recent studies show that it can range anywhere from 18-245; it is all dependent on YOU. Once you determine to develop this meal planning habit, give yourself grace and don’t get discouraged if you can’t keep it up perfectly. Research shows that a missed day here or there doesn’t derail the process (1).
So, are you resistant to change or are you a willing participant when it comes to health? Begin with small steps toward healthy living and get started with your meal planning, today!
What’s Next?
Still need some help planing your menu for the week? Visit our Aspen Wellness Resources or the Aspen Wellness Pinterest boards.
References:
(2016, September 29). Retrieved October 25, 2017, from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/iehc/research/behavioural-science-health