Hello Friends! Welcome back to ASW Homestead! Today we will be discussing menu planning and how the process of planning out meals and snacks for your family can be beneficial.
If you never meal planned before it might seem overwhelmingly but it doesn’t have to be. A menu plan is simply writing down what you will be eating for the week. It doesn’t have to be fancy. If you want to eat take out pizza on Friday night or Saturday morning pancakes write it down.
A weekly menu plan can be as elaborate or as simple as you want. The point of the menu plan is for the plan to work for you. It gets your meal ideas out of your head on onto paper. Less to remember reduces the stress level.
You can use a piece of notebook paper or a pre designed menu plan. I have created a weekly menu plan for you. You will find the free downloadable menu plan at the bottom of the post.
Menu planning reduces food waste because the ingredients are bought with a purpose and they’re less likely to be wasted.
Planning what you eat also gives you the opportunity to incorporate food into your plan before it goes bad and needs to be thrown out.
Take a look in your refrigerator and freezer. What food items are about to go bad that need to be utilized so we don’t waste the food we already paid for?
Food costs have risen significantly in the past couple of years. One of the key elements of a weekly menu plan is that you shop your pantry first. Then you make your plan with the ingredients you already have on hand.
For example, do you have several jars of pasta sauce already paid for sitting on your pantry self? If so, you could add pasta or chili to your menu plan.
Here are a few tips to help you save money while you are menu planning for the week ahead.
Once you have the menu plan made and the grocery list complete it will save you time for the remainder of the week.
Most importantly, you already have an answer to the daily question of “What’s for dinner?” No more last minute decision fatigue. Simply follow your menu plan and you’re good to go.
Also, grocery shopping time is greatly reduced with a list of ingredients already written.
Download ASW Homestead’s Free Weekly Menu Plan Here
What are your favorite menu planning ideas? Do you enjoy breakfast for dinner? Any family favorite recipes that make a weekly appearance on your menu plan? Please share your ideas in the comments.
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I’m here to share recipes and ideas to help others make their home a simple homemade homestead.
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