3 Benefits to Meal Planning

I know, I get it. I used to cringe every time I heard the word meal plan. How am I supposed to know what I want to eat days in advance? I thought the entire concept was so silly and resisted it with every fiber in my being. 

But then, I found the same things would happen: The time would come to eat a meal and I would have no idea what I was going to have. At this point I was so hungry, I would start eating whatever ready-to-go things I had on hand. Meanwhile, I cooked my actual meal. Next thing you know, I had eaten twice the amount of food. Or I would buy groceries for the week with an intention of cooking certain things. When the time came, I lost track of what I was going to make and so items sat in the fridge not getting used, or forgot about. 

When I became more intentional and started to embrace the plan. I noticed 3 major things change. 

1. I was saving money. It was so great. I was walking into the grocery store with a list each week. A list that I had already cross-referenced with what I had on hand at home. At the end of the week, I was no longer finding produce I had forgotten about. Or meats I was know shifting to the freezer because they weren't used. Or an influx of dried goods that kept getting pushed deeper into the back of the pantry.

2. I was saving time. When I used to hear the words meal plan or meal prep, my mind went to a place of spending my entire weekend in the kitchen. Cooking pans and pans of food. Lining up rows of Tupperware containers. But this doesn't have to be the way it's done. Instead, I take a few minutes each week to develop my menu. On Sundays, instead of wandering the grocery store isles for inspiration. I take my list to the grocery store and I'm able to go in and out with exactly what I need. My meals focus on simple recipes, quality ingredients, and basic cooking techniques. 

3. I was avoiding decision fatigue. If there is something we do a lot of in the day, it is making decisions. By the time I get home from work, thinking about what to make is not another decision I want to make. Oftentimes, it resulted in me picking up something on my way home. Or making something that was quick, versus nutritious, or delicious for that matter. By having invested a brief amount of time on this one day a week. It saves me from having to do it, daily for 3 meals a day.

I am confident that by trying this out, in one week, you will also see the same benefits I did. Eliminating stress before you even walk into the kitchen. Turning cooking into something enjoyable instead of another dreadful task.