M = Meal Planning

When I was growing up my best friend’s Mom use to have a desk calendar on her kitchen wall so she could plan what they were going to have for dinner for the whole month. I could never understand why someone would want to plan out meals that far in advance. Even though it made it very convenient for my friend and I when we were deciding who’s house we wanted to eat at that night.

I always told myself when I grew up, I would never do that. I would decide what I was going to have for dinner that night. And I would go to the store after work and buy it. Needless to say, going to the store after a long day of work everyday got old quick.

The more I thought about it, I realized my best friend’s Mom was on to something (after all these years, she still uses a desk calendar). Now I try to plan at least two weeks in advance and do all my shopping for those two weeks in one trip.

Here are a few tips to make your meal planning a success:

• First and foremost, be realistic. The sooner you accept the fact you aren’t going to want to make a home cooked meal every night the better off you will be. Don’t be afraid to buy those frozen pizzas, fish sticks and family size lasagnas.
• Second thing to keep in mind is to buy what you eat and eat what you buy. If you know you aren’t going to make and/or eat fish then don’t buy it. You might be able to fool others into thinking you eat healthy, but you can’t fool yourself. It’s just going to be a waste of time and money for you.
• Last, and certainly not least, it’s okay to pull the ole switch-a-roo. If the calendar says chicken and rice and you feel like steak and potatoes, it’s okay to eat that. Life isn’t set in stone and neither is dinner.