Meal planning for one or two is a learning process. Add a
baby or two to the mix and it becomes a JOB! However, there’s a juxtaposition
between the care we have for what’s in our food and the value of the time food
preparation takes. With our busy
schedules, easy access to take-out, prepared and restaurant food, there is
little time left in the day to adequately prepare “interesting” food. Meal
planning varies in scope and experience; it can be as simple as having an idea
of what you will cook every night to knowing how to re-purpose food for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is an essential tool for any individual wanting
to save money, time or wanting to improve health with home cooked meals. All of
these factors intensify with the biggest life changer-- a kid. Thus, planning
is essential regardless what stage of life you are in - busy professional, juggling parent, road warrior, or multiple family caregiver. I’ll outline tips for those pre-family wanting to get a head start
and those who are in the midst of the family chaos. Just know it’s never too late
to start!
First, let’s outline some meal planning basics pre-family:
o
STORAGE EQUIPMENT:
Ensure you have the right equipment to store food in the fridge and on the go.
Have a variety of sizes for smaller items such as nuts and smaller quantities
such as proportioned full fat cheeses. For those homemade soups, casseroles and
larger items, have at least a 4 cup size. For on the go containers, don’t let
finding the perfect container delay your efforts. I use plastic Tupperware for
on the go and the glass containers for home. If you have eaters that don’t like
their food to touch, purchase a few with container with built in dividers. U-Konserve is a great link for
finding many sustainable based products. Lastly, make sure you have more than
enough. Nothing is worse than having cooked food but no place to store it! For
brown bag lunches, have enough Tupperware for 5 days of lunches for 1 – 2
people unless you are vigilant about hand washing each night.
o
COOKING
EQUIPMENT: Invest in some basic cookware if you are new to home
meal preparation. The following are "must haves".
§
Sharp chef’s knife.
§
Cutting board (several – one for raw meat,
vegetables and then smaller items).
§
Several utensils for stirring, flipping and
breaking up food.
§
Invest in a two to three quality saute pans
(Calphalon is one of my favorites and lasts for years!), a small sauce pan (2
cup), and large soup pot (doubles as a pasta pot). Contact me for a full
list and guidance on kitchen preparation.
o
MEAL
RESOURCES: Here’s the tough part – what to cook! First of all, pick dishes
that serve as lunches for the next day OR can be re-purposed for those who
dislike “leftovers”. I tackle many of these aspects in my “10
Tips to Tackling Lunch Packing Challenges”. Need meal ideas? Check out some
of my recipes. Resources
I love are Cooking Light, Boston Organics, and for richer, more intensive cooking occasions, Food & Wine. Sometimes I just google the
ingredients I have on hand. Find a few sources you like, then rotate between these. I save the recipes I've tested to ChefTap. It’s an easy to use app for quickly accessing trusted
recipes. I can search based on food or the meal designation (brunch, dip, entree etc). Best of all,
the screen stays lit while the app is in use so you don’t have to keep unlocking
the screen with messy hands.
o
ROUTINE:
A habit takes 90 days to develop, so find a routine and rhythm that fits your
life style and needs. There are so many ways to meal plan beyond just the
logistical tools. I work with clients to determine the best methods for them,
so please reach out if you need assistance. Otherwise, try some of these tips: pick
two nights to cook multiple meals, start by packing your lunch one day a week, then three days a week, to eventually packing breakfast. Review your schedule to
determine the best time to chop, shop and prep! Remember to give yourself time
to adjust to this new routine so that it becomes second nature.
o
ENLIST
SUPPORT: Make sure other family members are on board. Have them pitch in with
chopping one night or measuring ingredients, or maybe explain dinner will be a
little later in order to shop and prepare at night.
o
SOURCING
QUALITY FOOD: Spend one hour researching local farmer’s markets, or maybe a
fruit and veggie delivery service. BostonOrganics is one of my favorites as it ensures we have PLENTY of vegetables. I
have to find reasons to use them up, which means we are eating more than enough
veggies.
Your Bundle of Joy has arrived. Everything has been thrown
into chaos.
- SCALE BACK: Don’t try to achieve everything listed above. Reduce the amount of cooking in the first few days back in the meal preparation game. Stick to good eating habits, but don’t stress about eating perfectly every day. Even if you are reading this with a 9 month old and navigating feeding the little one solids while preparing meals for yourself, think about what you your family needs simply and don’t overachieve.
- RESPONSIBILITY SHIFT: If your spouse did all the meal prep, see if he/she can handle the little one while you prep the meal. This may lengthen the process, but that’s better than 2 juggling two jobs – entertainer and cook. Or maybe leave vegetables out during the day for the other to chop if home sooner.
- EFFICIENCY: Chop more than enough vegetables for salads, roasting, soups, scrambled eggs, fajitas, pizza toppings and more. It’s draining to think about chopping EVERY night for a new meal. The same goes for protein. I buy about 2 - 2.5lbs of chicken. 1.5 lbs I designate for a recipe (for 2 – 4 servings), the other pound I chop, season and marinate. I then cook and add to lunches, breakfast or snacks. I learned the hard way of not having food on hand in the fridge.
- VEGETABLES FOCUS: Focus on vegetables and adding protein, not the reverse. This is less daunting then having a main meat meal, expands the options and ensures you are getting more than enough vegetables. Remember vegetables in pretty much any dietary theory constitutes the largest % of your daily intake.
- “I AM NOT A SHORT ORDER COOK”: Repeat this mantra even amidst the screaming. If you are having vegetables, the baby can have vegetables. Mash and puree what you have with some yogurt and/or hummus. Over the age of one, bake green beans for adults leaving the beans for the little one in the oven a few minutes longer. Make soup and puree it. This will also ensure your little one is eating a balanced diet and understands the value of eating a home cooked meal with everyone – not separate. They won’t starve, so be careful about giving into the snacks and treats in the fear they will go hungry!
- PLAN PLAN PLAN: Plan ahead even more. Think about the meals a week in advance. It seems daunting, but remember that one hour in advance saves hours on the end. Or plan to have a simple dinner and focus on grain based sides for lunches. Have a place to list recipes you randomly find – either a manila folder, a note pad, or a running notes list on your phone/device. Review when you need ideas. This is ideal for any type of parent - SAH, working, part time. When at work, use brain breaks for making grocery lists or finding recipes.
- DIVERSIFY: Remember to be open to diversifying. Don’t get too caught up in the ease of packaged goods. Wholefoods is great, but they are increasingly pushing us towards pre-packaged foods. It’s a wonderful complement to your meal planning, not a supplement.
- CHOOSE WISELY: (This could be an entire blog topic, so feel free to contact me for further tips on nutritional choices). Remember to fuel your body. Not deny. Don’t hold out for those desserts, decrease your meal sizes, or succumb to the “scone syndrome” – I used to eat a scone for lunch thinking this would somehow negate the calories I wasn’t eating for lunch and thus could apply them towards the scone. This equates to an afternoon crash, little energy, and nutrient deficiency.
- NOT YOUR TUES Night meal – Don’t be overly ambitious on week nights. Remember that food is about sustenance and not always about entertainment. Check out my tips in “Not Your Typical Tues Night Meal”
This is a lot to digest, so reach out to yourwellnessscout@gmail.com with
questions.
Most of all the three most important takeaways:
- Pick the tips that work for you - Prioritize
- Give yourself time for trial and error.
- Focus on quality food.
