Meal Planning to Save Time

Today is Daylight Savings and that means spring is around the corner and longer days are ahead. But by “springing forward” today, we also lose an hour. While this may make your weekend feel busier than normal, before heading to the grocery store, take 15 minutes to meal plan for the week to save both time and money.

• Think ahead to your plans for the week and what meals you’ll be dining out. That way, you can get a better idea of how much cooking you plan to do at home.
• Then, take stock of what you already have at home in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Think about using up leftovers or food that may go bad soon (fresh produce, meats and fish).
• Write out your meals for the week. You can use a template like the one below to help you.
  • Bonus: if you have extra time, think about batch cooking so that you have prepared food for several meals – cook grains like rice or pasta, bake several chicken breasts to have for meals or roast a pan of veggies.
• And don’t forget to plan your snacks!
• Now you’re ready to write your grocery list with any remaining items you need and head to the store.

By setting aside just a few minutes to meal plan each week, you’ll save time by having a plan in place for your meals and you’ll also save money in the long run by only purchasing what you need.