Secrets to Successful Meal Planning

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Meal planning is the key to stress-free meals. It may seem like a complicated process, but it’s really quite easy. I’m going to give you my secrets to successful meal planning that are sure to make dinner time easier.

This was a sponsored post in collaboration with the Association of Food Bloggers and Dinner Thyme, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Does the thought of dinner time stress you out? You’re not alone. So many busy families struggle with getting dinner on the table every night. That’s why meal planning is so important.

Meal planning is the process of planning out all of your meals for the week at one time. Having a meal plan allows you to easily shop for ingredients and prep your meals ahead of time – so you’re not running around (when everyone’s hungry) trying to get it all done.

I’m a huge fan of meal planning. I do it every single week. My meal plan is what keeps our family on track for meal times. I know what I’m making dinner every single night and I know I have all of the ingredients on hand when it’s time to cook.

To start meal planning you simply need a notebook or calendar, a list of your favorite recipes and a little bit time to put it all together. Once you get the hang of it, the process gets faster and easier.

Creating a meal plan is relatively easy when you consider these secrets:

Secrets for Successful Meal Planning

SECRET #1: Consider Your Calendar. I usually prepare my family’s meal plan on Sunday. I take into consideration my husband’s work schedule, my son’s activities and any other appointments or commitments that we have. If we have a particularly busy night, I incorporate make ahead meals or easy crock pot recipes.
SECRET #2: Don’t Forget About Leftovers. We always have left overs. So, I make sure to include them in my meal plan. Sometimes I use them for lunch and other times I have a buffet night where we eat up everything that wasn’t finished.
SECRET #3: Include Side Dishes. Don’t forget to plan out side dishes and salads on your meal plan. You don’t want to come home to delicious Slow Cooker Pot Roast and not have anything to serve with it.
SECRET #4: Make Your Grocery List. I always make my grocery list as I’m putting together my meal plan. That way, I know just what I need to put my plan into action.
SECRET #5: Have a Stash of Family Favorites. Keep a list of your family’s favorite recipes near your meal plan. I always have a list of our favorite go-to recipes on hand for times when I don’t feel like trying a new recipe.
SECRET #6: Don’t be Afraid to get Help. If you don’t have time to shop and prep your meals, check out a meal delivery service, such as Dinner Thyme.

I recently tried Dinner Thyme and my family loved it! The process was incredibly easy – I selected meals on DinnerThyme.com.

Each week they have new selections for you to choose from. All of the components for each recipe were made fresh and shipped to my house.

The components for each recipe were clearly labeled. You can see in the photo above that the Beef Empanada components all had a green “B” sticker on them.

Dinner Thyme also included easy to follow, step-by-step instructions for preparing the meals. Each recipe took about 15-30 minutes to prepare, depending on the recipe.

The best part was, I didn’t have to buy any additional ingredients. Everything you need is included in the package. And, I didn’t need any special equipment or tools. Most recipes require only a skillet or baking sheet.

There recipe selections were delicious. My family loved them all. I tried Brussels Oricchietti with a White Wine Garlic Sauce, Beef Empanadas with Black Bean Salsa, Chicken and Waffles with Braised Kale and Butter Syrup and Chicken Linguine in a Tomato Cream Sauce.