Why Meal Planning is for Winners
Expert Meal Planning Tips: An interview with Staci Ducharme.
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Grab your Meal Planning Cheat Sheet here.
This FREE PDF bullets Staci’s proven meal planning technique, step-by-step.
There’s an actual meal planning template for you to print + use, too.
Why meal plan + prep?
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– To save money.
You’re guaranteed to purchase only what you’ll use that week.
– To eat better.
When you’re prepared, there’s less opportunity of defaulting to unhealthy take-out options.
– To prevent food waste.
You plan meals around what you already have + what needs to be eaten.
– To stress less.
Expert meal planning means you’ve answered the dreaded “What’s for dinner?” question, forever.
– To save time.
You’ll spend less time wandering the aisles of the grocery store when armed with a list.
You’ll spend less time preparing meals if you prep ahead + in batches, too.
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What is meal planning, exactly?
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Meal planning is a method of planning meals for the entire week, all at once.
Expert meal planners first take inventory of their refrigerator, freezer + pantry. Then they create a list of next week’s meals based on what they already have as well as what needs to be eaten.
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Meal planning got us out of debt. We don’t live off Ramen, either. We eat good meals.
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Staci’s meal planning tips:
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– Factor in your family’s schedule.
Are there days where you have very limited time to make dinner? Consider making that a slow-cooker day.
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– Schedule a way to use leftovers.
Will leftovers be eaten for lunch? How about a “leftovers” dinner night?
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– Create a list of your family’s favorite meals, then pull recipes together.
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– Take an inventory of your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry.
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– Use your template (found in this week’s FREE download) to help you stay organized as you plan the week’s menu.
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– Create a shopping list based on the menu you create + go to the supermarket Just. One. Time.
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– Consider keeping a couple of freezer meals on hand, just in case.
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– Consider maintaining an ongoing inventory to save time. Simply cross off what you use + add what you purchase.
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– Incorporate new recipes a couple times a month to expand your family’s favorites.
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Staci’s expert meal prepping tips:
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– Ask yourself, “What can I prep in 10-15 minutes that will make cooking for next week easier and faster?”
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– Determine a meal plan day, shop day + prep day, then stick with this schedule weekly.
Staci meal plans on Thursdays, shops on Fridays + preps on Sunday night.
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– Looking at your menu plan, determine what can be prepped ahead + prep on your prep day.
Wash + chop vegetables. Shred cheese. Make marinades. Cook grains.
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– Going forward, consider cooking in bulk + implementing the “Freeze Half” Rule.
On the evening you create meatballs, for example, make a double batch + freeze one.
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