Because of my occupation summer is a time for myself and my children to slow down, but this blissful break is quickly coming to a close and the organized chaos will again begin. The word here is indeed organized, because if our lives are not then this ship sinks like the Titanic. However, it is chaos, because the unpredictability of two young children will not have it any other way. However, through years of trial and error, I have developed tips and strategies so that lunches are not hastily thrown together in the mornings, dinner is not an after thought, a family's budget is not desimated by eating out, and I can keep shedding pounds.
First, to ensure that we eat home-cooked, healthy, scrumptious meals during the week, Saturdays mornings I plan my meals for every night and write it on the chalkboard in the kitchen. This, of course, helps me to plan ahead with meats that may need defrosting, but it also lets the family plan, too. Like most cooks I enjoy making food that my family will gobble up, and so while some meals will change each week there are always a few favorites that help me keep planning simple. For example, we love tacos and so every Monday night is taco night. The added advantage to this planning is Mondays suck and this is an easy meal that makes the first day back to the work week a breeze.
After the menu is determined, next is the shopping list which is essential to a family budget. There is no quicker way to overpsend at the grocery store than to go in without a plan. Also I take inventory of my kitchen so I do not buy items that we have in surplus or more fruits and veggies that will go bad when not eaten soon enough. I am not a big couponer, although I will use a few so I make sure that I double check my list for money saving opportunities.
Eating healthy is an improtant factor in what I cook for dinner, and so to keep it healthy I buy very little frozen, precooked foods which although convenient are full of sodium and preservatives. Also, we eat fresh vegetables which I often prechop on Sundays to keep weekday evening prep short. One last tip for healthy lunch and dinners is to shop the perimeter of the grovery store. The middle aisles contain many of the afore mentioned processed foods, but the outer regions of the store hold your produce, meats, dairy and grains.
The final step to keeping sanity while feeding my family is the most crucial and that is prepping on Sundays. It may sound like a chore, using your very precious relaxation time to prep, but it is crucial to keeping my week running smooth. Prep work usually consists of dicing the veggies that keep well for the week, like onions and peppers; making salads for our lunches so I am not scrambling tired in the evenings or the mornings; and washing fruits, lettuce, and herbs. The easiest excuse to eat poorly or not at home is tiredness, but if you prep accordingly the added stress is reduced, plus your budget and behind will thank you.
So in cliff notes format:
1. Plan your menu
2. Shop with a list
3. Shop fresh
4. Prep ahead
5. Give it a few weeks because it will quickly become routine
