that is the question
So I am just trying to figure this out, is it worth it to plan out a weeks worth or even a months worth of meals out for my family?
I am thinking that the answer to that would be a big NOPE, I mean for me I don’t think I would like having my meals pre-planned for the week or the month…. not to mention the amount of prep work it takes.
I have read blogs and articles where meal planning is painted in such a light that it seems almost therapeutic to do this each week, part of self care routine. For me though I am thinking that meal planning would stress me out.
What do you think? Have you tried it, have you thought about trying it? Does it work?
I am so indecisive when it comes to what I am having for dinner I cannot imagine trying to figure out what I was eating for 7 days much less for 30 days.
I can just see myself planning out the entire week
- Monday we will have grilled chicken and baked potatoes
- Tuesday we will have beef tacos (because it is taco tuesday right)
- Wednesday we will have spaghetti, salad and garlic bread
- Thursday we will have Mississippi pot roast, mashed potatoes and broccoli
- Friday we will have homemade pizza
- Saturday we will have fish and fries
- Sunday we will have steaks and macaroni and cheese with green beans and salad and rolls
That menu doesn’t look too bad but I know me and I know that I may get through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but by Thursday I decide to fix those fish fillets and fries and Friday I just want to go out to a restaurant and Saturday yea I will probably have breakfast(oh I didn’t even plan that out either) and then I will head to Chipotle for lunch and dinner combined, Sunday after church yea I will probably rather go to Cracker Barrell than to cook a big dinner.
So I guess a meal plan is just that, a plan but do you have to stick to it, I would say yea if you go as far as meal prep(where you prepare all of your meals the Saturday before the next week)
I will tell you what I do and maybe if meal planning and prepping isn’t for you maybe my version will work for you as it does me.
Inside my planner both of my planners(I have one that stays at my house and one that goes everywhere with me(that is for another blog post) You could do this on your phone if you don’t use a traditional paper planner(gotta love the paper planner though) 🙂
I have a section that is dedicated to meals and I record what I eat everyday from breakfast to lunch to dinner and snacks I also try to record my water intake as well.
This works well for me because I am able to see what I have eaten the past week and I can look back in my planner and see when was the last time I fixed tacos or when did we have Mississippi pot roast? It helps to see when we eat foods so not to repeat too often unless they are a family favorite! This way of planning also doesn’t make me feel trapped into having a certain meal on a certain day, this way gives me the flexibility to fix what I am or my family is in the mood for or we can go out because you know I love to go to local restaurants when I can.
I am not saying that meal planning and prep is not a good idea it just didn’t work for me, so I found a way that worked– documenting our meals inside my planner. so maybe you want to try meal planning/prepping for your family but you like my way of documenting everything, go ahead and try that I will say it is very nice to look back through your planner to see what you have eaten, when you ate what.
This post may not have been super helpful but I hope that you gained some insight and maybe got encouraged to document what you eat or try meal planning/ prepping.
Have a great day!
***my free meal planning digital download available soon!!!