This post is part of my Mummy Monday Linky. It’s a great way to connect with other parenting bloggers and drive traffic to your blog. So, if you’re a mummy blogger (or Daddy! Mummy Monday is just a more catchy name), check out the info at the end of the post to find out how you can join in and add your own links. And if you’re not, check out the links at the end of this post for more great parenting related content!
I am a complete meal planning novice. It’s one of those things that I think I should do, because all the “good” mums do it. But, I’ve never really known what all the fuss is about. Why do people love meal planning so much? It’s always struck me as a lot of hard work.
So, I asked some lovely mummy bloggers what they love about meal planning and this is what they said…
I love meal planning, because it stops me wasting the food I have bought and it going out of date before it is used up – especially salad. Becky – Eat Simply
I love meal planning because it helps me budget my food shop. Each week, I will write 7 main meals and 7 lunch meals and I will only buy those ingredients. I’m also never stuck on what to have for food. Beth – Life As Mum
As someone trying to follow the Slimming World plan, it stops the temptation to binge eat as we know exactly what we are having on what day, meaning I can hopefully lose weight and stay on track, as well as saving money. Beth – Twinderelmo
I love meal planning because it not only helps me to save money, especially when I shop in season, but I can also work into the shopping list things I’ve got already, which means I make double savings! Plus, I can ensure that I am incorporating as many vitamins into my family’s diet as possible, by trying to offer as varied a diet as possible. Leyla – Five For A Fiver
I love it because I always try and factor in a new recipe we’ve never tried. I love cooking but lost the time to sit and pore over recipe books, so when I meal plan, I’ll pick one new recipe to give a go and make sure I’ve got all the ingredients! Hayley – Devon Mama
I’ve only just started and love it! I’ve noticed the food waste is much less as I only buy what I need; meals have been more interesting, as I’ve put thought into it. And in the first month my shopping bill was £50 less, even with buying items I wouldn’t normally, not to mention the money we saved by not grabbing takeaways!! Jo – Pickle and Poppet
So, the general consensus is that meal planning saves money and reduces waste… so that’s good, right?
I’ve just started a new weight loss journey with the Cambridge Weight Plan. So, food is off the menu for me at the moment, but I still have to feed my kids. I’ve been thinking that meal planning might be the answer. The less I have to think about food, the better.
Since I know so little about meal planning, I’ve bought the Ultimate Healthy Meal Planning Bundle. It’s on sale for 48 hours and there are 101 great meal planning resources, worth over $1000! There are 10 mini bundles, each with resources for a specific topic. You can buy just one of those mini bundles for $27 or you can get the whole collection for just $20 more (which is what I’ve done)!
There’s so much included in this bundle, it will take weeks to go through it all. I’m especially looking forward to working through the mini bundles on budget meals, freezer and batch cooking, and the bundle specifically about meal planning, since I’m such a newbie! If you’re looking for new receipts or some meal planning tips, you should definitely check out this amazing bundle! Remember, it’s only available today and tomorrow!
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Like you, meal planning has been on my radar for quite some time but with a husband and two young boys to ‘plan’ for, it always seemed complicated and hard work. I’m 37 weeks pregnant with my third little boy and I’ve been doing a bit of research on healthy eating plans for once the baby is here in order to try and lose my pregnancy weight. Meal planning seems a great way to control portion sizes and avoid eating the wrong things especially the day before the ‘big shop’. I’m hoping you’ll do a follow up to this post with how you got started, and any tips etc.
It’s definitely on my list of posts to write, once I’ve worked through the meal planning bundle ?
I had never thought about it like this before, but I think I actually am meal planning! We do groceries once a week and I always prepare a list beforehand, making sure I have 7 dinners on there. Then we decide each day what we feel like, sometimes adjusting the plan a little to fit our mood. Doing groceries only once a week has saved us money. At first, we thought it was more expensive since we only go to one store now and get less deals. But we also buy less junk. You can’t eat what you don’t have at hand ^^
I hate to break it to you, but that’s definitely meal planning lol x
We have probably been meal planning for a while. We make a list and pretty much gave the same dinners each week. I do like to shake it up now and again though!
Don’t you get bored? That’s what I worry will happen – I’d end up cooking the same meals!
I’m on maternity leave at the moment, so I quite like getting out to the shops everyday, but when I go back to work in 3 weeks I’ll definitely need to start planning meals. #mummymonday
I think meal planning is definitely helpful for working mums!
I know a lady at church who has one this since she had her first child MANY years ago. She said it helped her to be able to plan and know she had a plan (even if it changed as needed) especially once her boys got involved in extracurricular activities. Her hubby has generally always been able to go home for lunch, so it helped her make sure he had leftovers each day that were still home cooked. She is a planner at heart. I got all inspired that I was going to try this, but since my hubby does the grocery shopping and he isn’t home for dinner, I never really got around to it. The toddlers don’t eat much more than chicken nuggets, pizza, etc. so there isn’t much to plan there. Great post as always, Becca!
Thank you! I’m hoping that meal planning might get Alice to try new things. Jack will eat anything, but Alice is more tricky
I often think about meal planning but my freezer isn’t big enough to batch cook and my kids are at that fussy stage so it’s hard to cater for everyone. I’ve totally lost my mojo for cooking and thrown so much stuff out lately. I really must consider this again!
That’s the same reason I keep putting it off, we rarely all eat the same thing. But if it helps reduce waste, it’s worth it!