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Meal planning tips
By Linda Drummond
First tip: stay simple
Meal planning isn't about creating exotic meals, or meals you've always wanted to try. It's not a time to drag out your cookbooks and try to make something new and different. When you start stay simple: pasta, mexican, pizza, roast - stick with what works for your family and you'll have success.
Second tip: get out your diary
In a meal plan it's important to write what we've got planned, such as late night sports for the kids or meetings. You have to consider this. If you think, "Oh, it's okay, I'll get home at 6pm and still have time to whip up a paella" think again. On busy days plan quick meals, or slow cooker meals. Plan to succeed.
Third tip: be flexible
Expect to stick to the meal-plans around 80 to 90 per cent of the time on a good week. But on a bad week it could be more like 50 per cent. Success can be attributed to making sure you've shopped and have all the ingredients ready to go - and enthusiasm. You need to have a couple of lazy meal options ready to go for those days when you're over it all and just want to put something on the table.
Fourth tip: double up where possible
The best meals are those that offer up double the fun - a roast chicken that can be used in a chicken soup the next night, or leg of lamb that becomes shepherd's pie.
Fifth tip: involve the kids
My daughter's become a far more adventurous eater since we've meal-planned. She knows that's what we're having, and she likes being able to have a say as well. Kids are far more likely to eat a meal they've had a say in. So when you sit down to plan, ask the kids for their options, and throw in their suggestions to the mix.
Sixth tip: write it down
The best way to ensure a balance in your meals is to have it all written down in front of you. Try for a range of proteins and vegies in your meals - with lots of colours and textures. Jotting it down makes it easy to see you've already got a chicken meal planned, so you can swap with a pork number.
Seventh tip: persist
I didn't succeed the first time time I tried meal planning, or the second, good grief, it's probably more like 10th time lucky. But I'll tell you this, meal planning makes my life soooooooooo much easier. I don't have that awful, "Oh lordy, what's for dinner?" thought at 3pm. We don't fall back on takeaway too often. I save money - and we eat pretty well really.
Ready to give it a shot? Go on, it really does make life a lot more simpler. And don't we all want that?
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