We are now in week 3 of term 2 for the Australian school year. In our house, this means there needs to be structure and routine as there are a lot of moving parts. Of course, we have our weekly schedule of events such as kids activities but one weekly task that I've made a priority to nail is making dinner and all the organisation and preparation which comes with that daily task. Because I would rather be doing a lot of other things than cook, preparing dinner for a family of 6 has always felt like a headache. So, in order to minimise the mental load of mothering, I use menu planning. You can read more about this in my book, "How to Master Mealtime" available to download from the Home Centred website.
Here are my top tips for menu planning:
Use a written template which can be easily adapted to suit the needs of the family.
Know your capacity for time and energy when planning. I like 30 min meals during the week. I share the meal preparation with hubby on the weekends.
Use the meals your family enjoys but include variety and ensure they are healthy especially if you have children in the home.
Meal plan for 2 weeks. Include, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Make a shopping list from your meal plan. Check the food you already have in your home first to ensure you don't waste food or money.
Be adaptable and switch around meals if needed.
Involve the rest of the family including children, in menu planning where possible.
Menu planning will ease the mental load of those responsible for meals in the home. Not only this, but, if done well, it ensures you have a balanced diet and helps you to avoid poor food decisions. Menu planning will also free up time for you to be able to do other things with those you love.
If you would like any help with your menu planning or mastering mealtimes, please reach out to us at home-centred@outlook.com or on our socials. Thank you for taking the time to be home centred.
Comments