Make Recurring Meal Planning Easier with These Tips
Setting up a recurring meal plan can be a great way to save time and money and ensure you are eating healthy. However, it can be challenging to keep your meals interesting, so you don't get bored with the same meals every week.
Getting Started
The first step in setting up your recurring meal plan is deciding which days of the week you want to cook what type of meals. Depending on your available time, you may have some nights where the cooking is more involved than others.
Plan Ahead and Get Creative
The easiest way to avoid getting bored with your food is to plan ahead. Think about what meals you like, what ingredients are in season, and any special dietary needs that must be considered when creating your plan. Once you know what type of meals you want to make each week, get creative with how you prepare them. For example, if tacos are one of your go-to meals for the week, switch up the protein or try different spices or toppings. This will give you various flavors and textures while still sticking to the basics of your regular meal plan.
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Take Advantage of Leftovers
Leftovers are another great way to keep your meal plan from getting boring. Once you've cooked up all your meals for the week, think about how those ingredients could be used in other dishes. For example, if you roasted chicken for one night's dinner, shred some extra chicken for salads or sandwiches during lunchtime later in the week. This will help stretch out your ingredients so that they last longer and give you more variety than just having the same dish every night.
Make Use of Your Freezer
Freezing food is a great way to ensure that nothing goes bad before its expiration date and allows you to have options throughout the week without having to cook something new every day. If something on your meal plan freezes well (like soups or stews), double the batch and freeze half for later in the month when things start feeling a bit monotonous again. This will give you a break from cooking while ensuring that something nutritious is available when hunger strikes.
When starting with a recurring meal plan, it is essential to stick with it even when things get busy or hectic. A great way to make sure that happens is by prepping ingredients ahead of time whenever possible. For example, if there is a recipe that requires some vegetables to be chopped or diced before cooking them, do this first thing in the morning, so all you have left for dinner time is just putting everything together. Better yet, chop all your veggies for the week on Sunday, so you're set up for success during the week.