Menu Planning 101: Lesson 1

Lesson 1: Menu Planning Takes Planning

Okay, y'all. I know this might seem blatantly obvious, but believe me, there is more to it than meets the eye. Or at least that is what I have learned six weeks into my journey. I have been diligent in looking for recipes that are simple to cook., store well, and will work well for both dinner and leftover lunch. At first I was thinking on a very abstract level:

Okay, I'll make some chicken this week, and I'll eat it with some of the frozen veggies in the freezer. Breakfast? I'll figure that out in the morning.

All wrong, folks.

The problem with this for me is that, well, the frozen veggies I thought I'd be able to eat off of for at least 3 days, I finish off in two. The chicken that was supposed to pull me through until at least Thursday is done by Wednesday's lunch. And I tell myself I will just eat oatmeal for breakfast, knowing full well that if I eat my oatmeal at home, I am still hungry by the time I get to work.

Rule #1: Menu Planning includes meals AND snacks. In all of the healthy lifestyle websites I've been reading up on so far, they all essentially suggest that I eat six times a day. Some call for 3 meals and 3 snacks. Others call for six small meals. I'm sure there are differences in the two. Right now? I am working on 3 meals and 3 snacks. It's a mental fakeout, but hey--I sometimes look forward more to snacks than I do the actual meal.

Rule #2: Keep a well stocked pantry AND freezer. Frozen veggies are my best friend. In some cases--like with spinach--I find that I actually get more bang for my buck when buying frozen than buying fresh. Never mind that buying frozen and pre-chopped veggies saves time. I cook my meats on Sunday and then only have to add veggies to them during the week, which works wonderfully with my new afterwork gym routine. I also take the time to buy my snacks & keep them on hand. As much as I like the convenience of those 100 calorie packs, another thing that has been consistent with the healthy living & eating sites is cutting out processed foods. *sighs* So, I am arming myself with yogurt (those Yoplait yogurts in the dessert flavors? YUM! Especially the key lime pie.), almonds, fruit (mostly red delicious apples, although I'm going to try those Dole fruit cups I saw advertised today when I find them), etc. Since the choice of healthy snacks where I work is either non-existent or highly expensive, this is key for me.

When I have the foods right at my fingertips, it doesn't matter whether I plan ahead & pack my lunch the night before or do it when I get up in the morning. Okay, it does matter in that I am not a morning person, so I try to eek out as much sleep as possible. So having everything right there is fab when I am rushing out the door.

All of this is so new to me. It really is creating a new relationship with food--and myself. I love getting up on Saturday morning, having my cup of tea (I am in love with Celestial Seasoning's Morning Thunder) and looking through the circulars for what's on sale, and making my shoping list. I look forward to cooking on Sundays. And I'm actually using some of the recipes I have collected over the years (although I have gotten rid of some too--that's another post).

These are the basics to my menu planning. I'm finding there are more tips than meets the eye at every step of the process. LOL! Do you plan your meals? Any tips?

Happy Planning, y'all!