MEAL PLANNING- AM I REALLY DOING THIS?!?!

WEEK 3 OF MEAL PLANNING: SNACKS ARE A NEW ADDITION! :)

LET ME BE VERY HONEST-  

I HAVE ALWAYS HATED THE IDEA OF MEAL PLANNING. 

I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHY.  THE IDEA OF IT SEEMED TOO ORGANIZED, TYPE-A, AND HIGH STRUNG FOR ME.  ASSUMPTIONS, I KNOW, BUT VERY REAL IDEAS THAT PREVENTED ME FROM EVER CONSIDERING IT.

AND THEN I FOUND MYSELF ON A 13 HOUR ROAD TRIP . . . BY MYSELF. . . AND ON A MEDIA FAST. . . 



AND ALL I HAD TO DO WAS THINK, CONSIDER, AND PRAY.





THESE TWO QUESTIONS FLOODED MY BRAIN:

1. HOW DO I EAT HEALTHY & GLUTEN-FREE- ON A BUDGET????

&

2. HOW DO I BALANCE THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY IN MY LIFE WITH MY VERY REAL NEED OF LIVING - ON A BUDGET????? [I AM TWENTY-SOMETHING A SOCIAL LIFE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO GIVE UP.]

 

AND THEN MY VERY AWESOME FRIEND, SUPER-MOM, & HIPPY-IN-THE-MAKING FRIEND, M, LET ME HANG OUT WITH HER ONE AFTERNOON WHILE SHE MEAL-PLANNED AND SHOPPED FOR THE MONTH.

SHE MEAL PLANNED FOR A MONTH.

I MEAL PLANNED FOR A WEEK.

AND HERE'S WHAT I DISCOVERED:

 MEAL PLANNING IS NOT THAT DIFFICULT.

ACTUALLY, FOR SOMEONE WHO LOVES FOOD AS MUCH AS I DO,   

MEAL PLANNING CAN BE FUN.

 

MOST OF MY LIST IS FROM THE PRODUCE SECTION!

SO IT'S WEEK 3 OF MEAL PLANNING & IT'S THE LAST WEEK OF THE MONTH.

GUESS WHAT??? 

I STAYED WITHIN MY GROCERY BUDGET THIS MONTH- THAT INCLUDES EATING OUT WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY.

THIS ALSO INCLUDES-

• BUYING FRESH FRUITS & VEGETABLES. 

 

• COOKING FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY.

 

• BEING ON A ROAD TRIP THAT TOOK ME DOWN THE STATE & BACK UP.

 INSTEAD OF MEAL PLANNING BEING ANOTHER CHORE TO ADD TO MY LIST OF THINGS TO DO, I FIND MYSELF LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT-

BECAUSE IT OFFERS ME A SENSE OF FREEDOM.  WITH A PLAN IN FRONT OF ME, I CUT DOWN ON BUYING GROCERIES THAT I DO NOT NEED OR BEING TEMPTED TO JUST GRAB SOMETHING ON MY WAY HOME.

THIS ALLOWS ME TO BUY QUALITY & HAVE A LITTLE FUN WITH IT- 

AND NOT FEEL GUILTY!!!

 

THINGS I'VE LEARNED AFTER MAKING 3 WEEKLY MEAL PLANS-

~MAKE IT FUN.  MEAL PLAN ON SOMETHING THAT WILL HOLD YOUR INTEREST.   

PRACTICAL ME WANTED TO MEAL PLAN ON CALENDAR ON MY MAC, BUT I QUICKLY GOT BORED WITH THAT IDEA.  I FOUND THAT CREATING A QUICK, CUTE WEEKLY CALENDAR ACTUALLY MOTIVATED ME TO PLAN.  IF THE IDEA OF CREATING SOMETHING STRESSES YOU OUT, THEN MAYBE A NOTEPAD AND A PEN ARE ALL YOU NEED.

~IF IT'S YOUR FIRST TIME, TAKE STOCK OF WHAT'S IN YOUR PANTRY.

THIS HELPED ME PICK BETWEEN RECIPES THAT I HAD & HELPED KEEP ME WITHIN BUDGET FOR THE MONTH.

~MARK DOWN THE EVENTS THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT FIRST.

THIS HELPS MAKE THE TASK SEEM LESS DAUNTING.

~PLAN FOR ONE NEW/FAVORITE RECIPE EACH WEEK.  I LIKE TO TRY A PINTEREST MEAL OR TWO.

THIS WAS A TIP MY FRIEND, M, GAVE ME, AND I LOVE IT!  IT KEEPS THINGS CREATIVE & FUN.  SHE ALSO GAVE ME THIS TIP- IF IT'S A RECIPE YOU LIKE, WRITE IT DOWN.  THEN DELETE IT FROM YOUR PINTEREST BOARD SO THAT YOUR BOARD DOESN'T BECOME OVERWHELMING.