A Little Planning Can Put You Way Ahead
How to eliminate that uneasy moment when, driving home, or standing in the middle of the kitchen floor, you ask yourself, what in the world can I make tonight? If you organize your meals by the week or the month, you will just check your calendar and answer yourself with smug assurance. Even if you aren’t the kind of person who thrives on a if this is Tuesday it must be meatloaf routine, some advance planning will give you better results from less effort.
First, clean out your freezer and cabinets. Get rid of outdated foods; things you never use. Then, if you need them, invest in some inexpensive pantry organization items (shelves, see-through boxes.) Make a list of the staples you should always have on hand. You can find a good list at about.com, which you can customize. Using a spreadsheet, make a list of your standard dishes, and write out the ingredients needed for each of them. Those ingredients, printed out, are the basis of your shopping list. (You will also add breakfast, lunch, and snacks, as well as staples.)
Some people like to plan out their menu a week at a time. One woman goes the two-week route, sitting down with her family the day before payday. She asks them what meals they would like, then she writes out her list, usually adding more fruits and vegetables. Since everyone has already “bought into” the menu, there’s less complaining when meals are served.
There are also several books available if you’re the once-a-month type. In this system, you devote several hours to cooking; then freeze your month’s meals. Whatever format you use, think about doubling the recipes that you do make, and freezing the extra serving. Just make sure to label the contents of your freezer, so that things don’t get lost. (More clear plastic boxes can come in handy here, especially if you have a deep freezer. Label the boxes by content and date.)
You can always make changes at the last minute. But a little advance planning can give you a lot of peace of mind.
Mealtimes Matter Video
from Miriam Weinstein
About Miriam
Miriam Weinstein is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. As a journalist, she has won several awards from the New England Press Association. Her work has appeared in Boston Magazine, the Boston Globe magazine, Hope, and ParentSource. A former staff member for North Shore Weeklies and freelancer for Essex County Newspapers, she writes restaurant reviews and food columns as well as features on a wide variety of subjects. She lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with her husband and has two grown children.
The Surprising Power of Family Meals
In her book, The Surprising Power of Family Meals, Miriam Weinstein shows how this basic human institution helps nourish and strengthen our families today. You can buy this book from our friends at Smucker's® Online Store.
