Contributed by Angela Cleveland

Planning for the Week

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about healthy eating. Maintaining a clean, organized kitchen and having fresh ingredients and good recipes on hand are key steps in preparing nutritious meals. But how do you keep yourself on the right culinary track week to week? It’s time to put pen to paper and develop a plan – a weekly menu plan.

By creating a menu for each meal during the week, you can ensure you have all the ingredients you need, prepare steps or even meals ahead of time, and save money by not over-buying or throwing out unused food. Here are five simple steps to create a menu for the week.

Step 1: Write it out – pull out your favourite recipes and create a menu plan that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Be sure to include side dishes and sauces that you will need for each recipe. Keep the menus that you create so you can use them again.

Step 2: Create a grocery list from your menu – write down everything you need for your week of meals. Buy only what you need to help save money and prevent wasted food. Don’t forget to plan your meals around the fruits and veggies that come in your box each week.

Step 3: Look at your calendar and plan for the busy days – are you too tired to cook by Friday? Are you feeling creative on Sunday? If you have a busy day, pull out (or borrow or buy) a crockpot/slow cooker. It takes a bit of preparation, but it’s wonderful to walk through the door at the end of a busy day and have your meal waiting for you.

Step 4: Double-up on a good freezable meal – by making a double batch you can put the second one in the freezer and save it for those busy nights. Don’t forget to label and date your dish.

Step 5: Use big batch recipes – pre-made mixes, such as big batch muffin or pancake mix, can help create a home-cooked dish in a flash because the dry ingredients are already put together. Below are some recipes that you can mix up and store in the cupboard. When the time comes, combine them with the remaining wet ingredients for part of a quick and delicious meal.

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