Meal Planning in Just 10 Minutes

Raki is a wife, mom of 2, coffee drinker, and list maker. She puts her UNC Tarheels’ degree in Communication Studies to use at an advertising agency and her hands-on experience as a working mom to use on her blog. She is the go-to gal for on-the-go moms. You can find her online at: Outside the Box Mom / Twitter / Facebook

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Meal Planning doesn’t have to be overcomplicated.  Often, we choose to make it that way.  Got 10 minutes?  You can plan your meals for the whole month.

1. Let Your Kids Create the Menu: I regularly ask my kids what they want for dinner.  Usually the answer is pizza, McDonald’s or Chick-Fil-A.  Then, I add “that mom cooks.”  I usually hear chicken, spaghetti, and sloppy joes.  With a little prodding, I can usually get 10 ideas out of them.  If I add a few easy favorites, I can easily come up with 25-30 ideas, leaving us room for a few sandwich nights or eating .
2. Let Your Husband Create the Menu: When I ask my husband what he would like for dinner, I almost always get “whatever you feel like fixing.”  Occasionally, I’ll get a special request for one of his favorites like Hamburgers & Gravy, meatloaf, or hamburgers.  You can tell he is a so-not-a-vegetarian-meat-eating-sort-of-guy, right?  Once he tells me I think of 5-10 of his favorites and add some kid-friendly picks, I have a month’s worth of meals.
3. Rotate on a 30 Day Schedule: Whether you realize it or not, you probably eat the same thing.  Unless of course, you’re a gourmet chef or testing out recipes for your new cookbook.  If you’re a regular ol’ gal like me, pick about 10-15 meals your family enjoys (and you regularly have supplies for).  If you have that meal 2-3 times on a repeating cycle, you’ve filled up the month.

There you have it!  Three easy ways to meal plan in under 10 minutes.

P.S. When you’re wearing something that makes you feel confident, you’re far less likely to have an awkward moment, don’t you agree? One of the styles that flatters my rectangle-shaped figure is Carolyn. I love wearing my Carolyn dress in Gold Marble. (This post was first published by Raki Wright at OutsidetheBoxMom.com.) #syndicated