5 Meal Planning Tips to Save You Time!

I have to say meal planning has become sort of trendy...and somewhat glamorous. Every site I go to has some meal plan with amazing menus and grocery lists. I don't know about you but as a busy mom it can be somewhat overwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I love a good meal plan, but I tend to do the same tricks over and over again to get our grocery list prepped and planned for the week. 
These are my top tips that can save you time in the long run. They aren't rocket science, but a nice reminder that it doesn't have to be complicated!

Save recipes ahead of time.  
I have a folder in my inbox that is called "recipes", every time I find something I like online or a blog, I email myself with the link. I know there are fancy apps that do this for you, but for some reason email just works for me. When I'm in a pinch. I just scroll through the list. I also make boards on Pinterest.  Some of my favorites are below.  Break them up by category so its easy to find what you are looking for.

--> Clean Eating Machine
--> Breakfast Club
--> Smoothies
--> 21 Day Fix

Don't recreate the wheel.
There are lots of amazing sites, blogs, magazines etc. that will do the planning for you. You don't need to start from scratch. Here is where I get some of my inspiration.

-->Fitnessista: $60 of daytime eats for the week
--> Skinnytaste: Weekly Meal Plans
--> 21 Day Fix 
--> Weekly Meal Prep Example (2200 Calories)
--> Weekly Meal Prep Example (1500 Calories)
--> Shop once, eat all week!

Know your Schedule. 
I make our grocery list on Thursday night, we shop on Friday and then I prep/cook on the weekends for the upcoming week. This spaces it out so its not so overwhelming on one day. When you make your list, know your schedule. Are you going to have time to cook every night? If not plan a meal the night before where you can use the crockpot or have leftovers. How many nights do you need to plan dinners for? How many days do you need lunch and breakfast for? Thinking through who will be eating and when saves time in the long run.

Write it Down. 
Write down each meal that you are buying ingredients for. Even if you don't make it on the day you have planned you won't forget that you have the items.

Use a List App.
I do use a bit of technology for my list making. We use Wunderlist to make our grocery list but I am sure there are a lot of other apps that you can use. Everyone in the family has the app and can add items to the list as needed. That way whomever goes to the store can double check last minute and make sure we didn't forget anything!

Last but not least, have fun. I always pair grocery list making with a glass of wine at the end of the week. :) And then I celebrate it being done with an episode of Scandal. Reward yourself for planning! I try to get inspired by making yummy food and reset my goals for eating healthy for the week.

Hope these help!