The other day while listening to the radio, the concept of meal planning was being discussed. A guy called in saying that he and his wife plan what they are going to eat a MONTH in advance. I was rather shocked. I mean, I totally understand the rationale of a weekly meal plan (you know the ones where you plot what to eat from Monday – Sunday and then go out and buy all the ingredients). But seriously – what if you don’t feel like a chicken and mushroom pasta on the 21st of February? What if all you crave is a juicy steak or fillet of fish that day?
Having said that, there are actually loads of reasons why meal planning is a good thing:
– It means you waste less of your groceries.
– You always get variety in your meals.
– You eat out less and save money by doing so
– You avoid the stress and indecision of the whole “what should I cook for dinner?” saga.
But surely there has to be a limit of how far in the future you can plan what to eat? What if there’s a great special on cauliflower next week?! Or a 2-for-1 deal on avocados?
What I love about the internet (and more specifically, Pinterest), is that you can create beautiful boards around a specific theme or ingredient and then Pin recipes to your heart’s content! And when you spot a great offer on the ingredient – just bring up the board, choose your recipe and buy the rest of the elements it requires.
Of course – when you’re entertaining, meal planning necessitates a bit more effort and thorough preparation. Firstly, it’s always a good idea to ask guests if any of them have dietary requirements. They might be vegan or vegetarian, Banting or gluten intolerant. It just eliminates all that Notting Hill type awkwardness. Plus, you don’t end up embarrassingly scratching around looking for “something” they can eat.
At the end of the day, meal planning for your everyday life is quite a personal thing – like the way you take your tea or coffee. Each person’s situation is different. But it’s fascinating nonetheless.
You know where to turn whenever you are needing inspiration (and don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest!)
Yours in scribbly shopping lists and full trolleys,
Tessa