One way to create a healthier diet for both your budget and your body is Menu Planning. It can help you maximize your food dollars while preparing nutritionally balanced meals. At first glance, it may seem too time consuming to plan so far in advance, but the benefits are well worth the time spent. In the time it takes waiting for pizza delivery, you could have a full week's meals planned. No extravagant supplies or special skills are necessary; all you really need is paper and a writing implement.
The first step in Menu Planning is to take 15 - 30 minutes each week to plan your meals for the upcoming week. Here are some tips for creating a healthy plan.
- Look through your favorite recipe books or magazines to incorporate some new healthy recipes to try each week. You may find a new favorite and alleviate boredom from eating the same thing all the time. Be sure to write down the book or magazine the recipe came from, including the page number, so you can easily find it when it is time to cook it. Or simply copy it into your own recipe book.
- Include snacks in your planning as well and make them healthy choices. This way you won't be tempted to hit a vending machine for a bag of chips or a candy bar when you get an afternoon desire for a snack. Apples or other fruits are easier on the budget and supply your body with a sweet treat as well as vitamins and nutrients.
- Check out your weekly grocery store sales flyers and coupons to see if you can take advantage of these money-saving sales, as well as buy staples when they cost less.
- Take time to plan each meal so that you can also maximize the use of any leftovers for lunches the next day or freezing for future use. Bulk cooking is another low-budget strategy that can come in handy when funds for food are low. If you cook foods in large batches and freeze what is unused, that meal can be used in the future, eliminating the need to spend more money and time later on. Look over your plan and be sure to incorporate the recommended daily servings of vegetables, fruits, beans and healthy grains into your meals. Planning helps you to ensure that you get food from all the food groups in the proper amounts for your body and lifestyle. Eating more of these foods will lead to a healthier you as well as save you money because these foods usually cost less at the grocery store.
- Knowing what you are going to eat in advance also helps to alleviate the stress of figuring out what to cook for dinner and also helps to eliminate trips to the drive-thru or for take-out.