Planning your meals by the week or month saves money and time. It is much healthier to eat at home than to dine in restaurants or get take-out. Many people worry that cooking at home takes too much time and doesn't work well with the busy schedules of the family. However, many meals come together in a short amount of time. A little planning goes a long way toward putting a healthy meal on the table, whether it's breakfast, lunch or dinner.
See What You Already Have
Look through the pantry, refrigerator and freezer and note what you have on hand that you can use to make a meal. This saves money when you shop, but also prevents you from buying duplicates and ending up with food that has spoiled. For example, if you have a whole bag of rice, plan a couple of meals for the week that will incorporate it. If you have a large family or extra freezer and pantry space, consider stocking up on items you eat a lot when they go on sale. This gives you the base for several meals in the future.
Write Everything Down
Write down each meal you plan to prepare so that you know what is coming and are able to defrost meat and prepare ingredients in a timely manner. This also allows you to make a coordinating shopping list so that you can buy everything you need in one trip. You won't have to stop at the store just to make dinner, and you won't be halfway through preparation and realize you are out of a vital ingredient. Many computer software programs allow you to create your menu, input recipes you need and automatically generate a shopping list.
Stick to Recipes You Know
Having a set of healthy recipes you can prepare from scratch, without a cookbook, means that a meal will take less time. Trying out a new recipe when you are pressed for time is frustrating and usually takes longer than you anticipated. Save these for the weekend when you can devote the additional time. Recipes with which you are familiar make is easier to prepare a shopping list because you already know what ingredients and how much of each you need.
Make Extras
Preparing a meal that leaves you with enough leftovers for another meal is a good way to plan for days when you have less time to cook, but still want to provide a healthy meal for your family. For example, roast a chicken and eat half for dinner one night. Shred the leftovers and use them to make soup or tacos the next night. Any dinner leftovers make a healthy addition to the next day's lunch, preventing you from hitting the drive-through restaurant.
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