The Secret To Meal Planning (mine!)

So often people when they ask how I keep track of everything and stay so organized. Well, here’s a little secret. I’m really just a great pretender. I get just as scatterbrained like so many of you, I just have a system of checks and balances. Like today, a friend called me to ask about scheduling something at our kids’ preschool. Ok, I had to switch gears because just minutes before then I was headed out to the car to get to a class but had also just read an email about the fundraiser I’m helping with at my daughter’s school (different school). Oh, and this friend and I are working on another group project for later this month-was that why she’d called me? Four “tasks” in my mind at the same time and I didn’t know if I was coming or going (ok I really did but you know what I mean!). Thank goodness I was able to switch gears and get her the answers she needed.

But here’s the rest of my secret….I WRITE IT DOWN. If I ask my brain to hold one more thing than necessary then it’s likely to get forgotten. Write it down and you’ll be able to focus on other stuff knowing that when you’re ready you can just look it up and be good to go.

I take the same approach to meal planning. I have a lot of balls to juggle and many times I’m not sure which hat I’m wearing. But knowing that I’ve planned a healthy, well-balanced meal for me and my family is one thing I can count on. So when the day is coming to a long end, I’m not staring into the fridge or pantry wondering if it’s going to be sandwiches or soup for dinner, I can look at my list and remind myself that “Oh yeah, I bought the ingredients to make spaghetti and a salad tonight—let me go look for those!” And voila! Even with probably a dozen kid interruptions in those short few minutes trying to derail my thoughts, dinner is ready before I know it.

So now that I’ve shared my secret with you I’m going to share something else! Here is the form that I use to keep track of it all. I printed mine out and laminated it so I could just wipe it off and reuse it each week (gotta be mindful of staying green too!). We post it on the fridge and everyone knows what’s to eat. I hope this helps you stay a little saner when it comes to meal time…let me know what you think and post a comment below!

As always, happy planning and cooking!