Meal Planning is the perfect way to bring the whole family to the table for dinner without stressing you out. It is also a great way to save money at the grocery store.

If you have not tried menu planning then you are missing out. This is a simple but effective way to limit the amount of time you spend in the thinking, planning, and shopping for weekly menus and with excellent results.

The main benefits of Menu Planning are that with this prepared list of dinner meals you save money because there is no more grabbing just anything at the store you know what you need for meals and if you're extra prepared you know what is in your pantry (but that is another article). You save time because your list is already printed so grocery shopping goes much quicker. You save repeat trips to the store to pick up something you forgot. No more wracking your brain trying to figure out what is for dinner. The food is healthier than eating out or a pre-made meal because you know what is in it. Someone else can prepare dinner because the menu and the ingredients are all there!

You can also use menu planning for organizing breakfasts and lunches but since dinner meals seem to be the most problematic to come up with and the most important for bringing a family together at the dinner table they are usually the most focused on.

If you like a bit of variety in your menu the gathering of recipes, pulling it all together and getting together a shopping list can take a little time especially if you're new to menu planning.

Luckily for us there are several menu planning resources available.  Weekly menu plans where all of that hard work is done for you. Picking family friendly, healthy, tasty, and yes innovative meals. Mapping out the week's recipes. Creating a grocery list organized by department. Including suggestions for yummy side dishes and sometimes even breakfasts and lunches. You also get tips for even faster cooking, ingredient substitutions, and ideas for desserts.

Where are these great plans?

Below you will find a list of some of the more popular menu planning sites on the internet (yes I have tried each of these). I've given a run down on what each menu planning service provides and many times you can have access to a free week's sample or a very very low cost sample.

I've also uploaded a Menu Planning Comparison Chart in our Cooking Printables section.

Give some of these menu planning resources a try you will be so happy with the results...