Organizing Your Dinner Prep for your Menu Plan

Now that you have your menu plan all set and your groceries are purchased ready to go it’s time to plan out just how you will go about preparing your meals this week.

Menu planning sure makes dinnertime a lot easier.  It’s great to know what’s for dinner without any last minute guesses or wondering.

But did you know that dinnertime can be even smoother if you go about it in an organized manner. Thinking about dinner well before the dinner bell means that when it actually comes time to

A few adjustments in the ways you usually do things and dinnertime will be even more smooth sailing.

Post: Post your menu somewhere in your home so you will know what’s on the dinner plan from day to day. This is a nice quick reminder so  you don’t forget to do anything like thaw or marinate. I use a [easyazon_link identifier=”B078G67TQW” locale=”US” tag=”mommybabytool-20″]wipe off board like this[/easyazon_link] on the refrigerator door. But [easyazon_link identifier=”B0779LJTW7″ locale=”US” tag=”mommybabytool-20″]wall mounted chalkboards[/easyazon_link], paper tablets, and your household binder can suffice.

My daughter has taken over the duty of writing down our weekly menu. She finds it fascinating to think about what she will be eating. I have to admit I was blessed with a child who is not a picky eater and finds eating all kinds of foods a pure joy.

Now it doesn’t matter where you post it just that it’s in a visible place to remind you of your weekly menu plan.

Prep: Prep as many vegetables as you can in advance. One of my favorite authors Emilie Barnes says to do this right when you come home from the grocery story.  I love her tips but this one I could never complete.  If you’re like me you’re usually too tired and worn out after shopping to attend to this task. After a rousing trip from the grocery store I’m usually doing good to get all the groceries put away. I usually try for the next day as I’m preparing a meal.

Some people cut up their veggies at the beginning of the week. I’ve done that a time or two. Very nice idea.

Here are some of the things you can cut up in advance…

• Onions,  double bag or use an [easyazon_link identifier=”B002H02JSM” locale=”US” tag=”mommybabytool-20″]onion keeper[/easyazon_link]
• Carrots
• Celery
• Apples (sprinkle with lemon juice to keep from browning)
• Visit Pickyourown.org to find more things and ways you can preserve.

Thaw: If you’re like me you buy your meat in bulk and freeze it in portions. From fish to chicken to beef and beyond. Be sure and have ample time to thaw your meat out for your meals. I usually try and pull my meat for the next day’s meal out the morning before. Then I set it in the refrigerator to thaw.

Take it Further: Think in advance when you meal plan. If one of your dinners freezes well double shopping list and prepare one for the freezer.  Some dishes I double up on are lasagne, quiches, and soups. I make twice as much and freeze a portion for a night when I’m too tired to think about dinner.

Put these tips to work for a better meal time experience.

The Intentional Bites Planner can help you organize your personal healthy eating as well. This great planner launches this Sunday September 23, 2018.