5 Benefits of Menu Planning

Menu Planning at first glance could be so complicated and time consuming. You must think about food to prepare for a week or so. Me as a working mom, I am usually tired from work whenever I arrived home. But then my obligations never stop. My 2-year-old son would like to cuddle as I arrived. We should play in a bit. Then my husband is working overseas and waiting for me to chat him over Skype. At night, I still have to attend my baby's needs like milk and diaper changing. And in the morning I am overwhelmed and a bit exhausted rushing again going to work. Sometimes I wasn't able to cook for the family and for my packed meal. Buying meals at work could be so expensive and most of the time I don’t like the food being served. So anyways, these are some reasons why I thought about menu planning…I did it for a week plan…And the result is amazing…Imagine, I am spending 150 pesos for food alone if I didn't bring my own food. 100 pesos savings a day is 400 pesos in 4 days (I work 4 days a week 12 hrs. a day). And not just that, my family will have something to eat when I left home. Usually I cooked dish enough to eat for lunch and dinner since its only me and my mom plus the 2 toddlers.

Benefits of Menu Planning:

1.     Saves Time

 Brain storming once a week will save you from emergency running back to groceries store for forgotten ingredients.

2.     Saves Money:  

When you already have the list of ingredients, you know what exactly needs to buy and fewer impulse buys.

3.     You can plan a balance and healthy meal

No skip meals and buying from the fast food chain just because you were unable to prepare your food.

4.      Reduces Waste:

I usually buy on impulse before thinking that I am going to use it, like I am craving for something. But after buying it my cravings are gone so the tendency was to set it aside and left forgotten until it was expired. Such a waste, right? So, when your meal is plan, it reduces waste. You should just stick to your list.

5.     Reduces Stress: 

Simple as that... Before I sleep I already prepared the ingredients for cooking so that when I wake up, I’ll just cook in minimal time…

I usually get my menu from different sites like delmonte, all recipe and panlasang pinoy for recipes aside from our traditional home cooking learned from my mom. Have you ever thought of planning your meal? Why not give it a try!!! Here’s my sample for a 1 week menu plan…What’s yours?