Every Friday or Saturday, depending on the time I have, I sit down with the grocery sales ads and freezer, fridge, and pantry inventories (right now those inventories are mental ;) ) and come up with a menu plan. I consider the events of the week, and if I have Bible study one night, I will fix a casserole or something that can be prepared in advance and popped in the oven before I leave. Recently, with all our bountiful garden produce and what we pick up at the Farmer's Market, I have been trying to incorporate more colorful veggies and also to prepare more heart-healthy foods.
Do you meal plan? If not, I invite you to join me in the Keeper of the Home's "Plan it-Don't Panic" six-week meal-planning challenge. The challenge will begin Monday, September 26th and run through November 7th. It is designed to help us hold one another accountable in planning healthy, budget-friendly meals, and I am all for that!
I am joining the challenge for three primary reasons:
1. To save moolah. Lately, even with a solid menu plan, I have been overspending at the grocery stores. I know food prices are on the rise, but it seems like I spend $60 and leave the store with only three dinky bags of groceries that don't last us the entire week. I could definitely use some new menu planning strategies!
2. For encouragement to serve healthier foods. As I have mentioned before, my husband's blood pressure has been slightly elevated, so I have reduced our consumption of fried foods and red meats and replaced them with more fresh fruits and vegetables as well as beans.
3. For new recipes and menu ideas from other like-minded women. Who couldn't use some help coming up with a meal plan? It gets old fixing the same ol' stuff. I love trying new recipes, but, to be honest, I usually stick pretty closely to the tried and true.
If you are curious or want a little more information about the "Plan it-Don't Panic" challenge, check out Keeper of the Home's post. Every Monday, beginning September 26th, any bloggers can link up their meal plans for the week to get some inspiration and encourage one another. I invite you to join me!
What are your thoughts on meal planning? Is it a noble endeavor that you would like to do but don't know where to start? Are you already doing it? Or do you prefer to live spontaneously and fix whatever appeals to you in the moment?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
For comments or questions, contact me at: growinginhisglory@gmail.com
Find Growing in His Glory on Facebook.
Find Growing in His Glory on Facebook.
I would love to see more of you! If you are encouraged by what you read here
and would like to have posts from Growing in His Glory delivered to your inbox
daily, simply click here. Or you can subscribe in a reader of your
choice.
I may join you in this. I have been going through the 31 Days to Clean and it will be winding down around the end of the month. Meal planning is another area where I've been wanting to focus. The goals would be mostly to make healthier meals and to reduce stress, but I'd also like to avoid the "I forgot about dinner let's order pizza" nights that have been more frequent lately. :) I'll check it out! Either way, looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
ReplyDelete