It’s already the third week of August and we hope you’re gaining momentum with meal planning. Whenever we start (or restart) a habit, there are always obstacles that keep us from being consistent. Learning to overcome your meal planning hurdles will help you continue to plan ahead, even when other things get in the way.
4 Meal Planning Hurdles and How to Overcome Them
1. Meal planning takes too long.
When you have a smart and efficient system like Plan to Eat, meal planning doesn’t have to be an hour-long event. One of the best ways to save time when meal planning is to create and reuse Menus. By using Menus to meal plan, you can plan upto an entire month of meals in minutes!
2. Nothing sounds good.
If you’re lacking inspiration and nothing sounds good, seek the advice of trusted friends and family members to see what they’re eating this week. A quick text to say, “hey, what’s on your plan this week?” can open the door to finding your new favorite recipe!
3. Overspending your food budget.
“Food prices” is becoming a four-letter word, but we still have to get dinner on the table each night! Creating a meal plan is the fastest way to save money on groceries because when you shop from your plan, you buy what you actually need and not extra food that will go to waste. Read about how we create meal plans on a budget for more budgeting tips!
4. You simply forget.
Meal planning is a gift to your future self and forgetting to meal plan carries greater consequences than forgetting to do other household chores. Schedule time for meal planning and shopping (or grocery delivery) just like you would a meeting or appointment. When it’s scheduled, it will get done and then you don’t have to think about it anymore.
You can read more about meal planning obstacles and how to solve them in parts one and two of our related blog series.
Week #3 Giveaway: The Subscriptions Bundle + 1 Year Subscription to Plan to Eat
This week, we are giving away the ultimate foodie magazine subscription bundle! Follow the instructions on this Instagram post to win one-year subscriptions to both Cook’s Illustrated and Food & Wine magazines!
Cook’s Illustrated is the must-have cooking magazine for the passionate and dedicated chef. It is a bimonthly American publication that has been characterized by thorough evaluations, testing, and instructions on everything food since 1993. Cook’s Illustrated is extremely unique in the fact that it accepts absolutely no advertising, therefore offering its readers cover-to-cover pages of expertise. There are approximately ten recipes in each issue, of which each one is extensively discussed by the author.
Food & Wine is a cooking and food magazine that serves as an authoritative source on the modern culinary landscape, especially for those with luxurious tastes and a strong appreciation of good food and drink. First published in 1978, Food & Wine covers a wide range of topics related to elegant dining and entertaining. Readers appreciate the expert advice that allows them to indulge in great wines, find the best restaurants, eat healthier, cook better, and enjoy outstanding food.
In addition to these two subscriptions, the winner will also get a free one-year subscription to Plan to Eat!
To enter the giveaway, head over to this Instagram post and follow the instructions in the caption for how to enter.
This giveaway is only available to US and Canadian residents through Instagram and you must be 18+ to enter.
