Believe it or not, it’s that time again when the words, “BACK TO SCHOOL” start to creep into our minds, and even though summer is not quite over yet, it’s time to start getting the kids back into a normal sleep routine, grabbing school supplies, and start planning another year of those dreaded lunches – lol.
The good news is, lunches don’t have to be a nightmare. In fact, if you take a little time and incorporate what I’m about to share with you – you may actually find the task somewhat enjoyable. Today I am sharing with you my household secret to success when it comes to “Back to School” – it’s MEAL PLANNING!
In previous years, after slaving to come up with fun, tasty and nutritional lunches on the spot everyday for my kids, nothing would set me off more than my husband texting me at 8:50am – “hey, what do you want to do for dinner tonight”. Really!?
I realized I could not keep doing this to myself everyday. So, I started paying attention to all the articles and tips focused around meal planning charts, and decided to give it a shot!
Guys, this changed my family’s LIFE! Not to mention it took a ton of stress off of me each day so I could focus my time and energy elsewhere.
Below are 6 helpful tips to get you started on your family’s Meal-Planning:
- Start by asking your family what each of them would like to have at least 1x that week. Be sure to get the kids’ input as well on lunch items! Every week, encourage them to request something different. Ask them what their friends had in their lunches that they wished they could have. Ask your husband the same thing!
- Take all their suggestions and browse online for NEW ways to make lasagna, or NEW sandwich creations. Examples: #meatlessmonday OR #tacotuesday. This way you can start your meal-planning and shopping list.
- Take your list of recipes and requests from your family and insert them into the MEAL PLANNER GUIDE we created for you.
- Fill out the SHOPPING LIST section with items you may need to pick up for the week. This allows you to save money when grocery shopping too by knowing exactly what you need for the week. *Tip, buy half the fruits and veggies on Sunday, needed for Monday thru Wednesday, and the remaining on Thursday to ensure absolute freshness for the remaining weekdays.
- Cross reference your shopping list with local flyers for coupons to your favourite stores/markets.
- Keep in mind meals that may make for great lunch ideas for the next day. Example, leftover rice is a life-saver.
With so many delicious items to choose from no matter what the lifestyle, diet or even allergy, meal planning is a fun way to keep the whole family healthy and happy – making BACK TO SCHOOL lunches and meal planning a breeze!
Don’t forget to download our FREE Meal-Planner created just for you!
As always, we would love to hear from you. Do you have any tips when it comes to meal-planning or lunch ideas? Share with us below!
Happy Planning!
Xx, Natalie Grant
Founder + Creative Director
BOOMBALOO/Raising Modern
