HOW-TO MAINTAIN MEAL PLANNING OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Hey friends!

I know what you’re thinking… the absolute last thing on our minds right now in the midst of the busiest time of the year is meal planning.

But hear me out… let’s say (completely hypothetically of course) you were not to meal plan during the holiday season.  What would happen?

• You'd eat out more because you're not cooking at home.
• You'd spend even more money during an already expensive time of year.
• Your clothes might start to feel a little bit snug.
• You'd feel like *poop emoji*.
• And your life becomes complete shambles. (You know, that old number.)

​Ugh been there, done that!

All joking aside though, meal planning is more than just a “good thing to do”.  Meal planning creates routine with your eating that’s essential to keeping your metabolism humming for optimal health.  And it’s got some other pretty awesome perks too, like:

1. saving you money,
2. saving you (unnecessary) stress,
3. reducing food waste, and
4. avoiding unplanned trips to the grocery store!  

So today, I’m sharing my top tips to continue your meal planning habits even when life gets busy beyond belief.  Keep scrolling!  :)​

HOW-TO MAINTAIN MEAL PLANNING OVER THE HOLIDAYS

1) DON'T DO ANYTHING NEW. 

Let’s be honest… trying new recipes is fun and exciting, but it typically also takes up extra time and energy whenever we embark on something new.  So, bookmark, pin, and clip those recipes for later and stick to recipes you know like the back of your hand right now.  (If you've been following us for some time, you know that we like to call these types of recipes our "Master Meals".)  Even if the original recipe you love isn’t so “healthy,” you can easily modify them with any of these simple substitutions.

2) GO FOR QUICK & CONVENIENT INGREDIENTS. 

If you normally take on the vegetable chopping at home or prefer to make your own hummus every week, save yourself the hassle and buy the very convenient pre-washed and pre-chopped produce (or a frozen or canned variety) and ready-to-eat products available in grocery stores.  You might also gear towards items like salad kits and rotisserie chicken this time of year to make meals at home still happen.  Remember, everything doesn’t have to be 100% homemade to be healthful and delicious! 
​

3) SIMPLIFY THE PREP STEPS. 

There's no denying that cooking takes time.  One pan or one pot recipes are a god send as well as crockpot meals for their ease and simplicity!  Not having to dirty up too many dishes will also help save your sanity this holiday season.  Check out our Pinterest for some easy recipe ideas. 
​

4) WRITE. IT. DOWN. 

Don’t even try to kid yourself.  You know that execution is much more likely to happen with anything when we write it down so be sure to do it with meal planning too.  Use our Free Printable Weekly Meal Planner to keep you on track and accountable. 

Those were our essential tips to keeping meal planning going over the holidays friends.  Now go forth and meal plan!  We’d love to know what you’re cooking up this time of year.  Tell us in the comments below or tag us at @themealplanningmethod! 

lindsey