Going along with our previous post on having a purpose when you are beginning your journey of meal planning, it is also important to keep things simple and flexible. This allows for not only room to adjust as needed, but also gives you small wins to keep you on your path of meal planning. Wins add to your confidence in the kitchen and lowers your overwhelm.
How to Focus on Simplicity?
- Utilize Family Fav’s or Familiar Recipes: This gets you to start something new, while also using the skills you already have.
- Select Simple Recipes: These usually have less ingredients and are very straightforward to cook.
- Don’t Overcomplicate Your Plan: Start out by focusing on one area to implement or work on.
One of Our Family Fav’s: Coq Au Vin
This quickly became one of our favorite meals. It’s flavorful, filling and very easy to make. Here we paired it with a classic rice pilaf. If you haven’t tried it out, it’s a great recipe to enjoy this fall. We will add in the recipe below. What are some of your families go to meals?
Why is it Important to be Flexible?
No matter how much or how well we plan, life happens. Putting the skills of being flexible into your meal plan allows room for adjustment on days where things may not go as well to plan. This is something we have become pros on as parents of 3 littles with our own business. We always have a backup meal in our freezer, whether a quick store bought or one we premade. These help us on our really busy or crazy days. Flexibility in your meal planning is also very helpful as you work to find the best fit for your family of too much, too little and just the right amount of planning.
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group Meal Planning for Busy Parents yet, please check it out HERE. That is where you can find our community and easily chat with us. We also go live every Friday to answer your questions and talk about all kinds of cooking and meal planning topics. We’ll see you tomorrow!