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Simplify Your Dinner Plans with These Easy Tips
Figuring out what to make for dinner every night can be a real headache. Between busy work schedules, kids’ activities, and the general grind of daily life, it’s no wonder that so many people struggle to get a healthy, homemade meal on the table. But having a solid plan for your dinner routine can go a long way towards making mealtimes much less stressful. Here are some simple tips for streamlining your dinner plans:
Make a weekly meal plan
Taking just 10-15 minutes on the weekend to map out your dinner plans for the upcoming week can save you so much time, stress, and wasted food. Check what ingredients you already have on hand, browse recipes for inspiration, and schedule out each night’s entree, sides, etc. Post the meal plan somewhere visible in your kitchen.
Meal prep as much as possible
On your free days, take advantage by prepping meal components like: washed/chopped veggies, marinated proteins, pre-cooked grains, etc. Having these building blocks ready makes throwing together a meal so much quicker.
Lean on kitchen shortcuts
Take advantage of time-saving kitchen hacks like one-pot/sheet pan meals, using pre-prepped ingredients, and batch cooking proteins to use across multiple meals. Small shortcuts can make a big difference in simplifying dinner.
Plan for leftovers
Don’t think of leftovers as something to avoid. Intentionally make extra portions, then incorporate those planned-overs into easy meals like soups, salads, sandwiches, etc. later in the week.
Build up your arsenal of easy recipes
Maintain a rotation of tried-and-true, quick-prep recipes that you know your family will eat. Having this back pocket of reliable, simple meals makes dinner planning much easier.
With a few simple strategies in place, you can make the dinner routine feel so much more manageable. A little planning and preparation goes a long way towards taking the stress out of the evening meal.