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Top 10 to Effective Meal Planning
Meal
planning is a time-consuming job when it's done from scratch week after week.
However, it doesn't have be complicated. A small investment of time
creating a menu plan can reap great rewards. In fact when meals are
well-planned in advance there are lesser chances of a blow-out.
By understanding and
incorporating these tips into your daily or weekly meal planning you can
continue to enjoy food while you maintain a
healthy
weight.
 Begin
by gathering your favorite recipes. Dot down, flag pages of cook book or
even print out your favourite
recipes.
In any event, bring them all to
the table when you're ready to begin. Note that if some of your recipes are
so well-loved that you prepare them from memory and don't even know where a
printed version might be, you will have to jot down the name of the dish and
the ingredients in order for the system to work.
 Next,
prepare an index of your recipes. Group them by categories of your
choosing, such as: casseroles, soups and stews; chicken entrees; meat
dishes; side dishes; and desserts. Under each heading, list the appropriate
recipes and where they can be found
 Think
of planning a meal as something like painting a picture. Try to use
creativity in your food selection and have contrasting colors to give
interest to the meal. Use colorful vegetables sliced on a plate such as
carrots, etc. Add garnishes such as parsley, a sprig of mint, or a sprinkle
of paprika to give an added touch of color. Meals should be appealing as
well as nutritional.
 You
need to plan for an entire day ahead of time. Plan main dishes for every
meal by including a variety of foods from all major food groups, grains,
vegetables, fruits, proteins, dairy and fat ensures that you are getting the
fiber, vitamins and minerals that you need. For example you have planned to
serve a
chicken dish. A suggestion might be to serve a rice/macaroni dish
along with the chicken. Then you need to think of selecting one or more
fruits or vegetables to add nutritional balance to the meal. A salad should
be planned and this is a very flexible dish. Have desserts that have other
nutrients than the carbohydrates from sugar. You will also need to select a
bread to serve with the meal and a beverage that will go with the main dish
or the dessert.
 Pull
out these recipes and prepare a shopping list based on the requisite
ingredients. Compose your list on the back of the menu card. After returning
from the store, post the menu card in a convenient place, such as inside a
cabinet door, where it can be referred to as needed.
 Build
flexibility into your plan. The way food is to be prepared should be
carefully watched out to match time available for preparation. At-home days
with more free time you can handle a fancy meal--or can signal soup,
sandwiches and Cook's Night Off. Running the evening kid carpool is a
great time to plan for pick-up burgers. Make the routine yours,
and it will serve you well.
 Try
not to serve more than one starchy vegetable at a meal. A balanced
combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrate helps slow digestion providing
a steady glycemic response, meaning that the body gradually absorbs the
carbohydrates over a longer period of time.
 A
meal is more attractive when the foods on the plate are different in sizes
and shapes. Try to balance rich foods with light foods.
 Work
in new dishes every week. Designate a day of your choosing for trying a
new healthy recipe each week. If the family likes it, you can replace an
existing recipe on one of your menu cards with the new one. Keep a close
track of the contents and nutritive information about the recipes.
 Limit
foods made with butter and lard(3-5 servings/day) and avoid foods that
are deep fat fried. When adding fat to the diet, choose non-animal sources
such as olive oil, peanuts, and avocado. To reduce your intake, switch to
oils and margarines made from liquid oil. Also check a list of
low-calorie,
lower-fat alternative foods
laid
down by WF Team. Try to limit hydrogenated oils
which have more saturated fat. Once you have switched the type, use the
pyramid to make the right food choices to achieve a balance.
That's it! The advantages
of menu planning-a wide range of ready-made menus for you to choose from, saving
on time, money, and unnecessary effort.
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