Yes, I know you’re thinking, ‘meal planning again?’, but we are fast approaching the end of summer; many of you are coming back from vacation, and getting ready for the rat race that is September. Whether you’re going back to work, have kids that are going back to school, or settling in after a long break, needless to say, it is an adjustment period and requires a fair bit of organisation and planning.

Now as much as I love seeing and catching up with people at the end of summer, I do find that they are always frazzled, stressed and somewhat restless, usually for different reasons, but the one common thread and what I tend to hear a lot is ‘I have SO much grocery shopping to do!’, ‘need to sort out the kids’ school meals’, ‘I’d love to come out tonight, but I have so much cooking to do’ … you get the picture.  This brings us to the topic at hand; meal planning.  Yes, end of summer is stressful, and there is a long laundry list of things to do before getting back into the swing of things, and food is a huge part of it.

I know many people who get back and simply dive into filling their trolleys with anything and everything they think they need, but without really putting much thought into what exactly they plan on cooking during their first weeks back. Not necessarily the best approach, as it leaves you with a lot of things you won’t be using that will ultimately go to waste.

Hence, the importance of meal planning. My first advice: start early, preferably before you get back.  Figure out your plan and make a list. That way, you know exactly what you need and your job at the supermarket will be that much easier. How one chooses to meal plan however, is entirely up to them, as it’s contingent on several factors and can be as rigid or as flexible as one would like. But back to the why; why meal plan in the first place? I’m sure many of you have your reasons, but for me, it comes down to the following:

1. Saves me time; this reason is my biggest priority. Though it does mean I would have to set aside 1 – 2 hours each week to get everything done, it’s totally worth it, because it will save me a ton of time after.
2. Saves money; also very important. I find that when I don’t plan, I am more inclined to rely on takeout and delivery, because there is no way I am preparing anything from scratch when I get home after a long day.  Though harmless most of the time, it does tend to add up eventually.
3. Reduces waste; due to the fact that my grocery list is now limited to exactly what I need, which will hopefully get used up before the week is out.
4. Keeps me clean; in my case, I find that I am way better at healthy eating when I prepare my own meals, as opposed to going out or ordering in, in which case my choice of meal is usually a burger and fries or something equally calorific.

What about you guys? What are your thoughts on meal planning, and how do you go about executing them? Would love to hear how you plan, and more importantly, why you do it. What are your reasons and how does it help?