Meal Planning
101
By Kim Corrigan-Oliver
Along with Back to School comes the return of routine. Schedules get busier, homework is on
the agenda, and everyone needs to eat. Meal planning is an important tool which will help you
create healthy, nutritious meals at home for your family even when the schedule seems to busy.
Here are six easy steps to meal planning success:
Step 1 - Get Ideas
Get the family involved...what does everyone
like to eat, what is everyone’s schedule like and
can family members help with preparation,
cooking or clean up?
Step 2 - Make Two Lists
weekend to make a few meals ahead of time for
those super busy nights.
Step 5 - Create A Grocery list
Include everything you need for meal
preparation.
List #1 – meals you usually prepare.
List #2 – meals you would like to prepare. We
all have those recipes tucked away just waiting
to be tried, bring them out and see if they fit
into your meal planning. One word of caution,
try only one new recipe per week.
Step 6 -Put It Into Action
Step 3 - Consider Short Cuts
Family meal planning can be a lot of fun when
the whole family is on board; so get the kids
involved, let them have a choice on the meals
you serve, let them help you in the kitchen
and then enjoy the meal you have prepared
together.
Ask yourself these three questions:
• Can you combine fresh (vegetables) and
convenience (jarred pasta sauce) to make a
fast healthy meal?
• Will using frozen (vegetables) or canned
(beans) foods make the meal easier to
prepare?
• Do you need simpler meals/recipes?
Step 4 - Create A Plan
Decide what meals you will prepare on which
nights. Consider the time it takes to make the
meal, the nutrient value of the meal and your
family schedule. Schedule some time on the
6
Let the fun begin! Give the plan a try, see how
it works and then tweak it as necessary until
you find the perfect fit.
Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a mom, holistic
nutritionist, doula in training and owner of
Your Green Baby, a nutrition consulting business
specializing in mom, baby and toddler. She is
the author of Raising Happy Healthy Babies, a
book which includes nutrition guidance for the
preconception to toddler stage, and everything in
between.