Why I Meal Plan

I am always hungry, I am hangry – hungry and angry, I dream of food, I cry for food, you name it – I will probably do it for food.

Not that though…

I have 3 reasons for meal planning, and I sometimes add a ‘boring meal’ into my meal plan so that I can train myself not to be dreaming of food all the time – it’s not yet worked.

It’s 4pm, you’re looking at your watch wondering what to have for supper – you call the relevant people – mum, dad, wife, husband, looooveeerrr, date who’s coming over to cook with wonderful intentions of something else, only Love Island is on so naaah thanks, just cook yeah.

‘What would you like for supper’

‘Don’t mind, what would you like for supper’

‘Don’t mind, you choose’

‘I chose last night, you never choose’

Well dear, there is a reason for this, because I would like to have a starter of my favourite crisps, followed by avocado on toast, and then followed by a halloumi, followed by Chinese take away followed by a steak and chips and then just to make sure that I am full, I will have rice pudding with a side of ice cream. BUT I can’t be bothered to make any of it, so that’s why I am asking you – so that you can make the decision and then I feel like I am helping you whilst helping me not eat a lot…

YOU KNOW.

So… just choose, yeah.

This is the main reason why I meal plan.

Meal planning also helps with reducing the amount of backwards and forwards you do to the shops, allowing you to subconsciously spend your whole weekly shop budget on the extensive range of granola you might need, or the chocolate you saw in the advert the night before.

Thirdly, and finally, I meal plan because I am a sucker for systems, I like to be on top of the game on things that can help me feel a little bit more normal, and also if I meal plan, I can allow for nights out, because I know the nights that are boring food… so my husband will probably get a ‘oh but you never take me out’ message at 3pm. To which, the guilt is too much and we’re out for supper in a blink of an eye.

How I meal plan:

I look at the week, and work out where we are going to be out – for example, if I did actually leave the house, it might be… choir, bible study, pub quiz etc, and then if my husband is out late for networking events/meetings/ pub with the boys etc.

Then I have a look in the freezer, have I overbought on fish or anything recently that will fit nicely for the meal?

We like to eat meat and two veg as a standard, so anything extra to that is added to the list.

And then I write a list and a visual plan so I can revert back to the fridge when the ‘what’s for supper’ question is poised.

Recently, I have discovered Ask Charlie How I have included snaps of her incredible meal planning book – which includes a shopping list and other pages for things too! This is entirely because I like her work, she hasn’t asked for anything,

Being such a sucker for systems, this is going to help me sort out my own shelves and know what is what and what I need to use.

So this is my next goal, to complete this wonderful planner!

Right, better go and have a look what is for lunch and if I need to prep anything for supper… I’m dreaming of it already…

If you’d like to know more about Ask Charlie How, this is her instagram and her meal planner