This blog is suppose to share my 5 favourite meal planning techniques for professional, working Mums. But, I love this topic so much I have gone completely overboard and listed my 10 fav’ techniques.

Which one works for you and your family?

Plan in advance – I’ve written a fair bit about meal planning, particularly how meals planned in advance quashes the need to think or argue about what’s for dinner. Planning in advance also stops the need to stand endlessly in front of the fridge looking for inspiration.

Download my easy meal planning template here.

Get the family involved – take it in turns to cook each night or a couple of times a week. Pick a few easy meals and teach the kids a technique or two.

Use someone else’s meal plan – The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet is a higher protein, low GI eating plan that is scientifically-formulated by Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, for weight loss and overall health. Get yourself a copy of the book (or checkout the online version here) and follow the expertly prepared menu each week.

Cook in bulk – Choose a few of your favourite recipes, put some time aside to shop for the ingredients and cook up a storm. Why not cook extra and freeze the left overs and pull them out of the freezer in a week or two for a delicious, quick meal.

Need more inspiration for meal planning? Here’s a few more.

Dinner swap – Swap a main meal with a friend each week. Make a lasagna or casserole or hot pot and get them to do the same.

Outsource – there are lots of fabulous home style prepared meals available in the market. Katrina’s Kitchen in Murrumbeena (Melbourne) is one such business. Katrina’s Kitchen specialises in preparing home style nutritious dinners.

Eat around the World – Plan your meals for the next 3 weeks. Choose a different country for each week and plan at least 3 meals in that week from that country. Fill up the rest of the week with your favourite Aussie food.

Shop online – Choose an online meal planners where you pick you meals and then put all the ingredients straight into your shopping cart and have it delivered to your door. Check out https://www.woolworths.com.au/Shop/Recipes/meal-types/dinner.

15 minute meals – Check out these great, simple, delicious ideas on Pinterest if you don’t have a lot of time to cook. Create a list of ingredients in your weekly grocery shop and rustle up something yummy in no time at all.

Give thanks – Much of the anguish about cooking is that it’s a thankless task. Create a new tradition where as soon as you sit down at the table, you give thanks to whomever cooked the meal. Soon enough this awkward habit will roll of the tongue without thought.

You can see why I got carried away and shared my 10 fav’ meal planning techniques – there are just so many ways to make meal preparation easier, fun and more enjoyable.

I’d love to hear from you if you have another suggestion I have not listed. Leave a comment below.

If you’re a busy, professional working Mum and need a hand to create a daily routine, including preparing meals, then check out my Time Management Services or Contact me today for a chat about how a bit of planning ahead of time can make life less stressful.

“Planning meals ahead of time saves time, brainspace and money”.

Who is Space and Time?

Julie Cliff, Melbourne Professional Organiser at Space and Time specialises in home management systems for professional, working Mums. Mums that are having trouble keeping up with work, the kids’ school and after school commitments, household chores and, consequently, they are feeling exhausted, stressed and overwhelmed. Sound familiar? Julie would love to hear from you info@spaceandtime.com.au