MEAL PLANNING, PART 3
Here are a few more things to consider when planning meals.
- Grocery Ads
Check what is on sale in your grocery store and plan meals around those items. You can also stock up on good buys and freeze them, well wrapped with the date marked, to add in planning for future meals. - What's in Your Pantry?
The foods you tend to store are those you know your family likes. Find new recipes that use these ingredients and you will be able to gradually introduce different foods and expand their tastes. - Family Favorites
If your family loves meat and potatoes, find ways to get more fruits and vegetables into their diet. Serve a smaller portion of meat and make up the difference with a big salad, toasted rolls, or rice pilaf. Begin with a favorite recipe, serve smaller portions of it, and add other nutritious foods to fill the dinner plate. - Seasonal Produce
Not only is seasonal produce a better buy, but fruits and vegetables taste better when in season and may have more nutrients because they aren't shipped from another country or long distances. Patronize farmer's markets and produce stands when possible for great value, taste, and nutrition. - Shake Things Up
Have fun with meal planning! Have breakfast for dinner, get your children involved, let other family members have turns planning meals, and even make a game out of planning a meal just with what's in your house. Don't be too consumed with perfectly balancing each day's nutrients. A more healthy attitude is trying to balance nutrients, calories, and fat intake over several days. - Use Color as Key
The more color on your plate, the better balanced your meal. - Balance Temperature
Hot foods, cold foods, and room temperature foods not only ensure that you are serving a variety of foods, but also make a more interesting meal. - Balance Texture
No one likes a meal made of all soft foods or all crunchy ones. Thinking about different texture also automatically helps you include different kinds of foods according to the Food Pyramid. - Variety!
Probably the most important meal planning tip I can give you is to eat a variety of foods. Don't plan meals with chicken four days in a row, for instance. The USDA also plans limits on pesticide and herbicide residues based on a certain consumption level of foods, so not depending on two or three food products helps reduce your risk of overconsuming chemicals.
Daily Values
Encourage Healthy Diet
Daily Values
Chart
The more meal planning you do, the easier it will be. Have fun with the process, get your children involved, and enjoy watching how your eating habits change and improve with the seasons!
Linda
Previous Pages: Basic Meal Planning, Sample Meal
