Hi reader,
I'm binge reading all of your responses and it's hitting me hard.
- From the mom who struggles with coming up with meals her picky kids will eat…
- To the woman who's been cooking for 40 years and still struggles with coming up with ideas...
- To the one who's great at making the meal plan and buying all the right ingredients, but then when it comes time to actually cook gets lazy and "decides" it's too much trouble so she ends up ordering take out or making a sandwich.
Every time I open an email, I'm struck by how much I feel like I know you. Like we're all part of a secret meal planner drop out club that no one really wants to be in.
I wanted - no, NEEDED - to make sure you understood the third secret to ACTUALLY making meal planning easier.
The third secret is to do something with leftovers.
And here's why.
- I used to spend HOURS every week, researching articles and trying to come up with how to meal plan better, faster, and more efficiently (which was a huge waste of time).
- I would spend my mornings Googling how to save money on groceries (and get overwhelmed in the process).
- I would spend evenings cleaning up after dinner and wondering (i.e. going crazy) and thinking about how I could creatively use the ½ cup of leftover mashed potatoes.
I become obsessed with coming up with solutions to the question of "What do I do about leftovers?" and do you know where it landed me?
- Stressed.
- Irritated.
- Frustrated that no one else in the family cared about finding a solution.
- Overwhelmed with options and yet feeling like I had no idea what I was doing.
What I eventually realized (after spending WAY too much time trying to find the magical cure), is that it didn't matter WHAT I did with leftovers, only that I actually did something with them, when I could!
Here's the deal…
- No amount of spices or reheating or transforming can make a terrible dish taste good.
- Picky eaters will not suddenly change their mind because you put the same vegetable they refused yesterday, on the table again today (albeit in a different bowl).
- Even the biggest pasta fans get tired of spaghetti on day 3 (or day 4, or day 5…).
And pretending that vegetable towards the back of the fridge doesn't exist? Yeah, that won't make it go away.
But when I started focusing on what I could do with the leftovers that weren't terrible, the vegetables the picky eater did eat, and the surprisingly large amount of sauce the one recipe made…
Suddenly, leftovers didn't become a problem anymore.
And do you know what else happened?
- We saved more money. I didn't have to shop as often, because I saw opportunity in my fridge.
- I saved a TON of time, across the board. Less time cooking, less time prepping, less time shopping, less time planning.
- I wasn't a mean, stressed out mom. I yelled at my kids less, argued with my husband less, and in general, was nicer to be around.
- Dinner wasn't a chore. The kids stopped whining and dinner was actually enjoyable as a family!
- Meal planning became easy. I didn't have to constantly battle the "what to do with leftovers" question, week after week!
Meal time isn't about trying to impress people on social media or trying to live up to a perfectly nutritionally balanced dinner you only see published in magazines. It's the total opposite.
Meal time is about putting healthy food on the table. And meal planning is spending 15 minutes each week, thinking about what this might look like for your family, so you're not racking your brain and biting your tongue when your spouse asks you (for the millionth time), "So, whatcha thinking for dinner?"
Let me ask you this - what would your life look like if you:
- Sat down at the table with your family and no one complained about the meal (not even a peep!).
- Had a simple meal planning routine that was easy to do, and easy to keep up with.
- Walked into the grocery store and got everything you needed for the whole week, in less than 20 minutes (with kids!).
- Had more money in your pocket, more time on your hands, and more energy at the end of the day.
Ironically, I know exactly what will happen, because I've been teaching this as part of testing for Meal Planning Bootcamp (a simple and straight-forward meal planning system that teaches you how to master meal planning - and stick with it! -in five simple steps) to others for FOUR YEARS and their results have been life-changing.
Like Kimberlee who said,
"You have thought of every aspect of meal planning and your method is fail proof!"
Or Colleen who said,
"I learned how to meal plan more strategically… I'm amazed at how easily my budget dropped week by week!"
Or Stephanie who said,
"I really like your explanation of how to meal plan. I've always felt there was more to it than just writing down a bunch of random meal ideas. The step-by-step directions were exactly what I needed. I've come in under budget for the past two months using your method!"
Finally, I have to tell you that we're almost ready to open the doors for Meal Planning Bootcamp. We cover everything you need to know to become a master at meal planning, without the stuff that doesn't really matter. We go in detail, and step-by-step, so you can stay organized, stick with it, and take the stress out of everyday eating.
I'm well aware that the mere idea of meal planning triggers us to become overwhelmed easily and fall off the wagon. :) That's why I make each step easy to complete, and let the results of what you're doing be your encouragement to continue.
Registration begins TOMORROW, Monday, August 30 at 6am EST.
In the meantime, I can't wait to hear what you're making for dinner!
Hit reply and tell me what SIMPLE meal ideas you've come up with. :)
♥ Tiffany
PS - If you're hoping to get a spot in Meal Planning Bootcamp, it pays to be early! We had to limit enrollment for this special opening to make sure this class gets the same awesome results as the first class.
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