BEST STRATEGY TO CREATE HAPPY, HEALTHY  FAMILY DINNERS

 

Here is a familiar scenario that could be playing out at your place: It’s 6 o’clock, but you haven’t thought about dinner yet. You are getting hungry, your family is definitely hungry and you’re staring at an empty fridge. And, the pantry? Well, it is not in much better shape, either.  Tummies are growling, moods are deflating, and, everyone is looking at you!

You’ve probably heard that meal planning can save you time and money and make your week a lot more productive, too.  Perhaps, as attractive as all that sounds, it still is not quite convincing you to take the time to strategize your meals for the week. I promise though, if you do, you will find even more advantages and dare I say, greater and more meaningful advantages than time and money!

Come read on to find 3 other big effects meal planning can have on your relationships – yes, your relationships – in a very positive way and make that scenario above a foggy memory.

 

3 POSITIVE EFFECTS MEAL PLANNING CAN HAVE ON YOUR HOME ENVIRONMENT

Scan on down to see how creating the simple habit of meal planning can affect your family relationships and home environment in 3 incredibly positive ways:

1. STRESS LEVELS GO WAY DOWN.

In the scenario above, you could order out . . . again, but it may place a strain on the budget or not even taste that good or be very good for you. You could try to create something healthy AND delicious with what remains in the pantry, but that strains your creativity after a long day.  Strain equals stress . . . and stress is contagious right down to all the ones sharing the meal – the very ones you look forward to seeing at the end of the day!

If you make meal planning a regular habit at the front of the week, it frees up all that head space and energy the rest of the week. Dinner is an ongoing event and it is just not smart to stress over it every single night creating tension among the family.

2. ENERGY LEVELS GO WAY UP!

That ordering out solution can solve the dinner problem but it sabotages you and your family’s health and your energy levels. True, ordering out or turning to junk food is quicker and can be more accessible than creating a balanced meal. But, bringing home take-out will rarely provide you with quality, whole foods. And those whole foods not only nourish your body but your energy levels and moods, too, to accomplish all you and your family want out of life.

A well-nourished body and brain can better tackle those homework assignments, extracurricular activities and sporting events and turn up your creativity and mood levels too. Meal planning emphasizing healthy, easy and delicious meals is such a smarter choice to take care of your body, mind, and mood avoiding many health problems that could slow you down or worse.

3. DINNER HOUR CAN TURN INTO HAPPY HOUR!

Dinnertime is so much more than just eating. It is a time to slow down a bit and gather as a family sharing your day – good parts and bad – .practicing conversational skills and table manners, learning about food, and bonding, too.

Do involve other family members – spouses, significant others, children, too  — on the meal planning and prep. This helps other family members develop valuable skills in cooking and family contribution and allows them to have input into dinner plans as well as provide an opportunity for more quality time together.

TOOLS AND LINKS TO MAKE MEAL PLANNING A SNAP

Ready to give meal planning a go? I have lots of tools to help! Find below lots of links to help you create this stress-reducing, health-promoting, relationship-building habit much more easily

After you have practiced doing this for just a few weeks, it does become a quicker and easier process and you can certainly rotate some of your favorites meals as well. Once you do implement meal planning, there is no turning back and you’ll wonder what took you so long – and your family will, too!

SHOP MEAL PLANNING

Find a great cookbook selection below with loads of recipes to try and a few other fun tools as well to easily create some great meals:

A PIN TO SAVE & SHARE

Need to come back to this later when you have more time?  Here are some pins to save to your Pinterest account for future reference or to share as you like:

 

Tap into all the positive effects meal planning can have on your family life! Find meal planning tips and tricks for you to implement today to make you and your family a lot healthier and happier! #mealplanningtips #familyhealthtips #parenting #momtips

Tap here for great ideas to create the habit of meal planning at your house and watch your energy soar, make everyone smile at dinner hour and even lose a few pounds. #healthyhabits #mealplanningtips #dailyhabits

 

 

 

 

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COMMENTS
Lori
January 13, 2019 at 5:17 pm

I hope you and your readers find it helpful! Thanks for taking the time to comment.

REPLY
Roseann Hampton
January 11, 2019 at 9:30 pm

Thanks for sharing your tips with us at The Blogger’s Pit Stop!

REPLY

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