Menu Planning Central

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Why Menu Planning?

Not being the most organized person on this planet it was quite difficult for me to become a mother - well not that part ;-) but to have a child that just had to have healthy food several times a day was a big challenge for me. I am proud to say I succeded. It was done by planning the meals not a week ahead but one month ahead - and shopping once a week only.

A new membership site has just started: Menu Planning Central - a site I would have saved me time and thousands of dollars, but the Internet was not in Denmark at that time.

This lens is about being practical and an introduction to Menu Planning Central, a membership page.

Thank you for the grand prize - I am honored!

Let's See How Many of You Plan Meals ;-)

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Menu Planning Basics I

What Exactly Is Meal Planning?

Menu planning is writing down what your family is going to eat for the week, making a grocery shopping list with the necessary items for the menu, grocery shopping once per week, and preparing the meals you have chosen. Sounds simple enough right?

Then again, you have to:

Browse for recipes
Sit down and plan the menu yourself
Sit down and develop the grocery list

Not exacly simple and also time consuming, time better spend with your family and friends.

Want to see a sample menu?
A healthy menu sample click here to download
and the healthy shopping list Click here to download

7 Benefits of Menu Planning

1) Get Dinner On The Table Faster
If you know what you are going to fix for dinner, and you
have everything you need at your fingertips, getting the
food on the table becomes a snap. You dont have to stop at
the store on your way home, to pick up something to cook.
If you are stuck at the office, and your spouse knows what's
on the menu for the night - he or she can get started
without you.
2) Run To The Store Less Often
How many times do you run to the grocery store to buy
something to cook for dinner. I dont know about you, but it
takes me at least 45 minutes every time I do that. Menu
planning allows you to get all your shopping done once a
week, and make sure you have what you need to prepare
every single dinner for the week.
3) You'll Eat Better
You have the best intentions to prepare wholesome, healthy
meals for your family. Then you get home late, everyone is
hungry and there is nothing in the fridge. You head for
takeout or call the pizza delivery guy. If you plan your meals
and have what you need at home you are much more likely
to actually cook all those healthy dishes for your family.
4) It Saves You Money
How much food do you throw out each week because you
just didn't get around to cooking it? Plus every time you go
to the store there are a few extra things that just make their
way into your cart and on your grocery bill. If you shop less
and only for those items that you actually need, you spend a
lot less money on groceries each week. We wont even think
about how much we spend eating out each week.

To be continued...

Family Meal Cook Books

1

Vote Up

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The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes That Are Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Low in Sugar by Leslie Hammond

Kids are our future, we have to take good care of more...1 point

2

Vote Up

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The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Revised Edition: Featuring More Than 1,200 Kitchen-tested Recipes, 1,500 Photographs And No-nonsense Equipment And Ingredient Ratings by Editors at America's Test Kitchen

The cooking book you should not live without.1 point

Menu Basics II

5) It Saves You Time
In addition to saving you money, meal planning also saves
you time. You only have to go grocery shopping once a
week, and there is no more walking around the kitchen each
evening for 20 minutes frantically trying to figure out what's
for dinner tonight. Everything you need from the recipe to
the ingredients is right at your fingertips.
6) Quality Family Time
When you think back to your own childhood, family dinner is
sure to come to mind as a time when everyone got together
to eat a meal and talk about the day. You can recreate that
experience for your family and spend some quality time each
week over a home-cooked meal.
7) It Is Easy
Last, but not least, menu planning is easy to do and makes
it easy to cook every day. All you need to do is set a little
time each week to plan out your weekly menu, write up your
grocery list and shop.

For at full report on Menu Planning Basics, a grocery list and a weekly menu plan go to:

Menu Planning Central.
Enjoy!

Food Commander Speaks!

FOODCOMMANDER (Episode 5: Slay the Old Slaw!)

The FOODCOMMANDER is not willing to "make nice". In his cooking show, he will bluntly tell you what's good and bad, right or wrong. Follow his command and you will eat like a chef! Episode 5: Crunchy Coleslaw Recipe guides and more at www.foodcommander.com

Runtime: 1:46
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The Benefits of Family Meal Planning

Are you ready to save some time, feed your family healthier meals and save some money along the way? These are just some of the benefits of family meal planning. Let's look at all of them in a little more detail.

Eat Healthier

Planning your family meals will cut down on your trips to your favorite fast food restaurant and the amount of pizza you have delivered to your door. Food you prepare at home tends to be much healthier than hamburgers with fries, fried chicken or pizza. When you plan your meals include some lean protein like chicken breast, as well as some salads and vegetables. Your entire family will benefit from the healthier meals.

Save Time

How much time are you spending now running to the grocery store a few times a week. I used to run to the store at least 3 times a week to buy something to fix for dinner. Planning your meals out for a week at a time and then putting together a grocery list with everything you need to cook those meals will cut your trips to the store down to one a week. This alone will save you a few hours each week. Plus you won't be standing in front of your fridge and pantry every night trying to come up with something you can fix with what you have at hand.

Save Money

All that eating out and having food delivered can quickly add up. By preparing more meals at home you will save quite a few dollars each week. In addition, you will save on your monthly grocery bill, since you will be making a list of everything you need for the week and won't end up buying extras that just go to waste. I used to throw out food almost every week before I started meal planning.

For a free sample of Menu Planning Central click here

More to follow ...

My Favourite "Get Organized" programmes

"Get Organized Now" is an ebook, written in straight forward and to the point language. It is easy to understand for those of us, who doesn't have English as our native tounge.

"I am Organized Now" is an audio, all you have to do is to put the CD on and get to sleep - yep you read it correct - do yourself a favour and check it out.
After 2 nights of listening to the CD I started to get organzied and now I can (proud) say: "I am an organized person!"

Get Organized Now!: LOVE THIS ORGANIZING BOOK! YOU WILL TOO!
Are you tired of the clutter in every room of your home? Is your To Do list a mile long? Do you wish your family was better organized? Are you drowning in paper? Are you wondering what you can do to stop proscratinating and start getting things done? Do you want more time in your day for your family and the things you love to do? Would you like to get organized, once and for all?
I am Organized Now Audio: Out Of Every Thousand People...
The most organized person will achieve the most, do it faster with the least amount of effort AND have the most free time...
Learn NOW how simple & easy it is to be that one in a thousand.

The Benefits of Family Meal Planning II

Less Stress

You know the routine. It's 6 pm, everyone in the family is starving and you have no idea what's for dinner. Trying to come up with something to cook from what you have in the kitchen while your kids are tired, hungry and screaming isn't one of the most fun family activities. You will be much more relaxed about dinner, when you know exactly what you are going to cook ahead of time and known you have everything you need in the house.

Quality Time Together

Meal Planning also encourages everyone to gather around the dinner table each day. Who could resist the delicious smells coming out of the kitchen? Dinnertime has always been a great time for families to gather and share news and experiences of the day. Parents and children can pay each other undivided attention. Cook some dinner, set the table and don't forget to turn off the TV. Make dinner a daily family tradition again.

I encourage you to give family meal planning a try. I am sure you and your family will see the benefits within less than a week.

Don't have the time or patience to plan your family meals? Let Menu Planner Central do it for you!

For A Free Sample Menu Visit Menu Planning Central

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Menu Planning Central

Let's See How Many of You Plan Meals ;-)

Menu Planning Basics I

What Exactly Is Meal Planning?

Family Meal Cook Books

1

The Kid-Friendly Food Allergy Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes That Are Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Low in Sugar by Leslie Hammond

2

The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Revised Edition: Featuring More Than 1,200 Kitchen-tested Recipes, 1,500 Photographs And No-nonsense Equipment And Ingredient Ratings by Editors at America's Test Kitchen

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Menu Basics II

Food Commander Speaks!

FOODCOMMANDER (Episode 5: Slay the Old Slaw!)

The Benefits of Family Meal Planning

My Favourite "Get Organized" programmes

The Benefits of Family Meal Planning II

Must Have Kitchen Tools

These are the tools I use every day in my kitchen

Borner V-4000 V-Slicer Pro Mandoline 14-in.

KitchenAid Immersion Hand Blender

Oster BPST02-B Professional Series Blender, Black

Victorinox 8-Inch Chef's Knife, Black Fibrox Handle

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