The whole I time I spent prepping dinner I was just bitter and angry that I got no time to even sit down before running to the next place. I don't mind having a booked schedule; it is the meal prepping and cooking that wears me down. I may be starving when I begin cooking and when I finish, I do not even want to eat. Something about trimming chicken and watching it cook does nothing for me.
To "add insult to injury", I knew the next day was grocery shopping day and I had not meal planned, clipped coupons, or made a list.
This morning while in a better state of mind, I wondered if this was a system problem. Maybe the problem wasn't the cooking or planning part, but was actually the way I approached it. Maybe with a different way of doing things, it wouldn't seem so bad.
Right now I grocery shop every two weeks on Friday morning/afternoon. Before going to the store, I meal plan, clip coupons, and make a list. These things do not have a set day they get accomplished. Sometimes I try to work through out the week little by little to get ready for Friday, but most of the time I wake up on Friday and do it all. This heavily resembles how I approached studying in high school and college as well!
What do you do to stress yourself out less when it comes to meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking dinner? What does your week look like in these areas? Do you have specific days and times that go into planning? How do you make cooking dinner more enjoyable and easier on yourself?
With a baby coming in a couple months, any tips on what helps when you have kids is also great! I am sure lots of system changes will be occurring then!
I was in your same boat last spring when I found out I was pregnant and then started a new job. I was in a funk and emeals really saved me! It is so easy, simple, and not dreadful. It made us try new recipes and foods and there are SOO many meal plans to choose from. Its so cheap and worth the money. I can send you a sample week from our meal plan so you can see if you would like it. But they have meal plans like: slow cooker, traditional, paleo, natural/organic, gluten free, vegetarian, and a lot more. YOu pick the plan and can even choose how many you will cook for, then they email you a weekly meal plan with 7 dinner, instructions, and a grocery list. and depending on what food plan you use, they pair it up with the sales that week to maximize your savings. I did feel like I spend a little more on groceries this way but it was worth it because we weren't eating crap like grilled cheese and spaghetti every night. send me your email and I'll send you a sample. It really is super amazing!
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