March marks National Nutrition Month®! Whether you’re looking to get your nutrition on track or just trying to balance a hectic schedule, meal planning may be a solution. Preparing your meals ahead can save you time in the kitchen throughout the week and make it easy to grab a healthy, balanced meal, especially when on-the-go. To make meal planning easier, consider these essential tips:
Plan
Before shopping, gather a list of all your favorite recipes and the necessary ingredients you will need to make your meal preparation successful. For easy, affordable recipes, consider looking through Dollar General Easy Meals or dollargeneral.com/easymeals to get your meal planning underway. This Broccoli Rice Pilaf is a great side to include in lunch and dinner meals.
Buy the necessary tools and storage
After planning, consider purchasing food storage containers and snack bags to store prepared meals. For breakfast, toss smoothie ingredients in a freezer bag and store in the freezer until you’re ready to make your smoothie. Consider adding labels on the container to specify the day of the week and meal (i.e. Monday lunch) to better organize your meals. Find more kitchen essentials and tools at your local Dollar General or online.
Select one or two days in the week to cook
For optimal planning, select a day when you plan to cook all your meals. Spending two hours at the beginning of the week to batch cook can save time later in the week. You may choose to split meal planning into two days, depending on how many meals you are cooking. For example, you may choose to prepare your meals for Monday through Wednesday on Sunday and Thursday through the Saturday on Wednesday evening. Don’t forget to plan snacks, which often don’t require cooking or baking. Easy-to-pack snacks like Heartland Harvest Almonds require no prep work!
Save Money
Preparing your meals at home may help you save on money that may have been spent eating out. While meal planning can seem overwhelming and expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Consider signing up for Dollar General’s Digital Coupons Program that help to provide customers with an easy-to-use platform to use digital coupons. Sign-up today by clicking here, by visiting www.dollargeneral.com/coupons or accessing coupons on the Dollar General mobile app. Load coupons to your account and redeem at checkout during your next visit!
Planning your meals ahead of time may help you to stay on track with your nutrition goals. With these helpful meal planning tips, you’re ready to conquer the kitchen and delicious meals.