The Advantages of Meal Planning

Written by Aunt Brenda

Menu Planning

Planning menus is the first step to good eating on a budget. There are some big advantages to making a plan:

• A plan can help you take advantage of special sales.

Check your newspaper for special sales that fit your budget. Meat, vegetables, and fruits can take a big bite out of your food dollar. Watch for special sales on these foods and plan your meals around them.

• A plan can help you cut down on impulse buying at the store.

Do you sometimes go to the store with a growling stomach, then come home with foods you didn't really need? Those impulse buys often aren't tops in nutrition.

Chances are these foods—like pastries, soda, candy, and snack chips—are high in price and calories and low in nutrients. Or they may be expensive convenience foods, like TV dinners. Impulse buys can really add to your grocery bill.

• A plan can help you avoid waste.

It lets you know the right kind of food and package size to buy to fit your needs.

• A plan can help you save time.

You won't have to go back to the store to buy foods you forgot. Save your time for things you enjoy more.

PLAN YOUR OWN ECONOMY MEALS

You know the advantages of planning. But how can you put it all together into nutritious meals? Two basic ideas are—

— Choose a variety of foods.

— Avoid too much fat, sugar, and salt.

Reference: Home and Garden Bulletin 244, USDA, 1985

Published in Meal Planning
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Aunt Brenda

Aunt Brenda

I am Brenda Shoop and I am Aunt Bytes' very own resident nurse. I hold a bachelors in nursing from The University of South Alabama. I worked in health care for 20 years before "abandoning the ship." I have experience in emergency, trauma, pediatrics, internal medicine, cardiology, and holistic care. I am striving to learn as much as I can about how to treat the body so it can heal itself, in the most natural ways possible.

I am connected to The Great Universal Energy Source in the most wonderful and magical way. I see miracles every single day because I have learned how to change my perspective on life in general. We are all connected to the Same Source, and as we become enlightened, we change the course of events around us to reflect our deeper commitment, whether that commitment is to Love, Peace, Mercy, Greed, Lust, or Selfishness.

What I'm trying to say is that whatever drama is going on around you in your life right now is just a symptom of something you still need to deal with. If you change your patterns, the patterns of those around you will change as well. Much in the same way that if the Earth were to shift position, it would affect all the satellites around it, as well as the moon.

So, don't be afraid to shift positions now and again. Just try a new one on for size and see how it fits. You can always change your mind later, you know.

My most recently published articles appear below. Look them over and leave a comment!

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