Meal Planning 101 & Blueberry-Mango-Banana Smoothies

Have you ever walked through the grocery store without a plan, trying to come up with meals while shopping? This used to be my husband and me. We would have a rough list and we ended up buying things we did not need or forgetting things we did need. Now, I make a meal plan and have a very organized shopping list.

Here are nine tips to help you plan your meals:

1. Make a plan for all three meals and snacks for either one or two weeks.  I also include times we will be eating out. I write mine down on notebook paper, but I found these cool print-outs* that would work well.
2. Make a grocery list that is organized. I organize my list based on the layout of my grocery store; listing out produce, meat, dry goods, dairy and frozen food.
3. Try a few new recipes, but not too many. This keeps shopping and cooking interesting, but not too expensive.
4. Use cookbooks and food blogs (like this one!) for inspiration.
5. Account for leftovers in your meal plan. If I make something in the slow cooker, I always make sure it's on the plan for lunch or dinner later in the week.
6. Keep a recipe binder. Confession, I do not have one, but my pile of loose recipe papers really suggests I need one. This is great for family recipes or ones you print out.
7. Make sure you use all the groceries you buy. I always plan to eat things that will spoil early in the week.
8. Use your slow cooker for at least two recipes. This works great for busy days.
9. Don't go to the store hungry. Trust me, you will want to buy everything yummy in sight.
10. Be flexible with your meal plan. Sometimes you need to get take out instead of making the fancy dinner you had planned and that's okay.

Happy meal planning and grocery shopping!

Also, try this yummy Blueberry-Mango-Banana Smoothie.

BLUEBERRY-MANGO-BANANA SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/3 cup mango
• 1 whole banana
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 cup honey greek yogurt
• 2-5 ice cubes

Cooking Directions

1. Combine blueberries, mango and ice cubes and mix in blender
2. Add orange juice and yogurt, mix in blender
3. Add banana and a few more ice cubes, if needed
4. Enjoy this refreshing treat!

*http://moneysavingmom.com/downloads/meal-menu-planners