Chapter 4: The Art of Meal Planning 69
Because food companies have listened to consumer input and developed
foods that can be prepared quickly, the grocery store has lots of time-saving,
convenient foods. However, you have to be very careful to purchase healthy
convenience foods. Following are some examples of good choices:✓ Roasted chicken
✓ Vegetables in bags that can be popped in the microwave
✓ Prepackaged salad greens
✓ Prewashed and chopped fruits and vegetables
✓ Healthy frozen dinners (Low fat, no added sugar, easy on the refined
carbs like pasta)
✓ Instant grains
If you post the weekly menu plan somewhere visible, it’s very easy for
someone else in your household to take the initiative to begin meal preparation
if you get hung up in traffic. Now that is a time saver!You save money
If you go to the grocery store without a list, you’ll be tempted to buy foods
that are unhealthy and will go to waste. Going to the store with a list and
going only once a week or less will definitely save money. You’ll be more effi-
cient in your spending and resist impulse buying. Planning meals also allows
you to✓ Look at the grocery ads to take advantage of bargains.
✓ Utilize leftovers. Sunday night’s leftover pot roast becomes Tuesday
night’s barbeque sandwiches.
✓ Make double recipes to stockpile in the freezer for future busy evenings.
✓ Purchase frequently used items in bulk.
You can eat hassle-free
Imagine waking up and knowing exactly what you’re going to eat for breakfast
and having your lunch and snack already packed for the day. You get home
after a long day at work and know exactly what you’re going to prepare for
dinner. You put dinner in the oven and have time to go for a walk while it’s
cooking. When you get home you make a few last-minute preparations and
voilà, dinner is ready! The best part is, everything you need for the day was