Make mealtime fun by planning to eat!

While some classic dishes stand out during the holidays, what we remember most fondly about those times are the people we are with. However, planning to eat doesn’t have to be something just for special occasions. Why not make it a weekly thing?

Cooking doesn’t have to be just about filling our stomachs when we are hungry, it can be about connection as well. Nothing can have as powerful an impact on your overall health as eating well with people you love. So learn to prepare your meals so they are full of connection.

Steps to make the most of your meals

Schedule friends and family to come over for a great meal. This can be once a month or weekly. If you have friends who are interested, pick a weekly meal plan day, where each week you try a new recipe or someone different hosts.
Find recipes that meet the dietary needs or preferences of the attendees. These can come from recipe books, recipes traded with friends, online, or family heirlooms.
Organize these recipes - This will help you to remember hits, and duds, or those that you need to try again. Plus this is a great way to have wonderful recipes on hand when friends ask for them.
Create a meal plan - Decide on the dishes for the meal and strategize where you need to go and when to make sure you have the ingredients on hand.
Create a shopping list - Be sure to add missing items to your next shopping list.
Budgeting strategy - Be sure to budget and track what you are spending if you are sharing costs, or to make sure it fits in your financial plans. This can help you see if it is worth it to go to different stores for better deals.

Meal planning can help you to eat healthier, enjoy meals more, and even save money! If that sounds like a lot of work, there are lots of great meal planning apps to help support you on this journey. Apps like Plan to Eat, Mealime, Paprika, or PlateJoy can help you make your meals about health and wellness while sticking to your budget and connecting with others. Apps work with your dietary restrictions and planning to help you streamline your meal planning process to not only eat healthier but save money and be less stressed.

Meal Planning Basics

Want extra tips on how to do that?

Join Deb’s cooking class on Plan to Eat: The Basics of Meal Planning with guest speaker Riley from the Plan to Eat app.

These upcoming three sessions will talk about the nuts and bolts of meal planning and how to make it easier using your computer, tablet or smart phone.

You'll learn about meal planning apps in general and take a deep dive into Plan to Eat - a meal planning app that is available to GetSetup members for a special free trial period of 60 days if you are interested in exploring.

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Session 1: Meal Planning Basics and Introduction to Plan to Eat. Friday October 22 1 p.m. EDT
Session 2: Creating, Organizing and Sharing Recipes in the Plan to Eat App. Friday October 29 1 p.m. EDT
Session 3: Using the Mobile Plan to Eat App. Nov 1 p.m. EDT

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Together they will show learners how to meal plan. Plus learn about some tips, tricks, and tools that can help you make meal planning easier.

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