If your family is like mine, making a resolution for everyone to get healthy is no easy task. We have already discussed the value of cooking together, but how do you know what to cook? When you try something new, noses turn up before the first bite. Everyone likes something different, most of which is not healthy. When you do stumble upon something healthy that they actually enjoy, you rush to make it again, only to find they don’t like it the next time around. Meal planning is not always easy. It’s enough to make a mom go prematurely gray!
I have found a few things that are making the craziness of healthy meal planning quite a bit easier. I want to share these little sanity-savers with you…
Make the craziness of healthy meal planning quite a bit easier... Click To TweetPlan to Eat
I just discovered Plant to Eat, a truly awesome meal planner. You can easily input any recipe in from anywhere on the web, or type up your favorite handwritten recipes. They don’t offer meal plans, but it’s so easy to find anything you want from anywhere and plug it in. Want to try Trim Healthy Mama or Whole 30? Just Google and save any recipe you find that looks delicious! Recipes are saved for you in detail with a picture, organized by category, and ready to drag into a calendar when you plan. Plus they generate a grocery list by food category.They are also coded so you know what recipe each ingredient goes with. It’s perfect to use with whatever healthy eating guidelines your family needs to follow. Plan to Eat has honestly been an answer to prayer. I have used other online meal planners (as well as paper). This one is by far the best I have tried.
Super Healthy Kids
Super Healthy Kids has lots of fun ideas that even kids like. I haven’t officially tried their meal plan because it costs a bit more and I want to be able to import any recipe so I can follow the Trim Healthy Mama plan. If healthy and fun kid food was my main goal, however, I would definitely give it a shot! You sometimes try a week of meal plans free. (That deal is going on right now, so go try it!) Even if you don’t want to use the Super Healthy Kids meal plans, they have fantastic recipe ideas on the website. (Which you could even import to Plan to Eat!) They also have video courses, divided plates that teach nutrition concepts, and printables. Their blog covers nearly 20 different nutrition-based concepts.
Raddish
Raddish is an amazing monthly subscription service in which your child gets a culinary lesson in a box every month. It comes with 3 durable laminated recipe cards, culinary skill cards, kid-sized kitchen utensils or project supplies, bonus activities, and a patch to sew on your Raddish apron. Not only does Raddish help with planning, but it gets your kids in the kitchen with you. There are coordinating activities and even music lists to go with the monthly theme. There are even extra activities online for homeschoolers. While this won’t help you plan every meal during the month, it will give you 3 pretty healthy ideas for yummy food. If you don’t think the food is healthy enough as-is, there are suggestions for changing it to meet dietary needs. We have enjoyed everything we have ever made from them. That is saying a lot when you have 3 picky eaters! The kids often want to make the dishes again, so that helps planning in the future. Our kids have been eager to eat these healthy treats because they made them.
My Printable!
Another sanity saver is this children’s meal planner. Use this printable with your kids to brainstorm ideas. It’s a fun way for kids to understand the basics of healthy meal planning. You can use their ideas to find things they actually want to eat during the week. Plus it’s a little writing practice for them! To get this children’s meal planner, simply opt in below…
Parental Sanity
You may be wondering how this is related to Christian parenting. To be blunt, it makes life a lot easier! I am a lot less stressed (and less irritable) when meals are planned and I don’t have to fret and run around like a chicken with my head cut off looking for food at the last minute. I am free to live out a more godly example when I’m not “hangry!”
He who loves purity of heart, and whose speech is gracious, will have the king as his friend.” Proverbs 22:11 ESV
Having your meals (and your life) more organized makes everything easier, from walking the Christian walk to helping my family have the energy and brain power to live for God. Meal planning also models organization and preparedness for the kids. This is real life application.
“Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity…” Titus 2:7 ESV
Need More Inspiration?
If you are looking for more inspiration, check out 5 Reasons Healthy Families Cook Together and Is Wanting to Get Fit a Selfish Goal? Your family is worth it!
What are your favorite tips for meal planning with your family? What is your favorite healthy meal to enjoy together?
I have wanted to start meal planning for some time but I never seem to. I like the idea of an app and your printable is super helpful too. Maybe this is the year I finally do it.
Good luck. Half the battle is getting started!
Great resources for planning meals! I am usually at my wits ends as we run a busy household and we’re not all home at the same time so the challenge is to make meals that can be easily warmed up yet still stay and look appealing hours after they’ve been made.
The Trim Healthy mama plan sounds like something I would be interested in! I love cooking bulk meals for our family so we don’t have to cook every night!
The monthly program for kids getting a culinary lesson is so cute. Best Wishes on the blog.
i didnt know about this!!! i dont hve kids or a husband but i usually struggle to prepare my meals most of the time i end uo eating the same over and over and its really boring. im so going to check plan to eat for recipes
This is awesome! Raddish sounds like soooo much fun for kids that are a little older. I definitely want to get my son into the kitchen so that he’s not one of those college kids who can’t cook a thing for himself, ha. Thanks for sharing!5
My daughter started getting the Raddish kits when she was 5. They are good at easing kids into cooking. I let my older son help with things that might be a little bit harder, but she could do most of it.
I was just mentioning somewhere else that I feel like I don’t have time to eat healthier. But these suggestions are perfect for solving that problem. Thank you so much for sharing!
How cool! I am working to meal plan more often so I know what the heck is going on for dinner. It would make my life easier.
Amber Myers recently posted…Relax, Military Kids Will Be Okay
I live by myself so meal planning is not really something I do. But I can imagine it gets crazy if you have a family. Pretty goo tips on staying organized! 🙂
Great ideas, thank you for sharing! I am always searching for new inspiration for our meal plan, so your article is perfect for me!
Raluca @ Playful Notes recently posted…Why we loved the amazing 17-mile drive
Since I live alone, and sometimes I have no time to prepare my healthy meal. So I subscribe to this daily healthy meal that you can order online and be delivered to you for your consumption. It was nice too!
I love the idea of getting the kids in the kitchen early! What a great idea!
good plan guide for anyone who want a goo meal planning sanity saver. this is quite an informative read to me.
this is great! I started to prepare my lunch in bulk for the week to come – hope I stick to it because it makes life so easy!
I’ve not heard of Raddish before. Thanks for the tips.
Starla Jimenez recently posted…11 Things to do Before Moving Internationally
I just recetly started menu plannibg again and so nice to come home tonight and knew what i was cooking
I first have to learn how to cook! 🙂
As I get more busier I am finding that planning my meals is the best way to go. I hope I continue to do it too.
When I was first married I used to plan entire months of menus with new recipes to try each night. Now I mostly plan on the fly by whatever happens to be in the fridge. We do Blu Apron twice a week so that helps. These are great resources.
Leslie recently posted…3DLIGHTFX 3D Deco Lights: Sponsored Review
Thank you for the beautiful freebie! I love the colors on it!
Marie recently posted…Volunteers Needed
Plan to Eat sounds like a great tool for staying on track with our food! Thanks for the recommendation!
I used to meal plan, but not so much any more. I don’t always have a firm grasp on how many I’ll be cooking for from night to night now that my kids are older, and that makes a difference.
Heather Hart recently posted…It Is Okay To Not Be Okay
I have never heard the word hangry before. That is very descriptive!
Amy Hagerup recently posted…5 Network Marketing Lessons Learned from Track Meets
Love these ideas! Most of the time, my meal planning consists of buying whatever is on sale and whatever I have a coupon for, and then finding a way to put it together when we get home.
Alex recently posted…How to Survive Your First Big Trip with Your Spouse
I love meal planning. These all look like great resources.
Elizabeth Marshall recently posted…The Principle of Being Economical
Meal planning is a definitely sanity saver for anyone. However, I can be awful about doing it on a regular basis. Once derailed, it is sometimes hard to get back on the boat.
LauraOinAK recently posted…Citrus Orange Roughy Fillet Baked In Foil Packs
Wow this sounds awesome and definitely something I need help with for sure! Thanks for the detailed review