Meal Planning 101: Part 4 “Teamwork”
Teamwork – the motto of the Happy Hormone Gut Gals! Why should meal planning and cooking come down to one person in the family? Here’s where spreading the tasks to everyone can become a huge efficiency and bring everyone together. Involving everyone in the family or household in the planning process can be a game changer.
What about unique palates?
When selecting meals from prefabricated meal plans, you select base on what you want to eat. It’s the easiest way. But we have all been frustrated when someone in the household wasn’t interested in eating what was prepared. Everyone has unique palates and when you are selecting the recipes yourself, you are only cooking to yours. Meals became more enjoyable for everyone when you involve them in the planning process. This is yet another example of why following someone else’s meal plan is not always sustainable. Simple changes really do make big differences.
Involve everyone
Figure out a process where everyone in the household helps plan meals each week. This will keep everyone on track because everyone is invested. Involvement gives ownership. This is important for children as well. Including children in the planning process helps them to learn healthy eating habits and will make them more excited about what’s on the table for meals. They’re more likely to try new things if they helped choose them.
Involve the kids in the planning and preparation
My daughter helps me choose the items in our basket every Friday when the Seasonal Roots menu comes out. Not only is she helping me plan, she is learning where our food comes from. Many children are not aware of how our food production system works. Food doesn’t come from the grocery store — that’s simply a place where we can purchase it. When we order from Seasonal Roots, we can choose our items and see which family farm it’s coming from.
Knowing where our food comes from and how to prepare it are important life skills. Inviting your kids into the kitchen is a great way to help them learn. They will be more willing to try new foods and eat what you prepare together. A win-win situation!
This week we are challenging you to get everyone involved with as much of the planning and cooking as possible. Teamwork makes the meal planning work!
Written in partnership with Shannon Demers