Planning as Survival

You’re going to think I’m nuts, but in order to make sure that I actually eat dinner, I have to have a plan. I can sometimes wing it, and whip something up after daydreaming about what I have in the fridge and pantry; the result is usually pretty random, but edible.

I’ve found that my life runs more smoothly, and I have a better fighting chance of eating a vegetable or two for dinner, if I make a meal plan for the week. Or, at the bare minimum, at least have a handful of ideas and ingredients on hand. If not, then I end up eating crackers and marshmallows for dinner because I am ravenous when I get home.

The truth is, if I have a meal planned, and its ingredients in the fridge, then I’ll cook it. And I’m not talking about super-hard things, just simple meals that take about a half an hour. Sounds super 1950s-ish, but it works for me. I actually enjoy cooking, shopping for fresh ingredients, and making a dinner that satisfies all of the senses. But when I’m crunched for time, the tasks I love can seem like a chore.

I try to sit down once a week and flip through some nicely photographed cookbooks for inspiration, then make my lists. I make a meal plan list and a grocery list at the same time. My grocery list also helps cut down on the impulse buys, random snacks, and junk foods that like to find their way into my shopping cart. There are times when I can’t remember why I’m buying something, but I just go with it, as I know it’s part of the master plan.

My jeans also fit better when I plan ahead, as I cut down on take-out, snacking while staring into the cupboard wondering what I’m going to make, and the oldest trick in the book…ice cream for dinner. Plus, there is nothing like a home-cooked dinner on a weeknight, even if you are the one doing the cooking.