I do toss around a few menu options. Mark likes meatloaf, which I can buy ready-made, and if I make mashed potatoes with it, he is a happy man. He doesn’t want any vegetables touching his food, although he will gladly eat whole-kernel corn.
Once in a while, I will cook a roast in the Instant Pot, with some potatoes and carrots cooked around the roast.
I like to buy some arthritis-friendly foods, such as bite-sized fruits and veggies like grapes and precut carrots, or those you can easily cut and store, like apples. Beans by themselves or accompanied by brown rice make a filling dinner.
What if you could have a pre-set menu for each day and not have to make a last-minute run to the grocery store? Best of all, what if these foods were family favorites, and even the picky eaters in your house would clean their plates?
Using an online menu planner makes all the difference, and you’ll be able to put a nutritious meal on the table in no time.
Here are four practical uses for an online menu planner:
Keeps Your Recipes in One Place
If you’re like me, you probably have your favorite recipes in different cookbooks, filed in a recipe box, or saved online. Plan to Eat is an online menu planner that keeps your recipes all in one place. Using a simple bookmark tool, you can also drag and drop any online recipes you want to try.
You Can Use an Automated Grocery List
How many times have you shopped and forgotten the most important ingredients you came for? That sounds like me. I will buy everything else and forget the reason I was shopping in the first place.
When you decide to make a recipe from your online planner, an automated grocery list is generated, so you can quickly pick out your items and head for the checkout line.
Eliminates Food Waste
It’s easy to buy too much food and end up throwing it away. Now, you can stick to your automated grocery list, and if you end up with leftovers, you can schedule them for another day.
According to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, “It is safe to reheat frozen leftovers without thawing, either in a saucepan or microwave (in the case of a soup or stew) or in the oven or microwave (for example, casseroles and combination meals). Reheating will take longer than if the food is thawed first, but it is safe to do when time is short.”
You Can Cook in Batches
If you’re like me, you have a busy schedule. Sunday is football day, and I don’t plan on standing over a hot stove and missing my favorite games.
Plan a day that works best for you, and do some batch cooking. Cooking meals ahead and freezing will allow you to get dinner on the table in record time. Use stackable plastic containers or plastic freezer bags that keep out moisture and oxygen.
On the day you plan to serve, defrost an entrée, add a salad or bread, and dinner is ready.
Final Thoughts
Online menu planners may offer a 30-day trial so you can use it and see if it works for you before opening your wallet. Research different options that sound good and fit into your budget.
