Meal Planning is Key!

Another message the new Canada’s Food Guide promotes, which resonates with Kids Eat Smart NL is meal planning.  If anyone knows the importance of meal planning it’s our KES Clubs Coordinators.  We encourage all of our clubs to make a plan daily, weekly and monthly.  When serving the number of kids our clubs serve each day it’s so important to plan ahead.  Here are some tips from Canada’s Food Guide for meal planning:

Meal planning from start to finish in 4 steps

Use these 4 steps to help you plan your meals.

1. Decide what to eat

Write down your meal and snack ideas:

• Get recipe ideas from:
  • web sites
  • cookbooks
  • magazines
  • friends and family
• Scan grocery flyers for healthy foods on sale
• Check your fridge, freezer and cupboards for foods you have
• Look to see what foods need to be used up before they go to waste

2. Make your grocery list

Write down the foods you need for your meal plan:

• Keep a grocery list handy and write down items as you run out of them
• Organize your grocery list by headings that match the sections of the store

3. Go Shopping

Buy the foods on your grocery list:

• Use your list to navigate the aisles
• Stick to your list to:
  • reduce food waste
  • save money and time
  • cut down on impulse buys

4. Start Cooking

Stick to your plan:

• Post your meal plan where everyone can see it
• Give everyone a job to help with the meal plan

Stick with these tips to help preparing for meal planning for your KES Club.

Information sourced from: https://food-guide.canada.ca/

Kristin Hedges is a Registered Dietitian with Kids Eat Smart NL.