Do you find it difficult to manage your busy family and lifestyle while still trying to eat nutritious foods each day? Are you tired of spending money on takeout meals because you had nothing in the house to eat? You’re not alone.

Menu planning is here to save you time, money and energy. Menu planning doesn’t have to be difficult. Start by making a plan, seeing what works, and tweaking your system over time. Here are a few of my favorite tips to get you started on your meal planning journey.

Learning to menu plan for the coming week can have a dramatic effect on your life. Believe me. I’m talking from experience. About 10 years ago, my husband and I started to menu plan. Although our exact process changed over time, the benefits were clear: grocery shopping only once per week; no more stress at dinner time trying to find something to cook; having all the ingredients in our home to cook a nutritious dinner; very little food going to waste because it wasn’t eaten. And my favorite benefit? Knowing that each night at dinner time, we could sit down as a family of 4 to enjoy a tasty dinner and actually talk to each other.