Cut kitchen craziness with menu planning

When my oldest child's picky-eating nature sends my head spinning, I dump menu planning right in his lap. I figure if he picks the meals, he's likely to eat them. And that's usually how it works. The last time I delegated meal brainstorming to this finicky six-year-old, he chose some pretty good options. Of course, if he veers into junk-food territory, we steer him toward healthier options but overall, he knows what's good for him. And if it's good for him, it's good for us too.

Not only am I recommending you include your stubborn little eaters in mealtime decisions, I also suggest you, or someone in your family, plan meals in advance -- try to stay a week ahead of schedule and you'll save time on daily basis. You're also likely to end up with healthier meals.

Just pick a day of the week -- I say make it Sunday -- and jot down your meal items for the week. Be sure to include lean meats, veggies, fruits, and whole grains and keep to a bare minimum anything with too many calories, fats, and sugars. Then head to the store, stock your cart, and return home and pack that good stuff away. If you're ambitious, you can start prepping your meals ahead of time but at minimum, just get the goods so you're prepared to piece together your dishes on a daily basis.

Want more on this topic? Check out these tips for menu planning from organizedhome.com.