Meal planning and cooking most of your meals at home is a great way to save money.  It’s also a much healthier way to eat.  Cooking at home does take time.  Planning, shopping, cooking, and cleaning up all take time.  Slow food requires you to slow down a bit, think about your meals, and do some planning. Meal planning takes very little time once you get used to doing it.  Here are some steps you can take to prepare more slow food at your house.

Slow Food Gets Prepared by Slow Families

• Don’t over schedule yourself or your family.  You have to be at home to cook at home.  That’s just how it works.
• Plan your meals. Keep a menu plan (list of dinners to be served each night that week) on the refrigerator.  Keep track of what needs to come out of the freezer for de-thawing or what needs soaking overnight (beans) or what needs to be picked up at the store.
• Cooking means having to clean-up.  This is the ugly side of cooking at home.  I often times wish for a scullery maid to appear but alas, no such luck.  My kitchen gets a work-out.  Teach your kids to clean-up the kitchen and get them to help with this.  Everyone eats, everyone helps clean-up.
• Use your crock pot.  If you know you are going to be gone all day, cooking something in a crock pot can deliver a healthy meal (or just the main part of the meal) and save a lot of time.
• Plan for leftovers. Making a large, good meal one night so that you can serve it again the next is a wonderful way to eat.  A fresh salad served with leftovers is a huge time saver.
• Cook meals ahead and freeze. Freezing soups, beans, and chili are easy to do and are much healthier than store bought prepared foods.
• Make a commitment as a family to not eat fast food. Food served at fast food establishments may be inexpensive, but it’s not good for our health.
• Start today. Don’t wait to eat better, less expensively, and healthier. You can do it and your body (and family) will thank you.

Meal Planning Made Simple PDF download.  Check out the Slow Food Movement website here.

How do you slow your family down and have meals together?

 Go Gingham related links:

Very easy and tasty white bean dip
Betsy’s best brownies – our chicken who is no longer with us
What to do with honey that’s hardened
Why I cook with pork – several reasons – and one involves sweat
Just say no to baby carrots!
Go Gingham food philosophy – yes, there is one
New to cooking at home? Fear not!