Leaving work and realizing that you have no idea what’s for dinner, can be stressful – especially for parents! And there’s nothing more aggravating than finally deciding what you’re going to make for dinner, only to realize you’re missing ingredients and have to run to the grocery store!

Meal planning is a productivity hack that helps prevent stress, saves money, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and gives you more time with your family.

In this blog post, we will go over the all benefits of meal planning and tips on how to implement meal planning in your home.

1. You’ll eat better and make healthier food choices.

One of the biggest benefits of consistent meal planning is the fact that you will eat better and make healthier food choices. With meal planning, you aren’t scrambling to make a quick dinner after a long day of work, nor are you stopping by a fast food restaurant to avoid cooking.

2. It will alleviate dinner-planning stress.

If you’re the head cook of your busy family, trying to cook a balanced dinner in between shuffling kids from soccer practice to music lessons, etc., can be an added stress you don’t need. Planning meals for the week marks dinner off of your endless to-do list.

3. You’ll save time and money.

Meal planning will prevent you from spending extra money at the grocery store, and you will also save time while shopping because you will know exactly what you’re looking for. With the right app, such as an organizer like Sortifyd, you can save your favorite recipes, schedule meals, and create a grocery list all in one app. With Sortifyd, you can even share the list with your family, so when you go to the grocery store you can divide and conquer the list with your family to get out of the store faster!

4. It includes everyone in the process.

Meal planning allows everyone to have a say in the dinner plans for the week. Perhaps your significant other is craving a certain meal, or your kids have a real hankering for a macaroni and cheese casserole. By setting aside time to plan meals for the week and make a grocery list, everyone in your family will be able to participate in the process, and no one will feel left out. With an app like Sortifyd, you can also create a list of your favorite recipes and schedule them on your calendar so everyone has a say and knows ahead of time what’s for dinner.

5. You’ll waste a LOT less food.

When you plan meals for the week, you are ensuring that everyone is interested in what they will be eating. When you throw ingredients together at the last minute, however, you run the risk of making a meal that gets left in plastic containers in the back of the refrigerator for weeks. Right now, more than ever, we can’t afford to waste food or take unnecessary trips to the grocery store, so planning in advance is not optional – it’s imperative.