Meal Planning Fun for the Whole Family

When you live life by the beat of the school calendar, figuring out what to eat can be a daily dilemma.

We're here to make your job a little easier by introducing you to the Family Menu.

The Family Menu is a meal planning guide that will help you stay organized and feel confident about what your family will eat while getting them involved in the cooking process.

Meal prep.

It sounds tedious and can be daunting, but don't let that scare you. Here are a few tips that can be useful when planning your family menu:

Ask what your family would like to eat
If you get your family members in the kitchen with you, helping make a meal they want, they will be excited to help with other tasks.

Plan the ingredients you'll need for the week and go shopping
This is a great chance to get your kids out of the house and excited to hit the grocery store, checking off the shopping list for ingredients they can't wait to try to make at home.

Using InkJoy® Gel pens can help keep your list organized by color coordinating it, section by section; write out your produce in green, all meats in red, blue by frozen items, etc.

Make your menu
Have a calendar with the names of each meal for dinner and/ or lunch, and let everyone decorate it to their liking.

Prepare your food
Some food will be easy to cook in bulk and if time is available, cooking early is the preferred option. If you have time on a Sunday afternoon, hop in the kitchen and begin making your culinary masterpieces with family nearby

Store it!
Use your Rubbermaid Food Storage containers to keep your meals organized in the fridge, with the day that they will be eaten labeled clearly.

Share the love
Surprise your loved ones with little notes personalized to let them know that you're always thinking about them – it will make their day!

Enjoy!
Dinner at the family table during the week is a lost art – but the meal prep together will more than make up for it. Having your food stored will also lead to one less worry in your household and you can relax after a long day.

Do you have any family menu suggestions?
Share with us at #PaperMate!