Meal Planning - Plan Ahead and Plan to Succeed by Christine Steendahl

Meal planning is a great way to save time, energy and money when feeding your family. For those thinking about meal planning, it is important to note that you don’t have to sacrifice a tasty, healthy meal for a hectic schedule or a tight budget. If you are looking for a great way to create meals for your family, following are some practical ideas.

Plan Your Meals in Advance
The key to meal planning is with out a doubt planning your meals in advance. Unfortunately, many parents come home every night, eager to cook a simple dinner and have absolutely no idea what to cook. With your family getting hungry and a little cranky, most families give up and drive to the nearest fast food or casual dining establishment. If you want to make sure that you stay home for dinner and that you and your family are all eating healthy, you must plan ahead.

Generally, the best way to organize your meals is to plan them out a week in advance. Figure out a budget, determine which foods you and your family would like to eat, throw in some of your family’s favorites and then prepare a shopping list. One of the easiest ways to meal plan is to make a calendar. Start out with a main dish for every night and then throw in a side dish, desert and soup/salad.

Main Dish
Main dishes are definitely a great place to begin. Generally the majority of main dishes consist of protein such as poultry, beef, pork or fish. Any one of these make a good choice and by mixing it up during the week, your family won’t be bored and you can satisfy almost everyone’s taste preference. For families that are trying to lose weight or have a history of disease such as heart disease and diabetes, the main dish is the main area you should focus on creating meals that fit your dietary requirements and lifestyle. You can simply choose lean meats, opt to consume more fish and for vegetarian eaters, replace meat dishes with soy and main vegetable dishes.

Side Dishes
Side dishes are very important to planning meals. This is your best chance to introduce vegetables into your loved ones’ diet. Make sure you have at least one vegetable in the mix each night. For best results at least two types of vegetables each meal is optimal.

Soup & Salad
For those watching your weight, a soup or salad is an awesome way to fill up in the beginning of the meal and enjoy smaller main dish portions later on. Soups are good during the winter time when the weather is cold outside and salads are a great way to get a healthy blend of fresh seasonal fruits or vegetables.

Desserts
If you are trying to get everyone to stay till the end of the meal, desserts usually do the trick. Tasty desserts are most popular; you can also choose healthy alternatives such as fruit salads, fruit smoothies, and gelatin.

For those looking to save time and money throughout the month on meals, your best bet is by meal planning.

For a free meal planning worksheet and shopping list log onto http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/ShoppingList.pdf

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Getting Started on Container Gardening
By Bill Harden

Any gardening enthusiast will tell you that there is no place too small for you to create your own garden. With enough knowledge and creativity you can make turn any space into a beautiful garden. One of the best solutions to the lack of space is container gardening. Container gardening involves using containers to grow vegetables, herbs and fruits.

There are many benefits to container gardening the most important of which is that it requires less soil and takes up less space. People who live in apartment complexes, those with impaired mobility, and those who live in dry areas can still engage in gardening through this method. Container gardening also requires less time than growing and nurturing a big garden so those who do not have too much free time can start a container garden.

People who are only starting to find interest in gardening will find that they will have more success with container and pocket gardens than in growing a full scale garden right away. They can water the plants more easily and they can move the plants around. This means they can place plants in areas around the house where the environment is more suitable for the particular plant variety. Those that need more sunshine can be grown outdoors or near windows and doors while those that require very little sunlight can be grown indoors. You can also set up the containers in iron racks or on the stairs to create a light and airy ambiance to your home.

Another benefit of container gardening is that you can re-use water bottles and other used containers. This means you not only save on money, you also save the environment in the process.

Those who are just starting with container gardening can start a small pocket garden near the kitchen and plant basil, tomatoes and herbs. These plants will not only provide the joys of gardening but also give fruits and leaves that can be used for cooking.

People who are interested in container gardening can visit Simon Newman’s blog– http://www.container-garden.info This website will teach you everything you need to know about container gardening It also provides additional information regarding small or pocket gardens.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Harden
http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-Started-on-Container-Gardening&id=699802

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How To Live Stress Free
By Judy Davis

Do you feel tired all the time? Do you feel like you’re going to jump out of your skin? Are you eating for no reason? Do you explode when someone asks what you did today? Do you feel like you never get anything done? We all experience these feelings at different times in our life. When we do we lump it all together and call it stress. We try to place blame somewhere. We may even look around and say… “My job is stressful. My spouse is demanding. My kids need me to be in 3 places at once. Aha! That’s it! That’s what is causing me stress.”

So we react. We may look for a new job, get a new spouse or tell the kids we aren’t chauffeuring them around any more. So often, these knee jerk reactions don’t reduce your stress at all. Why not? You can’t feel better unless you get to the root of what caused the stress in the first place. Human beings have a tendency to “stuff their feelings” rather than deal with them. We even let events and people dictate our lives instead of taking control ourselves. So what do you do?

Step back, take a look at your life. Does it look the way you want it to? Are your days centered around the things that are important to you or are they being dictated by the whims of others? Do you see your relationships clearly or do you make up stories about them? Do you work through your feelings or do you stuff them down? Spend some time, take a good look at your life and your feelings.

Identify what your stress “triggers” are, and then find some specific tools/techniques to move you to a more relaxed state. There are many stress management techniques available to you. The key is to find the tools which can create balance for you on a regular basis. Aromatherapy candles can help you unwind. Relaxing music can change your mood. Listening to a stress relief cd can change your mindset. Meditation can reconnect you. Exercise can relieve the anxiety. Each person will manage their stress differently, so give yourself permission to find what works for you, experiment with different techniques and take action to make relaxation a part of your daily routine.

Copyright 2007 JSG, P.O. Box 138, Clarkston, MI 48347-0138If you would like to have Judy speak at your event or teleconference email info@ReclaimU.com

Judy Davis, Co-founder of ReclaimU & JSG, is an entrepreneur, business owner, published author and motivational speaker. Drawing on over 20 years of experience, Judy empowers others to believe in themselves and their abilities. Her laid back, personal style incorporates humor and real life experience in everything that she does, while creating an atmosphere of trust and sincerity that people embrace. Judy is a true connector that inspires others to live their lives abundantly.

Ignite Yourself!

If you would like Judy to speak at your next event check out the list of Speaking topics, Coaching packages and more at http://www.byJSG.com & http://www.Reclaimu.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Davis
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Live-Stress-Free&id=717035

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