Preparing for the Week by Using a Shopping List and Recipe Planning App

It's Sunday and time to get ready for the week.  This is the time that I plan for the week and a tool that I have found really helpful is a meal planning app.  Trust me, it feels like it's a lot of work at first, but it is well worth it and makes things easier in the long run.  When I am overwhelmed, tired, and have little time, the last thing I want to think about is "What am I going to make for dinner tonight." If I think of something, then I realize that I am missing some ingredient.

I use the Weight Watchers meal planning app because I had access to that as a WW member.  I looked into other apps that might be helpful and do the same thing.  Here's one I saw online and had good reviews, but I have not tried it and cannot vouch for it.  If anyone knows some good apps, let me know and I will post them for others to be able to check out.

http://www.foodonthetable.com/

Here is another one I found.  I get recipes from this site, but I haven't used any of their apps.

http://get.ziplist.com/how-it-works/shopping-lists/

It does really help when you plan this way.  Many of the apps come with recipes already in their bank.  What takes time is adding your recipes.  Start with a few of your main recipes that you really love, that are easy, and you make often.

Then, once the recipes are in your app, you can create a shopping list based on what you want to cook that week.  This is complicated for me because shopping usually requires at least three or more stores: Trader Joe's, Costco, Whole Foods, and my local market.  Having a shopping list is really helpful.  I can easily check what I already have at home, and what I might need to buy.  I might make one stop on my way home or do some of the shopping on Sunday if I have a chance.  But knowing what I need helps me figure out when I can do the shopping.

I only have to cook three to four days a week because I will make enough to have left overs on other days.

For this week I am planning on making:

Main meals:
An Indian spiced lamb stew
Rosemary lemon chicken
Paleo meatloaf
Paleo tamales (a beef version and a vegan version)

Side dishes:
Cauliflower rice
Curried carrots and kale
Broccoli-Cauliflower bake