"What's for lunch or dinner today?"

If you cook, you will totally understand the gravity of the above question.

An unceasing threat for some, a relentless challenge for others – if it rings a bell and this is a reoccurring situation in your household too, it's time you should make your life easier by planning your meals ahead of time. Trust us, by the end of this article, you will have realized that planning your menu in advance indeed asks for a top slot on your to-do list.

Check out some of Meal Planning biggest benefits!

Saves Time, Money & Efforts
If you have a well-defined menu beforehand, you know exactly what you need to add to your shopping cart. This prevents you from making numerous visits to the supermarket, keeps you from picking random items off the shelf impetuously, and adds more speed and efficiency to your cooking as you have all the right ingredients laid out in front of you.

Encourages Health
An unplanned restaurant visit – because you hadn't planned a meal in advance – may lead you to exceed your daily calorie and sodium intake. One of the biggest advantages of planning out meals beforehand is that you can make maximum room for healthy choices and nutritionally well-balanced meals. This way, you can ensure all your meals include the requisite proteins, carbs, grains et al.

Adds Variety To The Menu
Again potatoes? Who likes to see the same items on their plate more than once or twice a week? But now that you have some time saved, make the most of it and look for interesting recipes online, ask your food expert friends or simply get into an experimental mode and try to come up with some unique dishes.

Decreases Stress
Last minute meals are stressful. When you are racing against time to think what to cook, you are most likely to end up serving a not-so nutritious platter. The process should, in fact, be enjoyable and not rushed because you are cooking for those that matter the most for you. A planned menu comes handy in such situations, adding health and happiness to your meal time.

Avoids Waste
What's the point of loading your shopping cart on a whim when you will have to throw some items away a few days later because you never really needed them? Planning meals ahead of time steers you clear of impulsive shopping, and thus, wasting food.

Looks like this is exactly what you need to make your life smoother? What are you waiting for then? Get going. Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it beginning today!