Menu-planning basics

Menu planning doesn't have to be complicated. To get started, jot down some of your favorite meals. Cooking for a family? Ask them to suggest menu ideas, too.

For more inspiration, flip through cookbooks or check out recipe websites. You can even find sample menus and menu-planning apps online.

Plan a week of meals at a time. Be sure to include side dishes as well as entrees and some healthy desserts, too. When you have your menu plan filled in, create a shopping list of the ingredients you'll need.

Some things to consider as you contemplate menu options:

• Calendar check. Determine what nights you'll have time to cook and what nights you'll only have time to reheat leftovers.
• Look for sales. What's on sale this week at the supermarket?
• Shop your pantry. That can of beans at the back of the cabinet could be the starting point for any number of healthy meals.
• Think seasonal. What fresh produce is available this time of year? Is it salad season or soup weather?
• Mix things up. Keep the menu interesting by planning some meatless meals or substituting a breakfast for a dinner. Alternate new recipes and old favorites.
• Picture the plate. As you plan each meal, keep in mind that vegetables and fruits should cover half your plate, lean protein should cover a quarter, and the rest of your plate should be grains, preferably whole grains.