Each year, I have the honor of teaching hundreds of women the benefits of meal planning, time-saving cooking techniques, and how to help the whole family eat healthier as part of Compass Bible Church’s Navigating Motherhood ministry.
Even more exciting is the fact that these these presentations are recorded and I’ve included both of them for free below. So now even more women, just like you, can learn these simple strategies for saving time in the kitchen, and be encouraged to help your family enjoy a healthy whole food lifestyle!
Video #1: Mastering Meal Planning: Simple Strategies for Saving Time in the Kitchen
Just click here to view “Simple Strategies for Saving Time in the Kitchen.” If you’d like the that pdf I mention in this video, you can download it here. It’s a great way to start putting these super easy, time-saving principles into practice.
I also recommend checking out the Meal Planning section on this site for more helpful strategies to save time and money. My prayer is that these free resources will bless you as you strive to nourish your family!
Video #2: Healthy Eating for Kids & The Whole Family
Just click here to view “Healthy Eating for Kids & The Whole Family.” If you’d like the that pdf I mention in this video, you can download it here. It’s a great way to start putting these super easy, time-saving principles into practice.
I also recommend checking out my Kids in the Kitchen section on this site for more helpful techniques for helping your kids and whole family eat healthier!
FREE GF Family-Friendly Meal Plans:
Just a friendly reminder, that I provide free monthly meal plans over at The Better Mom blog. Each week’s meal plan contains delicious family-friendly GF recipes utilizing a time-saving method to make getting a healthy dinner on the table a snap! I highly recommend you pop over to The Better Mom and download these free meal plans.
Hey Kelly,
Just wanted to thank you for sharing your presentation on meal planning. I would say that I’m already a great meal planner, but I really admire that you were able to share this with your church. I know God is blessing and will continue to bless you and your family for your willingness to invest in the health of other families. Thank you for running your site with His Kingdom in mind!
Blessings,
Lindsey
Thank you so much for your encouragement, Lindsey! I am beyond honored that the Lord will allow me such opportunity to help others live healthier for His glory! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
A great presentation! Thank you for all of the tools and the inspiration. 🙂
Thanks so much, Amy! So glad you’re finding this helpful to you! Appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note of encouragement! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Kelly,
That was great and you’re a great speaker! Your voice is different than I imagined. I am thankful for your wonderful recipes. The bonus is that my husband likes them, too! Meal planning takes one less burden off my shoulders.
Andrea L.
Thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement, Andrea! I know it’s always funny to see and hear people because often they aren’t what you had envisioned. I tend to talk too fast and I’m sure have a completely weird accent since I grew up in the South, yet my family was all from the North (Michigan) and I have been living in CA for over 15 years now. LOL! Thanks again! So glad you found the information helpful and that you and your hubby are enjoying the recipes as well! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
How funny! I live in the south and have for 16 years. I did not hear an southern accent in your speach at all. Most of my life I lived in southern California. I don’t sound Californian anymore, nor do I sound Texan. I guess I am in between. 😉
Andrea L.
Hi, Andrea! When I first moved out here, people would often remark that I had a slight Southern accent. I agree with you (and so does my family) that I really don’t have it anymore. When I talk to my brother in particular (he lives in AL), we’re always laughing about my lost accent and his thick Southern draw. But I do still use some of my favorite Southern expressions – of course, “ya’ll” being one of those! LOL! Thanks for your sweet note! Lots of blessings, Kelly
I just watched your lovely seminar and am greatly inspired! Though I’ve been doing much of what you’ve said for years, it is helpful to get some fresh ideas! I really like the idea of having a prep day each week. That makes so much sense!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a kind note, Karen! I’m so glad you found this information helpful to you, even though it sounds like you’re a seasoned meal planner! Keep up the great work – I’m sure you’ll find having a prep day to be a great addition! Lots of blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Just watched your presentation. I never planned my meals before and I am very guilty at buying the same stuff and making the same food. I hate cooking and my family is very picky eaters. I think if they were to eat better I would like to make food.
We live in South Africa and food is very expensive here. I would really like to start the meal planning. I only go to the shop once a month. However I would like that my family eats healthier and I know that would mean more trips to the store for fresh produce. My biggest problem is how do I get my kids to eat health and veggies. They are 8 and 9. My daughter is willing to try stuff, my son refuses. This is very daunting for me and I know we are not getting in the good stuff. What must I do? Please help me?
Hi, Maryna. I think everyone at some point in time deals with a picky eater(s), I know I have my share of fun trying to get more veggies into not only my boys, but my hubby too! 🙂 My best advise to you is to take it slow, get your kids in the kitchen with you, where they can participate in creating meals together with you – it’s a great opportunity to teach them about healthy eating and so much more. Start with where you’re at – plan the meals that you frequently cook, and monitor your budget, then slowly make changes as you’re able to both time, and money wise. Here are a couple of posts that will help you gain a broader perspective. And most of all, take your desires to the Lord and He will guide you on the path He desires! Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
• Developing a healthy eating plan and budget: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/8-tips-for-real-food-on-a-budget/
• Cooking with Kids: http://thenourishinghome.com/kids-in-the-kitchen/
Hello, Kelly. You did a great job on explaining the purpose behind meal planning. I wish you would go into more detail/scenarios of the actual batch cooking. I work two jobs & am beginning training for another state licensure. On top of all this, I’m a newlywed and new stepmother. I would love to learn more about batch cooking but I’d also like to know what to do with all of these leftovers? Do you have any suggestions?
Hi, Tori. Appreciate your kind words. I had just 40 minutes to speak and the topic requested was meal planning. So although I tried to squeeze in some of my “Cook Once, Eat Twice or More” info, there wasn’t time to cover it, at least not in this particular presentation. However, if you check out this post below, I do discuss how to group meals, batch cook and schedule it on your meal plan. And that’s what you should do as well with planning for leftovers – when you make out your meal plan, figure out where they fit in, whether as lunch, or used in another meal, such as leftover rice used to make a veggie sauté with rice. Hope this helps to give you a better idea so you can start implementing this great time-saving step. Lots of blessings, Kelly
• Cook Once, Eat Twice or More: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/cook-once-eat-twice-or-more/
Kelly- Thank you so much for sharing this. I ebb and flow in my meal planning. I really want to plan better and make healthy foods for my family. I am excited to try some of your ideas and I will be reading your handout. I also want to try some of your recipes. I know I should cook once and eat twice. These are all doable ideas. I just need to motivate myself to plan and get going. Thank you! I really enjoy reading your meal plans. I have made a few things.
Hi, Shonda. Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note! I am thankful that you’re finding this site helpful and inspiring! I hope it continues to be a source of encouragement to you and just remember to take baby steps. Start with planning a few dinners a week and then build upon that foundation. It will be far less overwhelming, which will help you to stick to your goal and make forward progress. Lots of blessings, Kelly 🙂
Thank you SO much for this. I have recently been getting a bit carried away with healthy meals for my family. When I say “carried away” I mean that I felt that it got out of balance and that I was starting to become consumed by it all. I had started to become exhausted with all of the time it was taking to cook and clean for my family of 6 and I felt that I was becoming a slave to nourishing my family – rather than it serving us. I am going to try to use your meal planning template and am praying that this will help me. Thank you so much for your closing words. So good to be reminded of WHY we are doing this – not just for health’s sake, but so that we can better serve the Lord. God’s love,
Angela of Australia
Hi, Angela! So happy this video presentation encouraged you. I so appreciate your words and totally agree!
I just want to further encourage you to keep focused that nourishing your family is so much more than just what you feed them. I can see that you’ve realized through this experience of getting “carried away” that nourishing your family can get really one-sided when you are so focused on trying to keep up with being the perfect real foodie. It can lead to a level of exhaustion and stress that leaves little time left to nurture your family in even more important ways – to love and care for your hubby, to guide and instruct your children, to play, to laugh, to share time together as a family. So as helpful as healthy eating can be, it isn’t helpful if Mom is spending a majority of her time doing it and is becoming overwhelmed and stressed out by it.
I say this because I’ve been there, done that. And it was after reading the book “Idols of the Heart” that I really began to see how slippery a slope it can be when our good intentions get us so distracted that we become worn out and stressed out and lose focus on what matters most – the Lord and the ministry of loving and serving our family and others. 🙂
So just remember that you don’t have to be perfect – that’s a trap that we can fall into that leads to us becoming slaves to an ideal. Meal planning can be very helpful in thinking through what you can put together in the time you have available, with the resources you have available and hopefully with a lot less stress and time. I said a prayer for you and am SO happy you took the time to write me. It’s exciting to hear from beautiful women like you all across the globe who are seeking to serve their families well with love for the Lord! Many blessings to you and your family, Kelly 🙂
Thank you Kelly for your personal reply and for praying for me.
I was having some time with God just the other day and broke into tears because of how weary this (not the meal planning, but the pursuit of perfecting our diet) has left me. God so very gently showed me that I had allowed something good to become like an idol – something that I was devoting myself to in a way that was out of kilter with my priorities. So it was confirming to read what you wrote here. I SO agree that nourishing our families is so much more than feeding them good food and I have to admit that the pursuit of getting it right with our food has taken me away from nurturing my family and even my relationship with God. It’s good that I am aware that I need to restore balance, now I just have to try to figure out what that looks like.
Love your sweet heart, Angela! Yes, it’s a constant struggle to keep our priorities where they should be. Don’t feel like you’re alone. See me here developing recipes and sharing them on this site, and all that goes with this … yep, it’s real easy to lose focus and get too caught up in all of this – believe me, I know and I am constantly on my knees asking God to keep be from getting too caught-up. Even good things as you said can quickly become idols. So be comforted with the knowledge that the Lord loves you SO much that He’s showing you this because His desire is for you to keep Him close – as your first focus – because He knows that HE alone can satisfy … anything else we try to put in His place over serving and seeking Him first is a sad substitute that eventually enslaves us. Prayers and love to you in your mission to restore balance! Please keep in touch and let me know how it’s going and know that I appreciate your sweet words – they encourage me more than you know! Lots of blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Thank you for your love and encouragement Kelly.
What a wonderful blessing you are!
I will keep in touch from time to time, and continue to enjoy your blog.
Wonderful! I am so happy to help! 🙂 Blessings to you, Kelly
I have a small five dollar dry erase board on the side of my fridge to write down stuff we run out of. Then I take a picture of the board on my way out (ipod, ipad, phone, etc.). Paperless!
Hi, Dawn. What a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hi Kelly,
Such a delight to have stumbled across your site!! Thanks so much for all the lovely encouragement. I will be sure to share so others can visit your informative website. Keep serving the Lord and sharing your message!! 🙂
Have a lovely day in the Lord,
k
Thank you SO much for your kind words of encouragement, Kris! I am so happy you’ve found this site helpful and are sharing it with your friends. I truly appreciate your kindness. Lots of blessings to you in HIM, Kelly 🙂
Kelly, I love your heart!!! A couple weeks ago I talked to my pastor about me leading a bible study on GMO’s (oh, yes the bible does talk about it; Genesis 1:11-12 and Leviticus 19:19), he kinda looked at me like I had gone off the deep end. He didn’t say not though, and the women are excited about it. I will be praying for your ministry.
Thanks so much, Katie! I sent you an email … Blessings, Kelly 🙂
I found your site through Pinterest, I absolutely love it. Thank you so much for sharing all your hard work. I have 4 children; 13 boy, 10 boy, 7 boy, and 4 girl.. It turns into chaos when I don’t have a plan for meals. I don’t think I need to explain, you seem to know! The stress of not meal planning leaks into every area of my life and I just can’t believe how important meal planning is! Not to mention I probably have saved over $400 a month in the past when I have stuck to meal planning. I need to get back on the ball. Thank you for your inspiration and motivation!
Hi, Maya. It sounds like you totally have the experience and all you need is a little encouragement to just do it! We all can get bogged down and forget how important meal planning (and planning in general) is so we can reduce our stress level. 🙂 It’s such a joy to be able to encourage precious moms like you! So I praise God for the opportunity He provides for me to share these easy strategies that can really help save time, money and stress in our busy lives as wives and mothers! 🙂 Blessings, Kelly
I really enjoyed your video. Thank you for sharing it.
This is the first time I’ve found your site and there is a wealth of information. Thank you.
Welcome, Liz! I’m so glad you enjoyed the presentation and are finding this site helpful! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a kind note. Many blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hi Kelly!
I just wanted to say thank you for all of the incredible information and inspiration to get started meal planning! It is very real, practical info that makes it seem SO much less overwhelming… 🙂
You are hugely blessing so many women (and their families!) with everything you are doing!
Thank you so much, Emma! I truly appreciate your kind, encouraging words. It’s a joy to be able to serve others – praise God for the opportunity! With much appreciation, Kelly 🙂
This has been such a blessing! Thank you soooo much for what you do. I pray that God continues to bless you for this great, great work!
Thank you for your kind, encouraging words, Deborah. I appreciate you taking the time to leave a sweet note. So happy you found this presentation helpful. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hi! I just watched your presentation. I’m so excited to begin meal planning. I have to tell you that your site, this presentation and your website in general is an answer to a prayer. Thank you so much for sharing this information with us. You are doing a great thing! Much love. ~Jessica
Thank you so much for taking the time to be an encourager, Jessica! Your words really touched my heart! I am so grateful to God to be able to serve you in this way. May He bless you for your kindness! In HIM, Kelly 🙂
Hello Kelly. Your presentation was amazing. Excellent ideas to use for my family of 6. The Lord has been talking to me and I have felt the thirst to serve Him. However, I currently don’t belong to a church, and would like to join a church where the community is tight knit like a family. Your church seems to be very involved with its members. I would love to attend a church like this. I hope you can help me. God bless you for all the work you do. Thank you.
I would love to help you! Being part of the Lord’s body isn’t just a blessing, it’s also a means to grow, serve and bless others. Privately email me so we’re not sharing your location in an open format like this. And I will do my best to help you locate a solid church in your area. Blessings, Kelly
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for the video. I don’t know the first thing about cooking (I smiled when I realized I’d probably have to google “how to soak beans overnight” if I ever decide to use that recipe) so in my small family of 3 (baby is just 1 year old), my husband and I just wing it each day. I buy things like a frozen bag of tilapia, chicken breast tenderloins and turkey burgers from Costco and just thaw, cook and eat with whatever carb source (baked potato, pasta) we can think of. In our fridge, we have Chobani greek yogurt and vegetables that inevitably go bad because we don’t eat them in time. For breakfast, the only thing (besides cereal) we’ve done is microwave 1 minute oatmeal and eat some egg whites with it. It’s so dull but I can’t make an omelette so I stick to the little I know. We always think “protein, carb” and just thaw the ready to cook meats from Costco and figure out a carb source that we can add to it. It’s really bad. I hate winging it and I’d love to have meals prepared for my hardworking hubby when he gets home from work and save money while doing it. I feel overwhelmed with creating my “Master List” because there really isn’t any meal I know how to cook and we have TONS of stuff in our pantry that we have either only used once for a special recipe I tried years ago or bought because we thought we’d use it. I’m going to start by clearing that out and throwing away things that are expired. Thanks for your help. It really means a ton. I’ve been thinking soberly about this for a long time and I’m excited to finally have someplace to begin. For my “Master List”, do I just put things down like the frozen tilapia, salmon packets and chicken breast pieces we have in our freezer and figure out meals I can make with those? I don’t know if we should just finish them out the way we’ve been doing and then start from scratch with your meals. Any thoughts on this would really be helpful.
God bless 🙂
Hi, sweet Nki. I am so glad this video has helped you in getting started with meal planning. And yes, start right where you are and make small steps forward. Because each small step you make is one step closer to your healthy living goals. So be encouraged and also remember to not get overwhelmed but to submit the desires of your heart to God and He will make your path straight. There is never any value in making healthy eating our sole focus, so I always want to encourage all of us to keep our eyes on Jesus first and check out motives each step of the way. As far as learning to cook and add to your master list of meals, start with the things you know how to do and look for recipes that are easy to make using skills you already have. This will help you not become overwhelmed. Then as time permits, take a day when you have more time to cook and try a new skill. There are some GREAT cooking skill based books out there. One of my favorites is How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman (aff.link: http://amzn.to/1eL65pt). It is my top recommendation for those just getting started. And again, the real food journey is all about taking one step at a time. I’m excited for you as you start this journey toward nourishing yourself and your family with the healthy whole foods that God created for our sustenance so we can better serve Him and each other. It’s so much easier to start your precious little one out on whole foods while he/she is little so you can establish his/her taste for healthy real foods rather than refined processed “food.” Many blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Thanks, Kelly! I’ll certainly look into getting that book 🙂
You are very welcome! 🙂
I found your website thru the “25 Day Grace Filled Journey To Real Food” and I am learning so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have a chronic disease and your article to Cook Once, Eat Twice is very helpful. With the GF menu plans you have shared I’m getting the hang of this planning. Thank you and God Bless.
Hi, Peggy! So great to meet you. Welcome to The Nourishing Home. Diana and I are great friends and it’s been a joy partnering with her on her amazing 25 Day Grace Filled Journey. We’re both here to support you. So always feel free to ask a question. It’s our joy to serve. Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Hi Kelly,
I tried to play the video but it looks like it is not working. Do you have it one another site?
Thanks,
Sam
Hi, Sam. Thanks so much for letting me know the video is not playing. It looks like there is an issue with the host server. I have sent an email to my church web manager to see if they can get it back up again, since this video links direct to their archive. Once it is back up, I will email you. Thanks again for letting me know. Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Hi, Sam. I found out that this video requires the latest versions of flash player and may not be compatible with some browsers. For example, I cannot get the video to play if I use Safari, but it plays just fine using Chrome as the browser. So, if you have another browser option, you may want to give that a try. In addition, I am in the process of securing this video for my own so I can have it play direct from my site rather than going to the live stream site. In the meantime though, trying another browser to view it is the best option. Thanks again! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Hello Kelly,
Thanks so much for sharing this presentation. Serving healthy, nutritious meals to my family is very important to me. I make my own baby food for my 10 month old and I also did that for my three year old when she was a baby. I want to make sure they receive the most nutritious food possible. I’ve been wanting to start meal planning for quite some time now. You have definitely given me the encouragement I needed. Your ideas are very helpful and useful and I’m looking forward to saving time and money. Unfortunately, I could relate to the person that buys the cantaloupe on sale, just to find myself throwing it away a week later because it spoiled:( This makes me so upset with myself – not just because I threw money away, but also because there are so many hungry people in the world and I just threw food away. I’m so grateful that I came across your website. You are doing great things! Thanks again!
Thanks so much, Brandi! What a joy and honor to be used by God to help others. I appreciate the time you took to leave such a kind encouraging note. And don’t be too hard on yourself, the great thing is that you’ve committed to change and by meal planning, you will have far less instances of wasted food and you’ll also be well on your way to enjoy healthy home cooked meals with less stress. Blessings to you, Kelly 🙂
Kelly, Thank you for your wonderful ideas and inspirations in the kitchen. I found your site after search in frustration on the internet about meal planning for families. It has been a blessing. We are working on becoming a closer family, celebrating the Lord, saving money and taking care of our bodies. I can’t thank you enough for the tools you have provided us! <3
My pleasure – it’s an honor to help. Praising God with you. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter because I send a weekly meal plan with shopping list and prep day recommendations with it, and exclusive tips just for my subscribers. Thank you for your kind words. Blessings to you and your precious family, Kelly
http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/03/free-e-book-for-subscribers-of-the-nourishing-home/
Thanks for the great lecture. It’s very helpful!
So glad you found it helpful, Hope. Thank you for taking the time to leave a kind note! 🙂
Hey Kelly,
I want to thank you for letting God use you and for posting and providing so much information for those of us who are less knowledgeable on this very useful subject. I have an especial appreciation for the fact that you glorify God in what you’re doing, and secondly that you look to provide meal plans that are not only manageable to prepare, but also very healthy (seeking to utilize whole foods that are more natural). I hope that God continues to bless you and your family, and once again I am very appreciative of the information you have shared here.
Paul
Thank you so much, Paul, for your kind words of encouragement. I am so honored to be used by God to help others in whatever way I can. I appreciate you blessing me by taking the time to leave such a kind note. May God bless you! 🙂 Kelly
love the two week meal plans on the better mom website. wonder if you have developed the website to the point that it has a master menu template into which we could drag and drop selections from your two week menus. that would be so super helpful
Hi, Peggy. I would love to do more with the meal plans, but I also want to keep them free to everyone, so I have to balance expenses and my time. Did you know that I offer an extended version of my meal plan that includes a shopping list and prep-day tasks? It’s available to my subscribers. Every Friday I send the weekly expanded version via email. If you’d like to subscribe, you can join here: http://eepurl.com/LFIpf