Meal Planning According to Better Homes and Gardens

The other night, I was unable to sleep. I had finished the last of the stack of library books that sit on the night table beside my bed.  I was laying there wide awake when I realized that I had my 1946 Better Homes and Gardens cookbook under the bed. I know... a strange place for it, but a perfect place until I could get some round ring stickers for the pages that were torn.  Anyway, I pulled the book out and began to read. Of all the cookbooks that I have, I have never actually read any of the "information" in the books.  Would you believe there was meal planning in the cookbook?

Meal Planning According to the
Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

I found some really neat things other than some new recipes that I have made. Those of you who make a meal menu for your family, you'll enjoy this.

MEAL - PLANNING IS A GAME that's fun if you play it with imagination and zest. If you play it well, you will win satisfaction for yourself and cheers of enthusiasm from your family. It's important to plan well-balanced means, but it's equally important to make those meals appetizing and attractive, with plenty of variety.

Imagination and zest really tickled my funny bone. Because I've never thought of meal planning as a game and when I use my imagination, I'm trying to come up with meal ideas without breaking the bank that we all will actually eat. There's no game playing for me. :)

I love the little tip about introducing new food occasionally and take a family vote; vary the method of preparing those dishes that are served often. Even in the 1940's wives were dealing with the same problems many of us face weekly when preparing meals for our families.

When I read this little chapter I thought "HOW NEAT!" Wives way back then were into meal planning for their families. We've seen old TV shows and movies that talk about Meatloaf Monday or Spaghetti Wednesday, many wives created a menu plan and stuck with it for every day of the week. This was a good way for the family to know what is for dinner each day of the week. And I'm sure it also kept down the hassle of knowing what to buy at the grocery store. But for me, I need a variety of meals to look forward to cooking and enjoy with my family. Although, we do have Pizza Friday every other week.

To some, menu planning is a new thing and for others it's not so new. It's amazing to read meal planning has been around for at least 70 years, and I think that is pretty awesome!