Balanced week ahead #REJUVENATION PLANNER

Each week we’ll be asking experts what each of us can do to lead healthier and happier lives. Coles Ambassador Courtney Roulston reveals some fresh ideas for planning family meals, keeping everyone healthy and taking the stress out of the family meal.

For many Australian families, healthy, affordable eating doesn’t just magically happen — it requires a meal planning mind-set of shopping, planning and cooking.

The promise of meal planning can add structure and variety to your diet, which will help to avoid eating pasta four nights a week or ordering takeout.

It also ensures you’re not coming up with food ideas on the fly and you’ve put in some legwork to create some healthy, delicious and crowdpleasing options.

Check your kitchen pantry and freezer for what you might already have and may have forgotten about, from canned goods to dried food. Having a fridge full of healthy ingredients that you have planned on cooking means you won’t be tempted to opt for fast food options.

Try to mix things up in the kitchen by incorporating meat-free or ethnic cuisines that can be found in magazines and newspapers, and food

“Look at meals that can be twisted into a different dish.”

websites such as Coles&co.

Look at meals that can be twisted into a different dish. Your Sunday dinner leftover of roast lamb can be Monday’s lamb curry with extra steamed rice on the side.

The leftover steamed rice can then be a delicious fried rice the following night using whatever bits and bobs you have in your crisper, and some eggs.

Some meals can just keep on giving and you can cover many different types of cuisines and loads of variety with some smart planning.

Courtney Roulston first rose to fame after competing in MasterChef in 2010 and is now the team chef for the Sydney Swans, and host of Farm to Fork on Network Ten.