I recently learned about a meal planning website that I think your family will love!

MealsMatter.org is based out of California and staffed by registered dietitians. It’s sponsored by the Dairy Council of California. The site was developed to focus on many under consumed foods such as dairy, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

According to Project Manager Andrea Garen, M.A., R.D., another goal of Meals Matter is “to help families appreciate how easy it can be to prepare wholesome meals at home.”

Meals Matter is a free service, and it takes just a minute to sign up. I was amazed by all of the interactive features offered on the site. For example, you can create your own cookbook, with their recipes and/or your own.

Speaking of recipes, they offer thousands of them! The recipe finder lets you search for recipes by ingredients, meal types, nutrient contents, prep times, holidays, special features, and origin.

You can also create your own shopping list, with spaces to type in the product name, the section of the grocery store the product is located, the store name, and a box to check if you have a coupon. You can throw out your grocery list scribbled on a scrap piece of paper once and for all!

Creating more than one cookbook or shopping list couldn’t be easier. As I started thinking about the holidays, I immediately created a second cookbook for holiday recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

As you are viewing your recipes in your cookbook, one click will add all of the ingredients to your shopping list. It simply doesn’t get any easier!

The personal fitness and nutrition planner make keeping track of your family’s eating habits a breeze. One glance will let you see if you and your kids have been eating enough of the right kind of foods. Families often get in the habit of eating the same items for meals and snacks. These planners help make you aware of which foods need to increase or decrease in your family’s diet.

The interactive tools on MealsMatter.org are just one of the many impressive features. They also provide a series of informative articles on back to school tips and ideas, nutrition, healthy living, and functional foods. Not only are these articles easy to read and educational, but they are a great starting point in talking with your kids about healthy eating.

In short, MealsMatter.org takes the frustration and guesswork out of meal planning and provides healthy solutions. Isn’t that what matters most?