If your New Year Resolution this year is to lose weight, allow me to tell you that it’s a bad one. Read why.

How about cooking more meals at home?

If you’re thinking: don’t know how to cook, I don’t know how to plan meals, I don’t have time to shop, I don’t have time to cook, or I don’t like to cook, then I have the right book for you.

The 7-Day Menu Planner For Dummies, by Susan Nicholson, RD/LD.

Planning meals helps you gain control of mealtimes, enjoy evenings, move closer to having better health, and saves you money.

The book is divided into three parts. In part one, Nicholson overviews the book, focuses on nutrition—including tips on cutting back sodium and reading food labels, and offers instructions for freezing and thawing. In this section, she walks you through her thought process and strategies for planning the meals, and her ultimate goal here is for you to learn how to do it later on your own.

Part two is where Nicholson shares 52 weekly menus in over 200 pages. Week 1 is the first week of January, and week 52 is the last in December. Each week has 7 theme meals: Family meals, kids meals, Express meals, Budget meals, Heat and Eat meals, Meatless meals, and Easy Entertaining meals.

Don’t worry, she’s not making you cook every day. Each week, there are 3 ‘real’ recipes, and the remaining four days are reheating, reusing, microwavable dinners, or quick-fix tips that can’t be really labeled as recipes!

Part three is the Part of Tens: 10 Time Saving Techniques, 10 budget-Friendly Tips, 10 Family-Foods For Better Health, and 10 meals you can make and freeze for later.

What I love about the book:

1. Nicholson offers nutrition tips through out the book, yet, it’s not a diet book.
2. The recipes are basic. No skills required.
3. Love, love, love chapter 5 on stocking your pantry, freezer, fridge, and recommending pots, pans, and utensils.
4. Nicholson thought of your calendar. The recipes are based on seasonal foods, and the meals are appropriate for holidays and even Super Bowl Sunday!

While it might be too simple for seasoned cooks and foodies, for those who don’t know how to plan menus or are simply anxious and overwhelmed, this is the book for a fresh new start in 2011.

Good news: I’m giving the book away (excited for my first giveaway!)

Even if you know how to plan menus, you will learn something new here (I did). Or, give it to someone who needs to cook more at home–and hopefully they won’t take it the wrong way 🙂

Here’s what to do:

Write me a comment here…OR tweet “I entered a drawing to win the @7DayMenu Planner from @NourRD” with a link to this blog post…OR write a comment on Practical Nutrition Facebook page… OR do all three!

I’m not going to ask you to follow me on Twitter (although it would be nice of you if you do!). You have until January 1st to enter the drawing–since there’s no way I’m stepping into any post office this week! The winner will be chosen randomly. Can only ship in the US (sorry).