When I first heard the phrase, “Meal Planning”, I honestly didn’t know what it really meant.
To me…it sounded like something from an online course or fitness tutorial that would take a lot of time and dedication.
I also thought it was a concept being used by mostly trainers/coaches and folks that wanted to pay special attention to their health for whatever reason.
And well…I already had my hands full with raising a toddler, keeping up with the house, and working a part time job.
I wasn’t really interested in learning about the concept, to say the least. Just one more thing to concern myself with.
When I finally began reading up on it one day years later (out of pure curiosity), I quickly realized the concept was one that I had been naturally using for many years without even knowing it! It was just in my head…not on paper.
Truth of the matter…Meal Planning isn’t nearly as difficult or overwhelming as it may sound. Yes…it does require just a tad bit of dedication.
However, the results from such a small amount of effort, are rewarding in more ways than one.
Some of the links within this post, are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you finalize a purchase through one of those links. We only recommend products or services that we have used and love. Read the full disclosure here. Thank you for your continued support!
Benefits of Meal Planning
If you are new to the idea of meal planning, welcome! I can’t wait for you to discover how much easier life can be when you begin using these tips 😊
If you are here because you have tried to be successful at meal planning already and can’t seem to nail it down quite right…Don’t worry, I got your back!
Before we go any further though, I want to just point out a few reasons why meal planning is such a great idea for any size family (whether it be you alone or a family of 10).
These are the most commonly known reasons why meal plans are being so heavily promoted these days.
- Meal plans cut down on food waste.
- They cut down on time.
- They can be utilized with even a strict budget.
- They cut down on impulse shopping.
- They can be implemented for a family of any size.
- The meals are generally easy to manage, making them ideal for busy folks.
Organizing Your Meal Planning Process
The first step to creating a successful meal planning process, is to get organized. I know…some of us are not Mary Poppins, and organization is not our strong suit.
However, it can be done.
Use A Menu Planner To Map Out Your Weekly Meals
When I say a Menu Planner, it doesn’t have to be something elaborate. It can be something as simple as a reusable printable template like this one.
Even if you map out on a piece of notebook paper, meals for the next few days that you think you can easily make and your family would be happy with, then jot it down!
Tip: If you’re just starting out with meal planning, start small and gradually increase the number of planned meals per week. It will feel a little less overwhelming.
Simplifying Meal Ideas
There are really only a few rules of thumb to keep in mind when planning your meals for the week. For the most part, you will want to choose recipes you already know how to make.
Leave the experimentation for one day a week, when you have extra time to play with new ideas.
Try to plan your meals around common ingredients. For Instance, you might plan on making two recipes that involve rice, or two recipes that involve broccoli. Check out this sample meal plan for a better idea as to how to come up with dinner recipes based around common ingredients:
As you can see chicken is the main protein for Monday night and then repurposed for pizza on Saturday night. Rice is used on Monday night, then repurposed for tacos on Tuesday and stir fry beef w/ broccoli on Thursday.
Planning around common ingredients allows you to batch cook certain things, and it keeps you from wasteful spending at the store.
Other ways to keep an organized meal plan without it becoming mundane, is to create theme nights for variety and fun. You could do Taco Tuesdays, pizza night, or anything else to shake things up a bit.
Also, if you have children…involve them in the meal plan. Get an idea of what they might like for dinner that week, and create a plan that includes their thoughts. Involving them will no doubt get them on board with your meal plan strategy.
Awesome Gadgets For Keeping Lists Accessible
Prepare A Grocery List After Taking Inventory
Now that you have your meal plan organized on paper, it’s time to take inventory.
About 30-40 minutes before heading out to the store, I would throw together my grocery list.
I would take a quick look through the pantry, fridge, and cabinets where I stored our other household goods (paper towels, cleaners, toiletries, etc.).
A quick look around my stove area would of course give me a good idea as to any oils, sprays, or spices I might need to replenish, as well.
From there, I had a fairly solid idea as to what would be needed through the week, and could get those things taken care of within one main shopping event.
Of course if I needed additional supplies later in the week that I hadn’t anticipated, then it would just be a quick stop at the store to grab those few things.
Using this method not only cut down on the trips to the store and overall shopping time, but it also saved money I would have possibly spent without a solid shopping list handy.
Best Fridge Organization Essentials
Preparing For Your Weekly Shopping
The first thing I have always done, is choose a day and time in which I can devote an hour or so to the main weekly shopping event (I hate shopping anyways, so it has always been an event to me).
(Full Disclosure: My husband does most of the grocery shopping now. He has a system of his own. Cool by me!)😉
In any case, this would be that portion of time that I would go to the grocery store and purchase the bulk of my groceries for the week.
That would be meats, major dairy, vegetables, versatile starches, breads, pet food, cleaners, and so on.
It would be that time when I would fill my cart with the bulk of items I knew I would need for the next 7 days.
It was also the bulk of the grocery expenditures for the week, which made budgeting a bit easier
Check out my other budgeting tips here, Easy Savings, Budgeting, & Money Management Tips To Build Wealth In The New Year
Schedule Your Main Shopping Trip Wisely
Part of successful meal planning, includes knowing when to plan your main shopping event for the week.
If you go shopping when the store is crowded, it can be difficult to find what you need for your planned meals. Certain items might be out of stock. Fresh produce might have been picked through a lot, leaving you with less satisfactory options.
This is why you will want to choose your shopping day wisely. Try to avoid weekends, especially Sundays. I have always found mid week, early in the morning or late in the evening after rush hour, to be best for my weekly shopping trip.
These are also the days your local grocery store will be running sales on many items, further helping you to plan budget friendly meals for the week.
Best Solution For Pantry Storage
Cooking and Preparation
Thoughtful preparation is key to a successful meal planning strategy. Cooking or prepping in batches makes life so much easier on the busy weekdays.
Soon after your weekly shopping trip, try to set aside a couple of hours for a bit of bulk preparation. Maybe you will cook a large batch of rice that can be reheated in smaller portions throughout the week for a few different meals.
Maybe you purchase a larger package of ground beef that will be used for a couple of meals throughout the week. Take the time to portion that ground beef, and freeze what will not be used immediately. Then, later in the week…all you have to is thaw and use.
If you plan on using chopped lettuce for a few meals, do the chopping and store in an airtight container. You can grab what you need for each meal, as you go.
The point is to prepare what you can ahead of time, so certain ingredients are ready to go on those busy days when you want to cook a meal in 30 minutes or less.
Tip #1 – Repurpose leftovers where you can. Some of the best soups and stews are often made from cleaning out the leftovers in the fridge.
Leftovers also make great lunch options. I always cook just a bit extra for dinner, just so I have lunch taken care of for the next day.
Go even further, and use leftovers to make a fritata that can be portioned and frozen for quick breakfast throughout the week.
Tip #2 – Frozen vegetables are a great time saving option when it isn’t possible to prep fresh veggies.
Other Tips for Easy Execution
Keeping your pantry organized and stocked with versatile ingredients like beans, grains, certain vegetables, etc. can be a life saver for those times you need a quick alternative for an ingredient your recipe calls for, that you may have forgotten on your shopping trip.
If your recipe calls for diced tomatoes, but you forgot to grab a tomato from the produce section on your shopping trip…canned diced tomatoes in your pantry will be perfect for such an occasion.
Quick Easy Cooking
Check out my other post on how to organize your kitchen, How To Organize Your Kitchen & Pantry To Be More Functional.
Handling Challenges
No matter how organized your weekly meal plan is, life throws curveballs from time to time. When that happens, it is always best to be prepared with certain back up ideas in place. Here are a few ways of handling random challenges when they arise.
- I have always kept a collection of recipes handy for quick go-to’s. If I make something new and my family has enjoyed it, I will make sure I have a copy of that recipe somewhere safe and ready to go.
Sometimes, it’s those recipes that have saved the day when variety is needed and I am limited to certain ingredients.
- Pinterest and AI are beautiful venues for inspiration when it comes to meal ideas. They are also great for back up plans. If I am using a recipe that calls for an ingredient I don’t have on hand, instead of running out to the store, I will simply look up possible substitutes for that ingredient using Pinterest or A.I. for answers.
- It’s always a good idea to keep one or two premade frozen meals around, such as frozen pizza or Bird’s Eye (Voila) skillet meals. They are quick go-to’s on those days when life gets hectic or you lack certain ingredients you need for that planned out meal. Pop one of those little alternatives into the mix and “Voila”. Dinner served!
- Slow Cookers and pressure cookers are your best friend, and should be utilized as such. There are so many recipes out there for those nifty little appliances, that you should consider incorporating them into your meal planning as much as possible. There is nothing like waking up in the morning, throwing a handful of ingredients into a crockpot and then, coming home to dinner already made!
Final Thoughts
If you are new to the whole meal planning concept, it really doesn’t have to be overwhelming at all. If you approach it as a small task to be completed every week, you can definitely create a system that works for you, regardless of how many people you are cooking for.
It’s all about organization, thoughtful planning, and smart shopping. If you use the tips outlined above, you will become a meal planning pro in no time, with little effort.
Don’t forget to grab my Meal Planning Bundle here, for an easy organization system.
It includes an “All Out Of” template that you can hang on the fridge, so the whole family can make a note of any regular item they have used the last of. It just makes life a little easier when you do that weekly inventory check.
