I know that you have been meaning to begin meal planning for quite some time but have still not gotten around to it. And I understand... because we are all very busy.
And although you know that it's supposed to save you money, time and energy it is also a whole new task you are going to have to add to your to do list…and I am sure we can all agree that we really don’t want to add anything more to our already too long lists.
So I thought I would help you get on to the meal planning train this week by putting together a guide to show you the quickest and least time consuming steps to creating great meal plans.
So we are going to jump right in...
1. Identify which nights you need meals in advance.
Take out a sheet of paper and write out the days of the week.
Now look at your calendar for the coming week. What nights do you have activities? What nights is homework going to be extra heavy? What nights are you getting home late? What nights are you free?
Fill in your activities for each day of the week. Here is step one of my meal plan for the week:
- Monday-Swimming
- Tuesday-
- Wednesday-Vocabulary Homework
- Thursday-Soccer
- Friday-
- Saturday-Dinner & Concert
- Sunday-Family dinner at Aunt Sue’s
2. Identify which type of meal you need each night.
Based on how much time you have to prep and cook dinner each night, choose which type of meal you will need from the following:
- Prepped but not cooked
- Main dish fully cooked
- Entire meal fully cooked
Prepped but not cooked meals are great for nights when you are not in a huge rush and have some time to cook. These include items like marinated meats ready for grilling and chopped up veggies that are ready to steam or sautee.
Main dish fully cooked includes meals in which the main dish is ready to be reheated and you plan to add a fresh salad or make a side dish to pair with it. Whole roasted chickens, casseroles, shepherd’s pie and lasagna are good examples.
When your entire meal is fully cooked you are likely having something from the slow cooker. This is a meal that is ready to throw right onto your plate when you walk in the door and these meals are great on nights that you need dinner pronto.
Here are the types of meals that I need this week:
- Monday-Swimming (entire meal fully cooked)
- Tuesday- (prepped)
- Wednesday-Vocabulary Homework (main dish fully cooked)
- Thursday-Soccer (entire meal cooked, slow cooker)
- Friday- (fresh)
- Saturday-Dinner & Concert (dinner for kids only, something quick)
- Sunday-Family dinner at Aunt Sue’s (no dinner needed)
3. Take inventory of what you already have in the kitchen.
Before you choose your meals, take a look in the fridge and freezer to see what food you already have that you can use up this week.
4. Choose your family’s meals.
First, fill in your family’s go-to meals. For us they are hamburgers and sausages. These are both simple and tasty so we have them every week.
Then ask around to see what everyone else has been craving. Better yet, keep a list out for people to write down when they are craving something so that you can pull ideas from that list!
Also, make sure to check the flyers to see what is on special. You can plan around the good sales.
Lastly, look online for one or two new recipes at the most. Look for recipes that are rated with least four stars and have lots of comments from people who have tried and loved the recipes.
Here is what my final meal plan looks like this week:
- Monday-Butternut Squash and Sausage Stew in the slow cooker
- Tuesday- Marinated Maple Salmon and steamed brocolli
- Wednesday-Maple Mustard Chicken with frozen grilled veggies
- Thursday-Chilii in the slow cooker)
- Friday- Sausages and Kale Salad
- Saturday-Dinner & Concert (dinner for kids only, something quick)
- Sunday-Family dinner at Aunt Sue’s (no dinner needed)
5. Make your grocery list.
Put everything that you need for each meal and recipe in a list that is laid out in the order of your grocery store. Also, add headings for any additional stores you will go to and write the items you need to get under the appropriate store.
Independent Grocer Costco
Strawberries Maple syrup
Lettuce Frozen grilled veggies
2 pounds salmon
etc.
Health Food Store
Raw cocoa powder
Coconut
Cashews
6. Shop!
See? That’s it! Six simple steps and you have a meal plan ready for the week.
In just a few weeks you will be able to get this meal plan done in 5-10 minutes easily and let me tell you, it is going to save you from going to the grocery store multiple times a week, it will save you from buying impulsively and then wasting food and you will spend less energy trying to decide what to eat every night.
Your very first action step, before you begin to meal plan is to choose a day and time that you will meal plan this week. Preferably you can choose a day and time that will work on a weekly basis and write it in your calendar. That will help you follow through.
If you found this blog helpful, you are certainly going to LOVE our FREE Meal Prep Checklist. It is the most comprehensive meal prep checklist available and it shows you exactly which steps you need to take in order to create a simple, sustainable meal prep day in your life. You can get that HERE.