5 Tips for Easier Meal Planning
Preparing for the week ahead, creating a grocery list and trying to map out your meals for the week can be daunting tasks. But let’s change that - starting today! You can begin by downloading my new (and did I mention FREE) weekly meal planning sheet and checking out the five tips in this post.
PLUS - I’ve included a thorough “How To” video where I guide you through using the sheet at the bottom of this post!
Consult Your Calendar
Grab your planner, phone calendar or wherever else you manage your days and familiarize yourself with the week ahead. Do you have a meeting every Thursday night? Is your child involved in after-school programs on the second Tuesday of every month? Every week looks different for every family, meaning some nights require takeout or quick meals while others allow for a slower pace evening. Knowing what’s coming up for your / your partner or family’s schedule will prevent you from planning a bunch of 1 hour cook time meals when you realistically only have time for 30 minute meals every night this week (meaning you buy a bunch of food and then life happens and you realize it’s all going to waste when you don’t have time for any of it).
Hang Out in Your Kitchen
Get to know your fridge and pantry - when are things going to expire and what do you need to use right away? One of the issues I had when I first started meal planning on a regular basis was constantly having a fridge full of food going bad. While that might sound like an obvious and easy problem to avoid, it’s not always the case when we’re on the go. Usually the root of the issue was that I was meal planning either not at home or at home but I just wasn’t consulting what I already had on hand. This is an easy way to reduce your weekly grocery spending and it forces you to be more aware of food you’re buying/wasting on a regular basis.
Think Through Your Quantities
Protein, veggies or otherwise, making a plan to utilize the full amount of an ingredient will help your wallet and minimize your food waste. Whether you’re cooking for 1, 2 or 8, buying certain foods will at some point cause you to have more than enough of an ingredient for a particular meal. The best ways to make the most of your budget and to eliminate food waste is to 1) find a way to cook more of a dish to have leftovers [and actually eat those leftovers] or 2) find another dish that uses that ingredient [sometimes meaning cutting a recipe in half so you’re not wasting it - especially if you’re prone to disliking leftovers]. This can be challenging at times, especially when you’re first starting out. I remember feeling like I was cooking the same foods over and over again from week to week in order to not waste ingredients. But that gets better over time as you broaden your go-to menu of meals.
Make a Pinterest Board or List on Your Phone
What’s the quickest way to knock out your meal plan? By having ideas ahead of time. Easier said than done, right? Ever feel like you can only think of five meals you’ve ever cooked for dinner in your whole life? Yeah, me too. But the reality is, it’s easy to forget. So when you like a meal you’ve cooked, write it down! I recommend “writing” it in an app like Todoist if you’re into making lists, where you can view it on the go. I use Todoist for all sorts of list organization help. Specifically for meals, it’s great to create sub categories like Snacks, Breakfasts, Holiday Desserts & Appetizers, etc. so I can look back on meals we’ve made and break away from the cycle of spaghetti once a week just because I can think of anything else quick. Maybe you want to organize your list by “chicken recipes” or “30-minute meals.” Create a list system that works for you.
The other part of this suggestion is to create a Pinterest board where you can pin recipes you find. I must say, be careful not to get too sucked into Pinterest when trying to write your weekly meal plan or you’ll soon be “planning” for hours… Guilty. Try to look for meal inspiration on Pinterest when you’re standing in line somewhere or you have other time that is limited but could be put to use “Pinteresting!” (Maybe you’re stronger than me but I end up on the app for way too long once I’m sucked in!!) Side note: You can follow The Amateur Apron on Pinterest!
Use the Requests Box!
See that navy box at the bottom of the Simple Meal Planning Sheet? It’s to make your life easier (and to free up your brain’s memory for more important things!) LOL. But it’s true! I recommend displaying your weekly meal plan on the fridge for easy reference. Or maybe you have a bulletin board that your family refers to regularly. Wherever you can easily glance at your plan throughout the week, put it there! And keep a pen near by. As you or your family think of something they’d like to eat, write it (or have them it write it) in the box. When you sit down next weekend, you’ve already got a starting point! This has been so helpful for us because we tend to forget about that cool new snack we wanted to pick up or the recipe for a new dish by the time I sit down to make the next meal plan and then weeks go by before we actually try something new or we find it at the store but it doesn’t fit into the week’s plan/budget and we forget.
I’d love to see how you’re using the Simple Meal Planning Sheet! Tag me in your social media posts or send me a photo!
If you’ve not downloaded the Simple Meal Planning Sheet, what are you waiting for, friend?! Let’s put a stop to the dread and get excited about saving money, eliminating decision fatigue and having fun with your meals!!
