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Meal Planning Tips

Categories Appetizers, Bowls, Breakfast, Brunch, Casseroles, Chicken, Desserts, Dinner, Fruit, Greek Yogurt, Holidays, Low Carb, Lunches, Meal Prep, Potluck, Side dishes, Skillet, Snacks, Vegetables, Vegetarian

School has officially started for my kiddos which means getting back into a routine! I love being back in a routine-being in a routine creates success when it comes to meal planning.

Do you struggle with meal planning at times? I know I do. However, I have found that if I take 10 minutes every Sunday and meal plan for that week I set myself up for success! Here are a few tips when it comes to meal planning!

Meal planning has so many benefits, and who knows these benefits might convince you that meal planning is the way to go:

1. It saves you money: Who doesn’t love saving money? Making more of your meals at home, WILL save YOU money! A typical take-out meal costs the average family of four about $50-$80, depending on what restaurant you go to. Yet, you can spend that same amount and feed your family of four 3 nutrient dense meals.

2. It’s gives you less stress: One of the many benefits of meal planning is that it truly saves you stress. Once you make your meal plan and purchase the necessary ingredients, you can then go on auto-pilot and simply execute the dinner or meal day-by- day without having to stress over what’s for dinner, and without having to make multiple trips to the market. By planning meals in advance, you eliminate the daily question of “What’s for dinner?” and avoid last-minute grocery trips. This leads to more efficient grocery shopping, as you can create a focused list and avoid impulse buys, which also helps save money. Meal planning also reduces food waste, since you buy only what you need and can repurpose ingredients across multiple meals.

3. You’ll eat healthier: Another major benefit of meal planning is improved nutrition and portion control. When you plan your meals ahead of time, you’re more likely to choose balanced options that align with your health goals, rather than relying on takeout or processed foods in a pinch. Preparing meals at home gives you complete control in knowing every ingredient that goes into your meals. You have the ability to choose fresh, whole ingredients, and adjust portion sizes to fit your dietary needs. 

4. You’ll have less wasted food: It’s amazing how little food you’ll waste when you meal plan-because you are planning ahead and shopping with a specific list for the items you need for that week. This helps reduce unnecessary spending that often leads to foods being purchased that you don’t end up using.

When you plan your meals ahead of time, you’re more likely to choose balanced options that align with your health goals, rather than relying on takeout or processed foods in a pinch. It also allows you to track your intake more effectively, which is helpful for weight management, managing dietary restrictions, or following specific nutrition plans. Additionally, meal planning can support family routines, making it easier to enjoy meals together and encourage healthier eating habits in children. Overall, it’s a powerful tool for staying organized, saving money, and eating well.

What is meal planning?

Meal planning is the process of deciding in advance what meals you will prepare and eat over a set period of time, usually for a week. It involves choosing recipes, creating a shopping list based on those meals, and often preparing ingredients or full dishes ahead of time. The goal of meal planning is to save time, reduce stress around daily food decisions, and support healthier, more budget-conscious eating habits. Whether for a single person, a couple, or a family, meal planning helps ensure that meals are balanced, ingredients are used efficiently, and eating out or resorting to unhealthy convenience foods is minimized.

For me, meal planning is a sitting down and making a guide or outline of what I’ll eat, when I’ll eat it, and how much I should eat. I find weekly planning to be beneficial because of my busy schedule and the schedule changes that happen week-to-week. I start each week by looking at my calendar and generate a meal plan based off my schedule for that week.

For example, if there are three nights where you’re busy right up until dinner, you may want to plan on a slow cooker meal that can be ready when you get home from a busy day or a make a sheet pan meal that you can enjoy the following day for lunch.

The meal plan should be tailored to your health and lifestyle goals. If you are following Weight Watchers you may want to include the point values for each meal and plan accordingly to ensure your meals are fitting within your daily point values.

Where do I start?

  • Keep it simple: making easy recipes that can be prepared with minimal simple ingredients.
  • Balance: selecting meals that incorporate proteins, carbohydrates, vegetable, fruits, and fats. 
  • Set aside time: Set aside 10-15 minutes to make a meal plan that will work well for your schedule that week. Create a list of easy recipes you want to make for the following week. Simply write down a few easy-to-make dinners for the week. Try to incorporate one or two quick meals or ones that you can prepare in advance.
  • Check your ingredient list: Check what ingredients you already have in your cupboard, fridge or freezer. Make a list of grocery items you need to buy to make those meals.
  • Plan meals that you can use for leftovers: planning meals that can be refrigerated and heated up or eaten cold the next day such as casseroles, soups, stew, or pasta dishes that heat up well.

One of the easiest ways to simplify meal planning is to cook a large batch of protein and plan to use it for several meals. One of my favorite things to prepare is this Salsa Chicken or cook up a 2 pounds of lean ground beef over the weekend and use it to plan your other meals.

When planning my meals for the week I focus on:

  1. Number #1 Protein- what will be the main protein? Protein should be the star of the meal. My goal is to have at least 20-30 grams of protein per meal so if the recipe I’m making doesn’t meet my protein goal, I will pair it with a high protein item (such as: edamame, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or a main protein such as chicken breast, salmon, shrimp, or steak) and/or if it’s a breakfast recipe I will pair it with a Fairlife protein shake- which has 30 grams of protein.
  2. Vegetables, Fruit, or Dairy: a non starchy veggie, fruit of your choice, or Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.
  3. Carbohydrates: rice, potatoes, or a starchy vegetable

The key to easy menu planning is to keep it simple. Especially when it comes to side dishes. Don’t put so much stress on yourself by cooking a meal with complicated sides. 

Here are just a few examples:

  • Fresh fruit
  • Steamed vegetables in the microwave
  • Roasted vegetables
  • Prepackaged salad mix
  • Microwavable mashed potatoes or rice

Do I have to plan every meal out?

Nope! In fact…I sometimes only meal plan my dinners. I make a list of dinner ideas and then look at my schedule for the week and then create my dinners from that list. I love making a breakfast recipe in bulk and will enjoy it throughout the week for my breakfasts and eat leftovers of dinner the night before for lunch.

Some people love planning a whole month of dinners meals, for example, planning a day each week that is specific:

For example,

Even just three home-cooked meals a week are better than none! Despite a busy lifestyle, I do my very best to cook most of my family’s meals at home, and hopefully you’ll be inspired to do the same. 

I have received many requests for a weekly meal plan using some of my most popular recipes-it’s now available as a download for only $4.99 and will set you up for success when it comes to planning out your meals this week!

CLICK HERE TO GET A ONE WEEK MEAL PLAN FOR ONLY $4.99

Leave a comment and tell us what helps you be successful when it comes to meal planning.

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