Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money and yet my mom was insistent on making sure we ate home-cooked, healthy meals each night. So she created a meal planning system that allowed her to feed her family on a budget.
When I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, I needed to make a huge shift in my diet. However, I was new in my career and on an entry level salary. So, I took this meal planning system and allowed myself to eat nutrient-dense foods each night.
If you have every struggled with the question “what’s for dinner?”or wanted to eat healthier, but struggled with staying consistent throughout the week…
Planning your meals is THE key, my friend! And it is not as difficult or time consuming as it sounds.
Here are a few tips for simplifying your weekly meal planning:
Check your schedule
What’s going on this week? Are there any appointments/soccer games/late meetings that will affect your meals? Write it all down.
Go meal by meal
To avoid feeling overwhelmed, start with breakfast and plan out all your breakfasts. Do you like eating the same thing every day or a variety of different options? Then move on to lunch, and then dinner.
Account for leftovers
I am a BIG fan of leftovers! Don’t count them out—they can save “future you” time in the kitchen. You could have them for lunch the next day, or mix them with other ingredients to make a brand new dinner.
Make a corresponding grocery list
Create your grocery list while you are in planning mode. Add all the ingredients you need for each meal—don’t forget to check the cabinets to make sure you don’t already have it.
Categorize by grocery store
To make things even easier, break the list down by grocery store. I know I have to go to at least 2 different stores each week, so it makes it easier to already have it broken down so I don’t miss something and have to backtrack.
Store your favorite recipes for later
When you find a recipe you love, make sure to save it in your bookmarks online, print it out and save it in a physical folder, or bookmark it in a cookbook. This way you can always go back to it!
Wish this could all been done for you with the snap of your fingers so you don’t even have to think about it? I feel ya!
If you want a free meal planning template you can use over and over again, check it out here.
BUT if you want done-for-you meal planning…
I have a brand new meal planning subscription that is literally so easy—all you have to do is share your food preferences and you will receive a calendar of meals sent to your inbox each month, including the recipes and grocery lists. You can even print the recipes and grocery lists to help with your grocery shopping.