How To Meal Plan With Whole Ingredients (Without Overwhelm)
Cooking during the week is not easy. It requires a bit of preparation and organization to be successful. Most of us would fail to get a scratch-made dinner on the table without the ingredients on hand and a recipe in mind. The last thing you want to do after a long day is think about what you should cook and discover that you don’t have the ingredients you need to make it. Instead of finding yourself in that position, get ahead of it and make a plan for the week. You’ll be so glad you did when you arrive home at 6pm Tuesday night hungry, tired, and uninspired.
5 Simple Steps To A Weekly Meal PLan
- Plan Time To Plan a Menu
- Find 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted time and make it fun. Grab a coffee, sit in the quiet, and find sources of inspiration. Fridays or Sundays are my meal planning time.
- Check The Weather
- Can you cook outside or do you need to plan meals cooked indoors?
- Will it be cold and wet and you need to plan on a soup or warm and hot and you should plan a salad?
- Use Your Sources
- Have some saved recipe sources in a folder on your bookmark bar you can click through for inspiration.
- HACK! To make it easy on myself, I theme days of the week.
- Example:
- Sunday – braise or roast
- Monday – Asian
- Tuesday – Mexican
- Wednesday – breakfast for dinner
- Thursday – soup or salad
- Friday – Burgers & Fries
- Saturday – Flex/Free Day
- Make a Meal List
- List or type out the days of the week and the meals you’ll be cooking. Account for social engagements, meals out, etc.
- I typically plan Sunday through Friday, dinners only
- Make a Grocery List
- For your meal plan, review each recipe one by one and list all of the ingredients you don’t have on hand. Keep in mind to include items you’d want to serve with the meal that’s not included in the recipe.
Why Meal Planning Works
- Saves you time and money
- Give you a plan and confidence (vs. resorting to takeout)
- You’ll eat healthier
- You have a plan and yet flexibility – switch days as you need
- Eliminates decision fatigue at the end of a long day
Example Weekly Menu Plan
Sunday – Whole Roasted Chicken & Oven-Roasted Potatoes
Monday – Chicken Teriyaki with rice + vegetables
Tuesday – Beef Enchiladas
Wednesday – Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuits
Thursday – Italian Wedding Soup
Friday – Burgers & Fries
Saturday – Free/Flex Day
Tools That Make It Easier
- Notebook or spreadsheet
- Recipe binder
- Grocery list system
- Links to favorite recipe sources
Meal planning with whole ingredients doesn’t require complicated recipes or hours in the kitchen. A simple structure and a well-stocked pantry can make cooking from scratch easier than relying on packaged meals and cheaper than eating out.