I am often frustrated by the meal planning systems created by others. They often assume that everything is “just peachy”. Most meal planning that I have found is based on having lots of time, strange fresh ingredients, or chef-style cooking skills. I usually don’t have that kind of evening cooking environment. I am a mom of 4 kids with a busy schedule, tight budget, and limited energy.
Making homemade dinners is very important to me. Eating at our table (almost) every evening is an anchor to our days and brings us together. The benefits are endless. My kids eat healthier, I have time to talk with them, and Jim gets to catch up on all the events of the day.
Eating at home also saves us money. My teenagers and kids make a simple trip to Burger King or Subway add up to over $45. I can make a quality home-cooked meal for less than $15. That is a huge difference!
You have agency. You can decide how you want things to go with a bit of planning.
- The first step to my weekly planning is sitting with a cup of coffee and going through all the details.
- I complete my My Weekly Review & Bullet Journal Lists
- Next, I tackle Step #2: I clean out my fridge and do meal planning.
Here is this companion article for more info = 4 Reasons Why: Should we take the time to meal plan?
How?
5 Practical Ways to Make Meal Planning Work For You:
#1 – Decide your meal planning style.
Either make a list of lunches to eat and 7 dinners to make or have a specific plan for each day. Sometimes my week needs to be flexible and so I only make a list of what I can make. Other times I need to know exactly what meals will be planned for what days (and who is cooking them).
Choose one meal each day to plan for.
You don’t have to plan or prep for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Just choose what all of the dinners are going to be for the week. Those are still 7 major decisions planned ahead of time.
#2 – Every morning prep for dinner.
Ask yourself “What is for dinner tonight?”.
What can you do right now to make dinner prep easier later?
Thaw out anything frozen & get out the pantry ingredients. Even getting out the pots and pans can make a big difference.
[I know this sounds silly but I heard it here from Kendra Adachi and it is a game-changer!]
#3 – Choose a type of category for each day.
This is based on what kind of food it is. Last year we had “Noodle Night” every Wednesday. My teenage son was learning how to cook and these meals were a great start for him. It gave us some variety but was very easy to plan.
Some Ideas for Type of Cuisine or Ingredients – Italian, BBQ, casseroles, Thai, Street Food, Salads, American Classics, Seafood, Mexican (our fav), Southern Comfort Food, kid favorites, healthy meals, Whole 30, Soups/Stews…
[If you would like more ideas in this area see this article: 4 Practical Meal Ideas For Your Day of Rest ]
#4 – Plan meals based on time & how they are cooked/prepared.
Dinner/Main Meal Big Categories:
- Quick Meals (Better than fast food)
- Week Night Dinners (ready in 30 minutes)
- Longer Meals (seasonal/special recipe/extra prep)
- Pre-made meals (prepped for you services)
Some themes could be based on the type of food or the way it is cooked. Instead of using categories like “chicken dishes”, this helps you plan your meal prep based on your schedule. I enjoy cooking but not on a busy day with lots of activities. I do not want to spend over an hour in the kitchen dicing and prepping an elaborate recipe.
On those busy days, I choose something I can make ahead of time (pasta salad) or has been made for me (frozen lasagna). I use my “Better Than Fast Food” option on the days that I have forgotten to meal plan or whatever I had planned to make no longer works.
Some Ideas for How it is cooked –
- Slow Cooker Sunday – stews, soups, beef roast, chili, green beans & ham, hearty sides (mashed potatoes, stuffing), Dr. Pepper Ribs
- One dish meals – rice & chicken, frozen lasagna, veggie & beef stew, spaghetti
- To put on a sandwich – pulled pork, sloppy joes, french dip sandwiches, chicken salad on a croissant
- On the grill – hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, corn on the cob (soak them with the husks on in a tub of water for 30 min.), pork chops, salmon
- Meals made the day before with minimal prep – pasta salad, casseroles, meatloaf
- Better than Fast Food – these you grab from the grocery store instead of going through a drive-thru. It is faster than homemade, cheaper, and often slightly healthier.
- rotisserie chicken, a loaf of french bread and salad
- hot dogs, pickles, and chips
- deli fried chicken, potato salad, and frozen green beans
- tamales and refried beans (from the deli at Bashas) with a bag of tortilla chips
- nice deli meat, sliced cheese, lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes, and buns from the bakery (my kids call these “Fancy Sandwiches”, think $9 restaurant sandwich)
We also enjoy cooking from recipes of pre-portioned meals that we buy from Dream Dinners. There are many others all over the country. (Hello Fresh, Here is a comparison article)
#5 – Get some help in the kitchen. Mom should get time off too. We are not the only ones in our homes who can cook or provide meals for the family. It may take some teaching or patience to change patterns that have been formed.
Get help from others. Have the teens and older kids learn to cook. This is adding life skills and giving you a break. My husband is an excellent cook. He makes meals several times a week.
If you can not get help from others in your home, then help yourself ahead of time.
My friend Jalynne makes a double recipe a few days before so that she has it ready to go. That way there is only one day of cooking but you get two meals. And because there is a day or two between it doesn’t feel so repetitive. (2 lasagnas, 2 shepherd pies, 2 casseroles, etc.) I do this by buying frozen lasagna or making a double batch of pasta salad. It is ready for a day when I am overbooked and worn out.
You have agency.
You can decide how you want things to go with a bit of planning.
Making homemade dinners is very important to me. Eating at our table (almost) every evening is an anchor to our days and brings us together. The benefits are endless.
I want my kids and guests in my home to remember meals served with love and time to talk. I want to have an old-fashioned slowness to meal times. A place to relax and connect over a plate of delicious food.
The slowing down does not happen by accident or when I am stressed. I have to intentionally do meal planning that works for me and my week ahead.
What meal planning ideas work for you?
How do you decide what to make for dinner?
What limiting factors do you use for meal planning?
What is important for this meal? ingredients, time, money, the way it is cooked…?
How can you get some help in the kitchen this week?
Know that whatever happens this week small changes matter. No matter how often you cook. You can be intentional about meal planning in a way that works for you.
Happy Meal Planning! – April
P.S. – If you would like more ideas see this article: 4 Practical Meal Ideas For Your Day of Rest
and this one: Tackling Meal Planning #1 (the Why)
I have much more to say about meal planning!
Here are some articles coming soon:
- When Meal Planning Does NOT Work
Photos from: Kody Dahl, Brooke Lark, sheri silver, Eaters Collective, Mariana Medvedeva, and others on Unsplash
