Meal planning may seem intimidating at first, but it can make everyday life easy and convenient. The key here is to establish a simplified system that can be sustained over the long term, week after week. This approach can significantly reduce the stress associated with planning and preparing meals, whether one’s living alone or with family. To learn how to make a weekly meal plan, one can follow a few basic steps to get started.
Determine the meal planning style
For beginners looking to simplify the meal-planning process, the first step is to choose a personal meal-planning style that suits their preferences. This can vary from one person to another. One common method to plan all the meals is to prepare each day of the week, and then create a grocery list based on the meal plans.
Another technique is to prepare all the meals for the week at once and store them in meal prep containers. This way, one needs to do minimal cooking throughout the week, if necessary. Besides this, a combination of both methods can be adopted to create a flexible and effective meal planning strategy.
Stock up on staples
When prepping for the week, it is important to stock up the pantry and refrigerator with all the staples one generally uses in the kitchen. This practice simplifies meal planning and reduces stress. Also, having the necessary ingredients on hand can also motivate one to cook more meals instead of resorting to takeouts. With just a few basic ingredients, selecting the recipes and creating the grocery list becomes much easier.
Get the essential kitchen equipment
According to many budget-friendly meal planning guides, it is useful to have basic kitchen equipment that makes the process easier to execute. Equipment does not only mean pans and knives, it also includes containers and boxes that can be used to store meals, prepared sauces, gravies, and prepped veggies and meat.
Fix a day for shopping and planning
One of the most useful weekly meal prep ideas is to choose a specific day dedicated to meal planning and grocery shopping. Many people find weekends convenient to carry out these tasks. For example, one can take an hour on Saturday morning to plan the meals and create the grocery list accordingly. Then, one can go shopping in the evening or on Sunday, depending on what works best. Sticking to a consistent schedule makes the process of meal planning and prepping much easier. This routine helps integrate meal planning into one’s daily life.
Evaluate the week ahead to plan the meals
Once all the equipment and ingredients are ready, one can begin the meal-planning process. Start by considering the week ahead and the schedule for each day. Keep in mind that certain events or situations may affect the ability to prepare and cook meals. For example, one might have early morning meetings on some days of the week, which may require one to plan for grab-and-go breakfasts. Additionally, if one has a Friday lunch with co-workers, there won’t be a need to prepare lunch for that particular day.
On days when one is expected to be home late after work or play, it is wise to plan a no-cook or a crockpot meal. In the case of a family-friendly weekly meal plan, one will have to consider extra-curricular activities, and school schedules of the kids, such as soccer practice, dentist appointments, and so on.
Determine the meals that have to be cooked
Meal planning works differently for different people, as it all depends on how many meals one wants to cook each week, the number of takeout meals, and the reliance on convenience foods. These choices invariably depend on one’s lifestyle and schedule.
It is important to note that meal planning does not require one to cook every meal. Many people primarily focus on prepping and planning dinners for each day, often using leftovers for lunch. Meanwhile, some may prepare multiple lunches for their household in advance, especially if they have kids who need packed lunch boxes to school.
To organize meals, one can use pen and paper to decide which meals to cook or take advantage of several apps that simplify the process. Some of the best meal planning apps include Eat This Much, BigOven, Paprika, Plan to Eat, PlateJoy, AnyList, Allrecipes Dinner Spinner, and Yummly, among others.
Select the recipes
After deciding on the meals, choose recipes for each one while considering any frozen and refrigerated ingredients or any leftovers from the previous week. This approach will help identify which ingredients need to be used to prevent wastage, especially those with a shorter shelf life. Make sure to include side dishes such as salads and roasted veggies that effectively utilize leftovers and frozen ingredients. Moreover, select recipes that can be prepped and cooked based on the time available.
Incorporate flexibility into the meal plans
After putting in a lot of effort to plan the meals, create grocery lists, and gather recipes, it makes sense to stick to the meal plan one has created. But there are going to be some days when things do not go according to one’s expectations. In such situations, it can be helpful to be flexible with the meal plans and have a few backups prepared. For example, instant meals and crockpot dinners can be a great alternative.
