So, the first step to meal planning is having a good set-up. Some people like lists while other people like grids. Personally, I like a grid. Google image search has plenty of meal planning templates, or you can make your own on Word or Excel. Here's an example of one I made (in 2 minutes).
Cute, huh? Alright, next is the fun and dirty part. I like to plan out dinners first so I can think about what dinners I can use the leftovers for lunch or the next night, then plug and play from there. I get lunches and dinners at work on Mondays so that makes Mondays easy! However, our house has a rice allergy (crazy, right?) so it makes grains harder to accommodate for lunches and dinners. You'll want to keep these things in mind as you're meal planning to make sure you're still getting variety. Here's my week's meal plan:
So you can see that there are some repeat breakfasts (completely normal and okay), and I was able to plug in 3 different leftover meals throughout the week. If you're someone who goes out a few times each week make sure you put that into your meal plan so you can plan ahead of going out and possibly having the leftovers of that meal for the next day. Also, you can see that my evening "snacks" are really just sweets because I have a huge sweet tooth and love ending the day on a sweet note. Sue me, alright?
How does meal planning help with grocery shopping? I usually go grocery shopping on Fridays so my meal plan grid usually starts on Friday instead of Sunday, but regardless, I can look at the foods that I got at the "beginning" of the week and use them multiple times throughout the week. For example on Sunday I had cheese and crackers for my morning snack, used that same cheese block for dinner, a few snacks throughout the week, and a grilled cheese on Saturday. I'd also use that cheese for my tacos and probably on the turkey sandwich also. I buy a big thing of Costco frozen chicken to last throughout the week (and usually 2 weeks). The pasta that I bought for the mac and cheese I'm also using for the pasta on Tuesday night. The garlic bread that I bought for Wednesday's dinner I finish up with Saturday's dinner, and I'm constantly eating up fruit and yogurt throughout the week. By planning all of this out I don't have to buy a bunch of veggies that I think I'll eat but never get to it, I won't get fruit that will just sit on the counter and rot, and I'm not buying a bunch of meats with the intent of cooking it but end up having too much leftovers that the meat either goes bad or in the freezer. Meat is expensive! I'd rather have the cash in the bank.
Also, by writing all of this out I can see that I have variety throughout the week. I have multiple meat options, different grain options, not eating the same breakfast every single day, and still enjoying my ice cream. Yay variety!
The last thing that I really appreciate about meal planing is avoiding the "what do you want to eat" "I don't know" conversation. Having it planned out I can prep myself all day with how long it will take to make dinner that night. I also don't have to wrack my brain after a long day when I have zero brain power to figure out what to eat. Major stress reliever in my life.
If you're not the kind of person who likes to have their entire week planned, that's okay! Pick out 5 different meals to make throughout the week and pick one off the list each day (or when you run out of leftovers). Another good tip is cook in bulk, if you have the freezer space. If you make a big crock pot meal you can portion it out to multiple meals and freeze it, that way when you get home from work you can choose from the different frozen meals you have previously made and have a quick meal while still getting variety. Life isn't that tough!
Disclaimer: I'm also not as perfect as my meal plan may suggest, sometimes I may miss a snack or change the meal that I had planned. That's the beauty of flexibility. Sometimes I'm just really busy and forget to have a snack, sometimes I forget to bring a snack with me. Sometimes I'm exhausted and pick up take-out on the way home instead of following the plan. Life goes on and its all good.
Homemade Mac & Cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour (or a little more depending on if you're having a good day or not)
1 cup milk
1 buttload of cheese (I like it cheesy, maybe 1 1/2 - 2 cups grated cheese)
1/2 lb macaroni noodles (1/2 box), cooked
On a stovetop at medium-high heat melt the butter and mix with flour to make a paste. Pour in the milk and stir constantly until it thickens-- you want to see the sauce stay where you put it when you stir. Mix in the cheese and turn off the heat. Make sure the cheese is nice and melted then mix in the pasta (make sure you boil the pasta as you make the sauce.. depending on if it's a good day or not the pasta may be done a bit before the sauce thickens). Indulge in cheesy goodness!
*The amounts may be off a little, I usually don't measure when I'm making mac and cheese.
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