Meal Planning 101: Meal Planning isn’t hard but it does take time. As we gear up for a new school year, I wanted to share some tips for Meal Planning. I believe that Meal Planning is the most successful way to feed your family, stay sane and save money.
MEAL PLANNING: GETTING STARTED
Set yourself up for success: If you are not cooking on a regular basis now, start with realistic goals like cooking twice a week. Establish the number of days you will cook, when you will grocery shop, prep and cook and who will help you in the kitchen.
WHERE TO FIND RECIPES
- Cookbooks
- Cooking shows on TV
- Online: There are so many resources online: Food52, Cooking Light, Better Homes & Gardens, The Kitchn, NY Times Food, Hip Foodie Mom, Pinch of Yum, Damn Delicious and so much more!
HOW TO SAVE RECIPES
- Pin on Pinterest
- A recipe binder
- Recipe apps: Big Oven, Chef Tap, Paprika
- Tablet users: Basil, Pepper Plate, Evernote Food
- DropBox
Helpful Time Saving Countertop Appliances
- Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
- Slow Cooker
- Air Fryer
- Blender
- Food Processor
- Mini Chopper
Containers:
- Invest in a good set of glass storage containers with lids; stackable containers are key!
- Ziploc bags
- Insulated Thermos type containers for soups, stews, chili
PANTRY AND FRIDGE ESSENTIALS
By keeping a well stock pantry, refrigerator and freezer, you should always be able to cook a meal. Here’s what I recommend.
IN YOUR PANTRY
- Pasta: all types
- Rice
- Lentils
- Beans
- Quinoa
- Jarred tomato sauce
- Oils (olive oil, coconut, vegetable etc)
- Nut butters
- Herbs and spices: Chili powder, Lemon pepper seasoning, Cumin, Paprika, Hot chili pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Pepper mill
- Onions
- Garlic
- Bread
IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR
- Fresh vegetables
- Fresh fruit
- Eggs
- Milk
- Cheese
- Butter
- Protein: chicken, beef, pork, tofu, fish, deli meat
IN YOUR FREEZER
- Frozen vegetables
- Toaster waffles
- Brown rice
- Frozen pizza
- Cookie dough
NUTRITION
How to Plan Healthy and Hearty Meals by Samantha Gollup, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
When planning meals, there are certain nutritional components that are recommended to include as often as possible to help you feel satisfied and consume a well-balanced diet. The Plate Method, which health educators have been using for several years, shows ½ of the plate filled with non-starchy vegetables (about 1-2 cups), ¼ for lean protein (3-4 ounces of meat, beans, dairy or meat alternatives), and the last ¼ for starches or complex carbohydrates (½ to ¾ cup). Not only will this method help you to feel satisfied, but it also helps to get in many important macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate and protein) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients) to fuel a healthy body.
Proteins
- Keep you satisfied for longer
- Fuel your muscles and makes up nearly every cell of your body
- Choose lean proteins more often than high fat proteins
- Choose flank, loin cuts, chops, or anything labeled as 90% lean for beef and pork, poultry, fish, meat alternatives (tofu, seitan, tempeh), beans and lentils, and dairy products (low fat)
- 3-4 oz of lean meat is about the size of a deck of cards
Complex Carbohydrates
- Provide rapid energy and fuel for your brain and muscles
- Have more fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients than simple carbs (which include refined flours, juices, and sugars)
- Fiber helps to slow digestion (leaving you feeling fuller for longer and creating less of a peak and crash in blood sugar) and keeps your intestines healthy and moving more regularly
- Choose whole grain flours or grains (whole wheat, quinoa, brown rice, etc), whole fruits, and starchy veggies (peas, corn, potatoes, squash)
- Growing littles and very active children may need ⅓-½ of their plate to be complex carbs
Vegetables
- Include multiple colors of veggies in at a meal, or over the course of a week
- Look for reds, oranges, yellows, greens, purples, and whites – different colors have different properties that help your body to function at full force
- Fiber in veggies helps just like the fiber in complex carbs and fills you up without dragging you down
- Picky eaters?
- Hide veggies in sauces (spinach, peppers, tomatoes, onions, herbs), smoothies (cauliflower, kale, carrots), meats (meatloaf or meatballs with zucchini, spinach, carrots, etc)
- The more you can expose your kids (or spouses!) to veggies, the more they will start to accept them
- Cut them into fun shapes and let them dip away!
Other components
- Healthy Fats – fats from plant foods, such as avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, and plant oils are important to include in meals and snacks in small amounts throughout the day because they help keep you satisfied and keep your organs healthy
- Treats – it’s important to enjoy foods that are more indulgent once in a while. Stay mindful when and how often you are eating these foods – moderation is key!
- Choose whole foods more often than processed foods for a better-quality diet
- Respect your body’s signals – eat when you’re hungry and stop eating when satisfied
- Don’t feel bad if every plate doesn’t look perfect – as long as you vary what you eat throughout the week and month, you will get in lots of good nutrition and fuel a healthy body!
BUILDING YOUR MENU
TIPS
- Cook foods that you and your family will enjoy
- Try Themed Nights for fun: Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, Vegetarian, Instant Pot night
- Use what’s in season; share a CSA with friends
- Be smart about how you use ingredients; if roasting a chicken one night, use the leftover chicken for a fried rice or chicken wraps for another night
- Plan on leftovers
- Plan meals as a family; if the kids have a say, they are more likely to be excited about the meal. If your kids are old enough, they can help in the kitchen as well!
- Plan faster, easier meals on busy weeknights
- Take inventory of what you already have at home and use those ingredients first!
- On days where you have extra time, stock your freezer with meals! Casseroles, meatballs, lasagna, slow-braised meats, chili, and soups all work well for freezer meals.
GROCERY SHOPPING
TIME SAVING TIPS
- Look at specials and/or cut coupons
- Try to minimize number of stops in one day
- Divide the grocery list with your partner or roommate if you need ingredients from more than one place, ie: a specialty store
- If you are a parent and are able; try to grocery shop solo. I find that I am the most efficient when grocery shopping solo.
- If you have kids with you while grocery shopping, pack healthy snacks for the kids ahead of time
- Write your grocery list according to sections in the grocery store; you will move through the store faster and more efficiently.
SETTING YOUR MEAL PREP SCHEDULE
- Determine what day of the week you will plan the menu and write your grocery list
- It’s a good idea to prep and get started the same day you go grocery shopping
- You will need to assign days for the following:
-
-
- Chop/prep vegetables
- Cooking “components” of meals
- Big batch cooking and freezing
- Roasting a chicken or throwing a pork roast in the slow cooker
- Marinating your meats
-
Be flexible! Things happen and plans change. If you don’t end up cooking one night, save it for the following night.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO PREPARE/SERVE VEGGIES
- Side salad
- Blend up in pesto
- Smoothie
- In baked goods
- Roasted Veggies with dipping sauce
- Raw veggies with dressing
- Steamed
- Sautéed
- Veggie Stir Fry with stir fry sauce from TJ’s
DIFFERENT/FUN WAYS TO SERVE FOOD FOR KIDS
- Use sectioned plates
- Bento Boxes
- Cut food into different, fun shapes; spiralizer
- Chili, soup, pasta in big coffee mugs
- Condiments/dressings
Have your kids help and take ownership in some part of the meal prep!
SAMPLE SCHEDULE #1
| Day of the Week | To Do/Dinner |
| Saturday* | Grocery shop and begin prep work |
| Sunday | Prep make ahead meals |
| Monday | Cook |
| Tuesday | Cook |
| Wednesday | Easy Dinner Night: Sandwich or wrap night |
| Thursday | Cook |
| Friday | Purchase ready-made meals or frozen meals |
| Saturday* | Pantry Dinner |
| Sunday | Crock Pot Dinner |
*meal prep day
SAMPLE SCHEDULE #2
| Day of the Week | To Do/Dinner |
| Saturday* | Grocery shop and begin prep work |
| Sunday | Prep make ahead meals |
| Monday | Cook |
| Tuesday | Easy Dinner Night: Order Pizza, Pick Up Takeout |
| Wednesday | Cook |
| Thursday | Cook |
| Friday | Go out to eat |
| Saturday* | Purchase ready-made meals or frozen meals |
| Sunday | Crock Pot or Instant Pot Dinner |
*meal prep day
EXAMPLE A: MEAL PLAN SCHEDULE WITH MENU
| Day of the Week | To Do/Dinner |
| Saturday* | Grocery shop and begin prep work: chopping vegetables, store in fridge |
| Sunday | Prep make ahead meals, prep meatballs and chicken, roast vegetables and make rice |
| Monday | Whole Roast Chicken with vegetables, or side salad and mashed potatoes or brown rice |
| Tuesday | Fish or Seafood: Salmon Rice Bowl with side salad or cucumber tomato salad |
| Wednesday | Beef and Ginger Fried Rice or Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry |
| Thursday | Pantry Pasta Night: easy pasta, Lo Mein |
| Friday | Go out to eat |
| Saturday* | Homemade Pizza Night or Purchase ready-made meals or reheat frozen meals |
| Sunday | Spaghetti and Meatballs Crock Pot Dinner or Instant Pot Dinner |
*meal prep day
EXAMPLE B: MEAL PLAN SCHEDULE WITH MENU. Incorporating Leftovers
| Day of the Week | To Do/Dinner |
| Saturday* | Grocery shop and begin prep work: chopping vegetables, store in fridge |
| Sunday | Prep make ahead meals, prep meatballs and chicken, roast vegetables and make rice |
| Monday | Whole Roast Chicken with vegetables, or side salad and mashed potatoes or brown rice |
| Tuesday | Salmon Rice Bowl with side salad or cucumber tomato salad |
| Wednesday | Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry (using leftover roast chicken) |
| Thursday | Pantry Pasta Night: easy white bean pasta |
| Friday | Go out to eat |
| Saturday* | Leftover salmon with a side salad or Purchase ready-made meals or reheat frozen meals |
| Sunday | Re-heat Any leftovers |
I know this is a lot of information. If you have any questions, please email me or leave a comment down below. Here are some great resources to help you get started!
