Tips for Successful Meal Planning

I think that Mondays really set the tone for the rest of the week. I am definitely more relaxed on the weekend in terms of food choices, and if I let it carry over to Monday, it seems to snowball throughout the whole week. So, I do my best to clean up my diet and get a healthy start.

I love the motto “Never miss a Monday” when it comes to working out. This is all to say, Mondays don’t have to be a bummer if you have a solid plan in mind to make it a healthy, goal-getting week.

I usually spend about 30 minutes on Sunday brainstorming and meal-planning for the week ahead. I will browse through Instagram or pull out my go-to-cookbooks while I am drinking my morning coffee, no time wasted!

My general thought process when coming up with dinners is to try to think of an assortment of proteins and a variety of “themes.”

In other words, I try to come up with at least one meal involving chicken, beef, seafood, ground turkey, and maybe pork. Once I get rolling on a few different protein options, I add in different themes.  For example, if I start with Spaghetti Sauce using ground beef (Italian), then I will go with an Asian style lettuce wrap with ground turkey or pork. I can use chicken in my Enchilada recipe (Mexican) and then go “American” with Coconut Crusted Shrimp. Just by thinking about meals in terms of different cuisines, I have a variety of dinners using lots of different proteins!

Here are some additional tips if you get stuck:

• Think of a variety of proteins and “themes” or cuisines. When I am stumped on what I feel like making that week, I think of each day as it’s own theme. Monday is Italian, Tuesday is Mexican, Wednesday is Asian, Thursday is American, and Friday is usually a revolving repeat of one of these themes. This way, it is a “fill in the blank” format that will make the process almost brainless for you!

• With your variety of proteins, add on sides that compliment the theme. For example, I love baby white potatoes and asparagus with salmon. I think that green beans go well with Italian options. A side salad goes well with a lot of different cuisines! It’s all about your personal preferences, but definitely don’t overlook those veggies!
• Always be on the lookout for inspiring recipes. Throughout the week, (as you’re looking through Instagram or listening to people chat about dinner ideas at work) jot down cravings as they come. I usually use the “notes” app on my phone so I don’t forget. That way, when Sunday rolls around, you will already have something to get you started.
• Take inventory on everything you already have in the fridge/pantry-what do I want to use up and what staples do I need to restock? I make a shopping list as I am listing my dinner plans so nothing gets overlooked, and I don’t have to run to the store later in the week.

• Keep your schedule for the week in mind. Do you have any after-work appointments? Those nights would be perfect for a Crock Pot/Instant Pot meal. Is there a heat wave coming through? That might be a perfect night to have your husband make dinner on the BBQ 😉
• ALWAYS plan on enough for leftovers. I think I owe a lot of my success in healthy eating to the fact that I am totally cool with eating the same meal (at least) twice. Since I am usually just cooking for Travis and me, I always make what I estimate will be be a generous 4 servings. That takes all the stress and guess work out of what we will have for lunch the next day.
• It’s ok to scrap or alter your plans. Last week, I had a Turkey Meatloaf on my menu. When I got home from work, I was famished and the idea of waiting over an hour once I actually got all the ingredients in the pan (with the oven heating up our house!) was just too much. So, I swapped my meatloaf for Turkey Burgers on the grill and dinner was on the table in less than 3o minutes.
• It’s also ok to eat out. We are on a pretty tight budget around here. However, I know that cooking 7 nights a week just isn’t in the cards for me, so I always plan on at least 1 or 2 nights out. (Thank goodness for In ‘n Out for making $12 date nights possible.) The important thing here is that you don’t also buy enough food for 6-7 nights if you are planning on going out. If that’s the case, you are more likely to waste perfectly good food and bust your grocery budget. If I do end up over buying, I will always stick the extra protein in the freezer and/or try to use it in my meal plan the following week.
• Use up those leftovers! I know leftovers get such a bad rap, but, once again, I give them a lot of credit! First of all, I can’t stand wasting food because I just see dollar signs $$ going into the garbage. Second, one of my favorite ways to be creative in the kitchen is to come up with different ideas to reuse something we made earlier in the week. (Hints: Nachos with just about any protein. Kitchen Sink Egg Frittatas. Veggie and Meat Skillet Dinner.)

I hope these tips help you plan for a healthy, diverse, and stress free week of eating! It has been so helpful acquiring this thought process when planning for the week, and it also pushes me to think outside of the box so that we are eating a variety of food and not getting bored or burned out.

Keep your eye out for my next project…I would love to make it even easier for my friends to plan for success with a weekly menu and shopping list…coming soon!