While meal planning is certainly not some form of rocket science, there are some useful strategies that help make for smooth and successful meal planning - which, in my experience, is the only way that we’ll stick with it.
Challenges I see often with clients and program participants is that meal planning can feel really overwhelming. In a fast paced world where “busyness” is not only the norm, but encouraged & glamorized, it’s no wonder that many of us, particularly women, feel as though we are barely keeping our heads above water, even on the good days.
So planning out a week’s worth of meals can certainly feel like a daunting task.
The thing is, meal planning is a form of self care. Once you are able to get into the groove and the routine of it, meal planning winds up supporting you in an incredible, maybe even transformative, way. In my opinion, it’s an important way to foster real food eating, save time, implement an easier weeknight flow, encourage healthy eating habits, and maintain stability within the home.
5 Keys to Successful Meal Planning
Preparation & Organization
Clean Your Pantry/Cupboards: Go through your cupboards/pantry/fridge, remove past dated, the old, the moldy, and evaluate what foods you would like to use as staples and which ones you are ready to let go of. Pay close attention to your oils and aim to stick with health supportive oils only, such as Olive Oil & Coconut Oil.
Bulk Shopping: Set up a system of bulk foods, with healthy storage solutions, to help save money and also reduce shopping times. I prefer to use wide mouth, glass mason jars to store all my nuts, seeds, grains, beans, lentils, and flours.
Make a Shopping List: You could go so far as to make a shopping checklist to reuse weekly, but at a minimum, make a comprehensive list that can last you at least 4 -5 days without an extra shop.
Meal Planning Board: Set up a whiteboard or chalkboard for weekly meal plans in your kitchen, or collect print outs and keep them in a specific meal planning binder or folder.
7 Day Theme: A great way to support good meal rotation and food diversity, is to use a 7 Day Meal Planning Theme. Choose a different theme for each night of the week, such as mexi night or soup + salad night, and use these themes as a guideline to help keep meals fun & inspiring.
2. Inspiration
Create a Community: Online or in person, with your neighbourhood, family, or amongst friends, share what you are doing and offer to swap ideas/recipes.
Create a Recipe Board on Pinterest: Great for when you are susceptible to using the same recipes over and over, collect ideas here and refer back when you need some inspiration!
Set Goals: Set weekly goals or goals that are ongoing and adjust them as you continue to move forward. Idea: leave space for goal setting on your meal planning board.
Follow Me Online – I will often post new recipes or blogs with regards to Meal Planning (Instagram or Facebook). Other great online resources: Pinch of Yum, Oh She Glows, Sprouted Kitchen, Joyous Health, and Blissful Basil.
3. Dedication
Remember Why: Why did you decide to embark on this project in the first place? For health, for balance, for peace within the home? Take time to remember why and use this to motivate you forward.
Evaluate What is Working and What Is Not: If you feel as though you are slipping away from the work you have put into place, or it just feels as though it isn’t working – take time to evaluate what is working and what is not, so that you can make appropriate adjustments.
Enlist a Helper: If you have kids, they are the perfect helpers! If not, enlist a partner, family member, or friend to help hold you accountable to your goal of meal planning and ask her/him to check in with you to see how it’s going and give you a push when you need one.
4. Patience
Change Takes Time: You cannot expect to be a meal planning superhero overnight (or maybe you can? 🙃). Have patience and remember to continue to tune back into your tools.
Deep Breathing: If you meet with frustration, tune inward and try deep breathing: take 10 deep, relaxing breaths to reset your nervous system and ground you. Remind yourself why this is important to you.
5. Support
Seek Support Within the Home: Ask that those whom you live with give you their support with this transformation, ask for input & enlist their help with meal prep.
Seek Support Outside the Home: If this is a big change for you, ask for support from friends, family, and coworkers so that you feel the support of your entire community.
Ask for Help when You Get Stuck: Reach out when you get stuck: contact a friend, message me or try a session with your health care provider.
Reminders For Meal Planning
ROTATION: Continuous rotation is great for variety. Think about always including all the colours of the rainbow and notice when you are always buying the same things.
INDIVIDUALIZATION: Remember this is for YOU. Don’t worry about what others are doing, make your meal planning, shopping, and prepping, all about what will work for you the best and be the most sustainable.
CONSISTENCY: Try to be consistent with the days that you shop, the days that you plan, and the days that you prep. Slot in this time and stick to it.
Weekly Meal Prep
Set a Planning Day: Preferably a day off, or a day that is less busy, sit down and plan out your week of meals: all meals including breakfast & lunch, or just your dinners etc.
Set Prep Hours: Set aside approx. 3 hours/week to prep meals & snacks for the week. I suggest:
1 Double Batch Stew/Curry/Soup/Chile – freeze half
1 Double Batch Cookies/Bars/Balls – freeze half
1 Recipe Salad Dressing – double if needed
1 Recipe Dip – double if needed
Batch Cooking: Look for recipes that you can easily double and freeze – chili, curry, stew, etc. vary ingredients and flavours, and be sure to rotate through them from your freezer. ALWAYS label them with the date.
If you want more Batch Cooking Support & Inspiration, JOIN IN ON MY UPCOMING BATCH COOKING WINTER SESSION 🤩
Other Tips:
Prep dinner the night before (ie. dressing/sauce/chop veggies)
Use a crockpot/slow cooker – leave on low all day
Organize your fridge & freezer, use labels for family members
Prep fresh food as you bring it home (wash lettuce, chop fresh veg)
Designate 1 night/week to your youths/husband/housemate to cook
Meal Ideas
Breakfasts: Oatmeal, Overnight Oats, Chia Pudding, Homemade Granola + Fresh Fruit + Coconut Yogourt, Sautéed Veggies + Eggs, Quinoa Breakfast Bowl, Muesli + Stewed Apples/Canned Peaches, Crockpot Apple Pie Oatmeal.
Lunches: Quinoa Salad, Rice Salad, Chile/Stew/Curry/Soup, Big Bowl Salad, Hummus Wrap, Sautéed Veg + Salmon, Buddha Bowl.
Snacks: Fresh Fruit, Fresh Veg + Hummus/Bean Dip, Nut Mix, Granola Bars/Cookies/Energy Balls, Chia Pudding, Nut Butter + Celery/Apples.
Dinners: Veg Chile, Veg Curry + Rice, Soup + Salad, Cauliflower Tacos, Burrito Bowls, Buddha Bowls, Baked Salmon + Vegan Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms, Cauliflower Pizza, Pesto/Avocado/Roasted Veggie Pasta, Roasted Squash Soup, Spaghetti Squash Pasta, Lentil Stew/Soup.
I hope you’ve found some great tips and inspiration here!
And don’t forget to join in on our upcoming Batch Cooking Winter Session! We’ll spend the weekend together, prepping, cooking, & storing, in an online community style, where filling your fridge & freezer feels a lot easier (& more fun) than doing it alone!