5 Changes You Need To Make Meal Planning A Success

The daily dreaded question, “MOM! What’s for dinner?” Talk about adding unneeded stress to your day. Let’s fix this and get your weekly dinner schedule set, so you don’t have to worry each day what to plan, but that dreaded question already has an answer. It all starts with Meal Planning.

EVERYONE HAS TO START SOMEWHERE

In recent years, I’ve become the planner when it comes to evening meals. From planning ahead with groceries to purchase and budgeting accordingly to working with what is already in my pantry to stretch that budget even further. But it hasn’t always been that way.

I used to be a complete mess when it came to meal time preparation! There was no planning. Come 5pm I would be standing there staring into the fridge with no idea what to make. I might have some ideas but then missing a much needed ingredient. Or, better yet, I would forget to defrost meat and then we would be having cheesy pasta again. Not to mention, a lot of food was wasted because I would forget about food at the back of the fridge or hidden behind larger containers.

After one too many last-minute orders from the local pizza shop I decided that things had to change. The lack of planning had to stop. Between spending too much on takeout or last minute grocery add-ons, things had to change. I knew that if I could just get organized, not only would our waistlines benefit from the lack of fried pizza, we could probably save money too – and a lot less food would get wasted in the process.

WHAT DID I DO TO START MEAL PLANNING?

I made five simple changes. Small, simple changes that switched up our mealtimes for the better. Now dinners are (typically) no longer chaos and definitely do not require a last-minute trip to the store. Whatever we choose to make, the ingredients are usually to hand. It also doesn’t matter if our plans change at the last minute because there’s always something we can whip up without too much time. The best part, I’ve saved money too! Let’s work through how to make your dinner planning easier too.

MAKE A LIST OF YOUR FAMILY’S FAVORITE MEALS

Start with a list of your family’s favorite meals. If they were quick and easy to make and didn’t have too many ingredients, they made it onto the list. Obvious choices like spaghetti, quesadillas, tacos, burgers and pasta were added. Dishes such as lasagna bake, homemade ramen, roasted chicken and veggies, meatloaf, and pot roast were also added.

To make things easy I separated the list into categories that included chicken, pork, beef, and pasta (add in fish and vegetarian if that suits your family). When I need a meal that is quick and easy, I just look down the list and choose something. I keep adding meals to this list, as I find new ones we love that are easy. You never know when you need to just grab something and go with it.

PLAN MEALS AROUND YOUR SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES

Each week, take some time to look over your scheduled activities for the week. Recognize that if you have a long day out, making a full turkey dinner probably isn’t the best idea. On the flip side, take advantage of those days with no schedule to expand and try something new. From there, see how many nights you need something quick and pull meals off the quick-list. Now, be reasonable with yourself and keep some flexibility in your plan. If need be, swap meals should your plans change.

PLAN HOW YOU STOCK YOUR FREEZER

In the past, I was notorious for just buying all the meats and freezer foods and packing the freezer randomly. Now, I really think about how I stock my freezer. I started to swap out the ready made foods like frozen pizza and chicken nuggets. I then started buying the majority of my meat at the beginning of the month and froze those. With all our meat options safely stored in the freezer, I could easily plan with what we had and easily switch things up as needed.

STOCK UP ON NON-PARISHABLES WISELY

Much like the freezer, I revamped what foods I kept in there. Taking out more ready-made meals and instead stocking up on foods that meats could be added to easily. I stocked up on rice, pasta, grains, and cans of tomatoes, vegetables, beans and coconut milk. I also made sure I had a plenty of sauces, vinegars, oils, herbs and spices (as well as lots of already prepared homemade bone broths). This made shopping from home first a breeze, before making the full list to be purchased from the store.

KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOUR FAMILY ACTUALLY EATS

I know you’re on there, surfing Pinterest for new meal ideas, we all do it to freshen things up. Sometimes these new meals can be a total flop and you know you can knock it off your list. Other times, they can be huge hit! Easily adding them to either the regular rotation or adding to your quick go-to list. Flipside, there can be meals that you’ve been making for years but you always seem to have leftovers. This is probably a sign that your family doesn’t actually enjoy it, but they eat it because it’s food.

Keep an eye on your leftovers from meals. It’s an easy way to see what your family actually enjoys, if they’re going back to reheat what’s been made, voluntarily. To get the most bang for your buck when cooking, making meals that will be enjoyed to the last drop/crumb, is always worth it. Just like how every time I make Loaded Baked Potato Soup, it’s gone in an instant!

MAKE MEAL PLANNING A SUCCESS

While it’s nothing complicated, this is what has worked for me. Just a little bit of planning and monitoring and I’ve taken the stress of “what’s for dinner” away. So simple, yet incredibly effective. Meal planning is straightforward. I know I’ve saved myself a lot of headaches, stress and last minute panic with these tips. Best of all, you can do it too. If you also follow this process, you too can make prepping your evening meals a success!

I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO!

Ok, don’t jump up and think you’ll nail this the first week, it will take some time and habit forming. As you slowly switch over your freezer and pantry and get into the habit of reviewing your weekly schedule before choosing meals, you will develop this into a routine that works.

It will be worth it! Just remember, don’t be too strict with your meal plan because the unexpected always happens – think surprise guests or quick change of plans. Think ahead, allow for flexibility and you’re good to go! Just remember to:

1. Make a list of your family’s favorite meals
2. Plan meals around your scheduled activities
3. Plan how you stock your freezer
4. Stock up on non-perishables wisely
5. Keep track of what your family actually eats

I hope the changes I’ve made will help you to make your own meal planning a success too. If you like what you’ve read be sure to subscribe. I’ll send you my FREE Meal Planner so you can start meal planning with success too!

What did you learn from this post? What makes your meal planning easier? You know I love to chat in the comments, let me know below what has and hasn’t worked for you!

Till next time