Meal Planning 101: Essential Tools

I’m an organizer and a planner by nature. I love making lists (handwritten so I can cross things off as I go). I also love food – reading about it, shopping for it, cooking it and eating it. 

So, it will likely come as no surprise that I am a devout meal planner. 

Every week, I comb through my cookbooks and recipe binder to put together a meal plan for my family, and then I shop for the goods and prep the foods so that when the busyness of the week begins, I don’t have to think about it. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are already thought about and the fridge and pantry have been stocked. More importantly, I always have the answer to the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?” 

This process has become second nature – and it’s a great source of joy and creativity for me. But, over the years, I have realized that I might be a weirdo. Not everyone likes meal planning, let alone has a desire to do it every single week. 

So, I thought I’d share my meal planning tools and strategies in a few posts in case they might be helpful to you as you think about feeding yourself and/or your people. 

(And P.S. Don’t think you need to be a mom of 10 for this to be worth it…I started meal planning when I was single, continued when I married and had two kids at home, and now it’s just my husband and I with one teenager at home who is in/out at all times of the day.)

So, let’s get started. 

The first thing I do when I sit down to meal plan is to gather all my planning tools. So today, I’m sharing my essential tools with you and why.  

A printed, blank grocery list – I keep a stack of printed, blank sheets with grocery categories that I use to make my grocery list. I got this from a friend years ago and just keep copies of it on hand to use each week. It’s organized by produce, meat, dry goods, freezer items and dairy, and I add an “other” category for anything else that doesn’t fit. If you don’t have a pre-organized printed sheet, don’t worry! You can use whatever paper you have around the house or even the notes app or another list-making app on your phone if you prefer to keep things digital.

My weekly meal planning tear-off pad – I like to visually see everything for the week in one place, so I love this menu planning tear off pad from Mom Agenda.  It’s been my go-to for years because it has things categorized in a way that works for my brain, and there is a space to write appointments or things to remember each day (although there are a few sections I don’t use). Plus, I like the tear-off pad vs. a book or binder that won’t stay open. There are lots of meal planning templates, books and binders on Amazon, Etsy and Pinterest, so use what works best for you. Heck, you could even just keep it super simple and print out a calendar template from Word and use that. Or again, if you want to keep it digital, there are tons of meal planning apps that you can check out as well. 

My recipe binder and a few cookbooks – I have a three-ring binder filled with clear sheet protectors that hold recipes I’ve collected over the years. Many of these have become family favorites that we rotate throughout the month or find ourselves making over and over again. I also read cookbooks like novels (I can’t help it!), so each week, I’ll pick out a few to peruse for inspiration or to pick out a new recipe to try. If cookbooks aren’t your thing, or you don’t keep recipes handy, that’s ok too – wherever you find inspiration for meals is fine. Maybe you have a stack of magazines, a Pinterest board or even an app on your phone.

My calendar – I use the calendar app on my cell phone, but you may have an old-fashioned wall calendar or physical day planner.  This helps me remember days that might be busy or when there might be appointments that would impact our meals that day. (If I’m getting home at 5:30 or 6 from a busy day of meetings, it will probably be a leftovers or slow cooker kind of dinner!) So, wherever you keep up with your life happenings, you’ll want to have it handy.

So there you have it. These are my essential tools I gather each week when I get ready to meal plan. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it works for me. You may have other things that help or inspire you, so feel free to get creative and resourceful. 

Once I’ve gathered all my tools, I get to work! Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll share my planning strategies and tips.