Meal Planning 101: Strategy
So, now that I have all my tools in one place (see this post in case you missed it), what’s my meal planning strategy?
I start with what I know about the week ahead – I write down all the appointments, activities, or other things going on during the week that would impact meals. Some things to consider…
- Doctor/dentist appointments
- Social activities
- School/kid activities or reminders
- My family’s various work schedules
- Exercise commitments
Next, it’s super quick for me to fill in breakfasts and snacks for the week because they are typically pretty standard for my family (we are creatures of habit). Here are some of our favorites we always have on hand:
Breakfast Options
- Oatmeal + fixings
- Protein shakes (boxed and powder for blending)
- Frozen egg frittatas (I like these, but you can also make them yourself)
- Greek yogurt + fruit
Snack Options
- Fresh fruit + veggies (washed and pre-cut)
- Hummus, tzatziki and guacamole (for dipping)
- Greek yogurt (plain and low-sugar)
- Mixed nuts
- Salty snacks (pita chips, crackers, popcorn, tortilla chips)
- Protein bars
After I’ve marked our breakfasts and snacks on the planner, I leave lunches and dinners blank and move on to flipping through my recipe binder and cookbooks for creative inspiration…
I read cookbooks like most people read novels, so I have a ton to choose from. I also get inspiration from a variety of magazines I subscribe to as well. You may have your favorite places you get recipes from, or you may have no idea where to start. That’s ok!
Here are a few of my favorites in case you need inspiration:
- Anything from Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa)
- Magnolia cookbooks (Vol. 1 and 2, Joanna Gaines)
- Skinnytaste cookbooks and website/social media channels
- Love, Welcome, Serve cookbook by Amy Hannon
- Southern Living Magazine
- Lillie Eats and Tells website and social media channels
I have probably 100 other cookbooks and recipes, but these – along with some long-time family favorites – are usually always in rotation in my kitchen.
Planning for Lunches:
My lunch planning strategy is not complicated, but I do like to keep things interesting and try some new things along with keeping some favorite standbys in the lineup. My husband and I work from home primarily, so we don’t tend to eat out frequently for lunch (save the occasional trip to Chick-Fil-A for a treat).
We tend to be creatures of habit, so I always make sure to have fixings for sandwiches with chips and fruit on hand. But, I also tend to get bored easily with sandwiches every day, so I like to try new salads and soups. (I am always looking for new soup recipes, no matter the season of the year!)
So, for any given week, that means we have sandwich fixings and accompaniments on hand and then I make a large batch of chicken or egg salad or use leftover protein from one of the week’s dinners on a bed of lettuce and veggies with some seeds or nuts added for crunch. Or, as we head into the cooler months, I may make a batch of a soup or chili on Sunday and pre-package into single-servings to eat throughout the week.
Planning for Dinners:
My strategy for planning dinners is based on what I know my family likes/needs.
- Mondays through Thursdays I plan easy, quick and healthy meals that work around whatever our family schedules are that week.
- I don’t cook on Friday nights, so we go out or order in.
- Saturdays are flexible (we may grill out, we may go out to eat again or we may do something comforting and simple at home).
- Sundays are the day of the week I save for trying new recipes or cooking something that is more complicated or time-consuming.
- We are meat eaters, but I also try to incorporate fish a couple of times a week and a vegetarian option here and there.
- We also have a vegetable and some kind of starch or grain with every dinner.
- And, I always make large recipes because you can use the leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day (or freeze them in individual portions for an easy, quick solo lunch or dinner)!
So, I sift through my cookbooks along with my recipe binder and magazines that I’ve dog-eared and pick a selection of a few things to put on the menu for the week. (I ALWAYS end up with more recipes I want to try than days in the week, which gives me an inspirational place to start the next week when planning.)
Once I’ve gathered a handful of recipes for the week, I start the process of figuring out what day I will make what food. For me, it’s a game of efficiency – what days will I have more time/energy to devote to cooking and what days will I know I will be tired or rushed (i.e., not a day to try a complicated new recipe for the first time)?
My basic approach is this:
- My family likes to eat on the earlier side of the evening, so I try to have dinner on the table between 6 and 6:30 generally (which means I need to prep and start cooking around 5 or 5:30).
- I look for easy, one-pot/pan meals that don’t require a lot of steps or ingredients – and bonus if they make large quantities that can serve as leftovers or have the ability to freeze in single servings for future use.
- I love my slow cooker! And, I especially love the time it saves me on busy days. So, if we have a crazy busy day or I know I’m going to be in meetings or away from home most of the afternoon, I plan a slow cooker meal that I can dump into the pot in the morning before and then it can be ready with minimal preparation for dinner.
Once I have dinners filled in, I move on to making my grocery list! (I’m writing a whole post on this, so stay tuned.)