Meal Planning for Beginners from a Beginner

I’m not good at meal planning consistently. I will plan one week and then totally drop the ball and plan absolutely nothing for the next week. Sometimes I feel like it’s easier to go to the grocery store and purchase things that we eat on a regular basis and throw them together during the week. While that is the easier option it can get really repetitive and if you get bored with what you are eating at home you are more likely to get takeout or opt for a less healthy option. It motivates me to eat better when I know that I have all the ingredients in my kitchen to make yummy home cooked meals and it really takes all the guess work out of whats for dinner. I am still a novice at the whole idea but I’ve picked up some tips along the way to help beginners like myself navigate the whole meal planning thing!

1. Don’t plan all three meals everyday of the week. For me, it is unrealistic to plan something different for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. I usually eat the same things for breakfast and lunch during the week and stick to planning a variety of dinners. I also only plan for Monday through Friday and leave the weekends for us to do what we want which sometimes includes a meal or two out.
2. Choose recipes wisely. I LOVE trying new recipes but one time I tried to do a new one each night of the week for dinner and it got really overwhelming by about Wednesday. Keep it to 1-2 new recipes and for the rest of the week make meals you have made before. I also don’t like to make recipes that take longer than an hour to finish. I save those for the weekend!
3. Plan for leftovers. Leftovers can become your best friend! I like taking them for lunch and that breaks up the monotony of my midday meals during the week too!
4. Shop your pantry and refrigerator. The first thing I like to do when planning is look in my pantry and refrigerator to see what I have and what needs to be used before it goes bad. This gives me inspiration on what to make for the week and also keeps me from buying something we already have.
5. Organize your grocery list by section at the store. This sounds silly but it can save you a lot of time at the grocery store!