How to Meal Plan
Count out how many meals, and what type of meal, you need to plan for., Draft up a basic calendar of the week with slots for every meal., Make a "master list" of your favorite recipes and meals., Fill in simple or easily customized meals, like...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Count out how many meals
A good way to do this is to simply look back on the last week of meals.
What days did you go out to eat? What days did you have left-overs? What days did you have plenty of time to make a great, huge meal? It is a generally a good idea to plan your meals for no longer than a week in advance, since plans can change and food might go bad.
Jot down all the meals you ate last week and see how many meals, and what type, you need to plan for:
Breakfast:
Do you make a unique breakfast sometimes, or do you generally eat the same thing each morning? Lunch:
Do you eat out while at work, or do you pack lunches? Dinner:
What days do you cook? What days do you eat out or eat leftovers? Snacks:
How quickly do you go through snack foods? Do you need these foods, or do you just eat them because you were around. -
Step 2: and what type of meal
Get a pen and paper and sketch out each day, putting three slots under each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
You can even print out and use the template found at the bottom of the article, or get a free food planning app online., Collect your favorite recipes online and out of cookbooks, helping you quickly fill in your schedule with new meals.
If you don't collect recipes or don't know where to begin, head online and search for recipes with some of your favorite ingredients, your schedule (ie. "1-hour dinners"), or simply peruse food blogs or websites.
A quick internet search for "best recipes" will pull up far more food than you could ever conceivably try.
Sites and apps like FoodGawker let you search recipes by style, time, ingredients (including ingredients you want to avoid) and popularity.
Remember to look up sides too, like salads or vegetable dishes, and not just the main course., In general, most people eat 2-3 things every day for breakfast and lunch, and don't often use recipes to determine cereal and milk choices.
Note these meals on your calendar, then make a simple list of the various ingredients you might mix and match
-- granola, cereal, fruit, yogurt, cold cuts, etc.
There is no need to plan out exactly what you're getting now ("12 slices of turkey") before going to the store.
Just write out ("12 slices of cold cuts"), then see what looks good at the store. , Planning dinners may look daunting, as they are usually made up of 2-3 separate parts.
However, the basics of a well-balanced meal are actually pretty simple.
You want a main dish, usually a grain (pasta, rice, couscous, etc.), a protein like chicken, beans, or fish, and at least 1-2 vegetables or fruits.
Think of each dinner as three separate parts
-- a grain, a vegetable, and a protein.
Pick three simple recipes instead of trying to make one all inclusive dish each night. , Once you have all of your recipes compiled, simply mix and match the recipes together to create a shopping list.
You know you'll use everything you buy since it all has a purpose in your week.
You may add loose snacks here and there, but, in general, you should cut down on the time and money spent in the store considerably with proper planning.Be sure to check your fridge and pantry before going to see what ingredients you already have.
Some people find planning all meals daunting at first.
If so, just start with dinners, then buy the rest of your groceries like normal., No one can plan for everything, and that's fine.
Sometimes you may want some spontaneity, and some days you'll get home and just won't feel like cooking.
A meal plan is there to make life easier, not bind you to some sort of eating contract.
Try having a "cook's choice" night, which you leave open to figure out later that day.
This is often a good choice for your shopping day, as you can easily buy the right ingredients for that night's meal on the fly.
While meal plans are a good way to limit costly eating out, you should still free to head out every once and a while. -
Step 3: you need to plan for.
-
Step 4: Draft up a basic calendar of the week with slots for every meal.
-
Step 5: Make a "master list" of your favorite recipes and meals.
-
Step 6: Fill in simple or easily customized meals
-
Step 7: like breakfast
-
Step 8: first.
-
Step 9: Understand the basics of a well-balanced meal.
-
Step 10: Combine all of your recipes into your week's grocery list.
-
Step 11: Be flexible every now and then.
Detailed Guide
A good way to do this is to simply look back on the last week of meals.
What days did you go out to eat? What days did you have left-overs? What days did you have plenty of time to make a great, huge meal? It is a generally a good idea to plan your meals for no longer than a week in advance, since plans can change and food might go bad.
Jot down all the meals you ate last week and see how many meals, and what type, you need to plan for:
Breakfast:
Do you make a unique breakfast sometimes, or do you generally eat the same thing each morning? Lunch:
Do you eat out while at work, or do you pack lunches? Dinner:
What days do you cook? What days do you eat out or eat leftovers? Snacks:
How quickly do you go through snack foods? Do you need these foods, or do you just eat them because you were around.
Get a pen and paper and sketch out each day, putting three slots under each for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
You can even print out and use the template found at the bottom of the article, or get a free food planning app online., Collect your favorite recipes online and out of cookbooks, helping you quickly fill in your schedule with new meals.
If you don't collect recipes or don't know where to begin, head online and search for recipes with some of your favorite ingredients, your schedule (ie. "1-hour dinners"), or simply peruse food blogs or websites.
A quick internet search for "best recipes" will pull up far more food than you could ever conceivably try.
Sites and apps like FoodGawker let you search recipes by style, time, ingredients (including ingredients you want to avoid) and popularity.
Remember to look up sides too, like salads or vegetable dishes, and not just the main course., In general, most people eat 2-3 things every day for breakfast and lunch, and don't often use recipes to determine cereal and milk choices.
Note these meals on your calendar, then make a simple list of the various ingredients you might mix and match
-- granola, cereal, fruit, yogurt, cold cuts, etc.
There is no need to plan out exactly what you're getting now ("12 slices of turkey") before going to the store.
Just write out ("12 slices of cold cuts"), then see what looks good at the store. , Planning dinners may look daunting, as they are usually made up of 2-3 separate parts.
However, the basics of a well-balanced meal are actually pretty simple.
You want a main dish, usually a grain (pasta, rice, couscous, etc.), a protein like chicken, beans, or fish, and at least 1-2 vegetables or fruits.
Think of each dinner as three separate parts
-- a grain, a vegetable, and a protein.
Pick three simple recipes instead of trying to make one all inclusive dish each night. , Once you have all of your recipes compiled, simply mix and match the recipes together to create a shopping list.
You know you'll use everything you buy since it all has a purpose in your week.
You may add loose snacks here and there, but, in general, you should cut down on the time and money spent in the store considerably with proper planning.Be sure to check your fridge and pantry before going to see what ingredients you already have.
Some people find planning all meals daunting at first.
If so, just start with dinners, then buy the rest of your groceries like normal., No one can plan for everything, and that's fine.
Sometimes you may want some spontaneity, and some days you'll get home and just won't feel like cooking.
A meal plan is there to make life easier, not bind you to some sort of eating contract.
Try having a "cook's choice" night, which you leave open to figure out later that day.
This is often a good choice for your shopping day, as you can easily buy the right ingredients for that night's meal on the fly.
While meal plans are a good way to limit costly eating out, you should still free to head out every once and a while.
About the Author
Zachary Baker
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in creative arts and beyond.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: