Meal planning can be overwhelming. I am not going to lie. I like meal planning. So much so that I now do it for other people. But sometimes, every now and then, even I get stuck. So if you have never meal planned before, you are probably asking – if this professional meal planned gets stuck, how am I supposed to start meal planning myself?
Well, I am here to tell you, you start meal planning the same way that you start everything else. That’s right, just dive right in!
Time to Get Started!
Start by getting your calendar. I have previously blogged about this, but if you missed it, you are probably wondering, why my calendar? Because you need to plan your meals around your life, not put your life on hold for dinner. Now that you have your calendar, check to see if there are any nights you do not need to cook, or will need a quick meal. You will want to keep these in mind as you build your meal plan.
OK, now you know a bit about what kinds of meals you need – now to build a plan around it.
You might think you should start meal planning by gathering some cookbooks, signing up for a bunch of blog newsletters that promise free eCookbooks, or surfing endless Pinterest boards featuring amazing looking food that will never look as good in your kitchen, but in the end, these are just time sucks.
(By the way – if you join my mailing list, you will get a free sample Hoppin Meal Plan. Also, a food photographer I am not, so what you see in the pictures here on Hoppin Meal Plans are probably pretty close to what you can create in your own kitchen.)
If you really want to get started on your first meal plan, just jump in! Seriously, let’s do this!
Start Your Meal Plan
Okay, if this is your first time meal planning, I am going to make it easy for you. Just start with a list of your favorite dishes. If you live with other people, like kids or a spouse, add a few of their favorites too, just to keep everyone happy. Do this now. It’s ok, I can wait.
Done? I bet you now have at least five to seven recipes you enjoy eating. Do they work with your schedule? Probably most do, so just jot down when you plan to cook each meal. You do not need to do anything fancy. You can just write them down on a piece of paper or on your calendar, just write it somewhere where you will be able to easily find it. I usually just jot them on a dry erase board on my fridge.
And let’s be real. If you usually have one day when, no matter how well you plan for the day, nothing goes according to plan and by dinner time stepping into the kitchen to cook is the very last thing you want to do, it is totally acceptable to plan a take-out night into your meal plan. I’m a stay-at-home-mom stuck in a pandemic quarantine with a three-year-old that refuses to potty train. You think I haven’t had a breakdown, or two, or ten, this last year. Hence the dry erase board.
Oh, hey look, your meal plan is done! Isn’t that easy? Now you can break out your recipe cards, or your favorite cookbooks, and make a list of your ingredients for your trip to the store. (As you can see, I have multiple copies of some of my cookbooks.)
Give yourself a big pat on the back – you have just created your first meal plan! Will it always be this easy? Probably not. No matter how much you love these recipes, if you eat the same small number of meals week after week, you will probably find yourself getting bored quickly. However, as the old proverb goes, each journey starts with a single step (or something like that). If you really want to make meal planning a steady habit, you have to start with your first meal plan. Each time you do it, the process will get a little easier.
So then what about next week? What if I run out of recipes? What if I get bored? Do not worry, I am going to get to that in future blog posts, but I am going to give you a little tip that will help you in a few weeks. Save this meal plan. Seriously, save it, make a copy of the grocery list, tuck it away and save it. Why? Well, if you are the sentimental or nostalgic type, sure at some point in the future you might want to take it out and lovingly reflect on that time when you decided to start meal planning. That’s fine, but really, I want you to save this meal plan so you can use it again.
Use it again? Of course you can use it again! You put the work into picking recipes and building a shopping list – why not use it again! You do not want to use it every week, but if you break this plan out a few weeks from now, do you think anyone other than you will know it’s the exact same series of meals from last month?
Need a Break from Meal Planning
Need a break from your usual meal plans? I know the feeling. Like I wrote in the introduction, at times I even get into a bit of a rut. Do not worry, I will blog a bit about my tricks to get over meal planning blocks in a future post. But in the meantime, if you need a break, or maybe some new ideas, you can always try one of mine.
Did you know I offer four meal plans a week in the Hoppin Meal Plans store? Maybe writing so many is why I sometimes get a little brunt out. So if you do not have time to plan this week, or are looking for some new recipes to add to your rotation, try one of my meal plans. Step by step directions to create recipes that are sure to please, and of course, it comes with that so important shopping list. Hoppin Meal Plans are a great way to in add some variety to your meal plans, or save your self a little time by letting me do the work for you!
Read more of my thoughts on meal planning and healthy living. Or, if you need some inspiration, check out some of my recipes in the recipe blog!
