I have a “to-do” list that’s pages long. Similar, I’m sure, to most of you and the last thing I want to do is add another weekly chore to it, like meal planning. So, I figured why not offer some meal planning inspiration and show you how I plan meals in a matter of minutes.
I’m an advocate of eating at home more often than dining out, so planning is a necessity, but I’m not about to spend even an hour each week doing it. Props to all those men and women who do take good time with it, but that’s just not for me.
That’s why I’ve come up with a few quick tips for how to meal plan in minutes to make the task seem less daunting:
Tips for Meal Planning in Minutes
1. Brainstorm on Pinterest: Make the time you spend on Pinterest worthwhile by searching for healthy recipes or other keywords like vegan, gluten-free, or search by ingredient (like chia seeds, for instance). Follow boards that have healthy recipe themes and create your own meal planning inspiration board to which you can pin healthy recipes. Then go back and grab recipes to try.
Follow my Pinterest boards like Hungry Girl, Detox with Food and Conscious Cook for healthy recipe ideas.
2. Keep it Simple: Choose only two to three recipes that you can cook once, eat twice so you don’t feel overwhelmed. Look for recipes with only 5-6 ingredients and that won’t take more than 30 minutes. Double the recipe if you need to.
3.Make a Master List: Once you have your recipes, list the ingredients you need and then schedule a time to go to the supermarket. Choose a time when it will be less crowded i.e. 8 a.m. Saturday morning.
4. Don’t Fear the Leftovers: Leftovers are your best friend. Pack them in a to-go container and have them for one of the next day’s meals.
5. Breakfast Made Easy: Plan on 1-2 breakfasts for the week. Smoothies are great option, hard-boiled eggs or overnight oats –all can be prepared the night before.
6. Don’t Force Inspiration: Keep it simple when you’re uninspired and when in doubt, steam. A couple kinds of steamed veggies with a sauce plus a protein makes a healthy meal.
No list, no plan, no strategy?
Download the infographic for my 6 Step Process for Power Shopping for Healthy Meals.
Now, it’s your turn. In the comments below, tell me, how do you make meal planning easy?
Tina Muir Glad you like it and that it’s a useful resource for you!
This is a great idea! I am pretty good at meal plans, but I will redirect people who ask me how to your site! This will work very well for those with no idea! Thanks for the great post!
MeganLyons Totally! It doesn’t have to be daunting at all 🙂
Great post! Meal planning can be so effective if you can do it right, and I love your tips! Heading over to browse through your pinterest boards now … 🙂