Many years ago, I was not the greatest at planning meals. A lot of times I would roam the aisles of the grocery store and just randomly pick things to cook. I will be honest, they were not the most healthiest of choices. When I found the Tone It Up Nutrition Plan in 2013, this is what really helped me understand the importance of planning your meals and prepping for the week. I knew if I wanted to be successful at living a healthy lifestyle, I had to come up with a routine that made planning a lot easier. This week I am going to share my step by step routine that I do when I am planning meals. Being prepared for the week will bring ease and less stress in the kitchen. It will also help you save on time and money! Once you build up your staples in the pantry, you will find each week you will only be shopping for what you need (meats, fresh veggies, fresh fruits). If this seems overwhelming at first, I highly recommend you start with planning out dinners. Then you can incorporate your breakfast and lunch when you are ready. Once you make this part of your routine, you will be a meal planning and prepping champ in no time! So let’s get started!
- Choose a day of the week to grocery shop. I like to do this on Sundays. Some people prefer Saturdays or even Mondays. You really need to consider what day is good for you and make it a part of your weekly routine. This needs to be a day where you will not be rushed and be stress free.
- Make a list of your favorite recipes. You can write this down. Or put it in a word document or even your phone. As you find recipes you like, you can add them to this list. Once you master dinner, you can also add some breakfast and lunch recipes.
- Write out your meals. This is where I will sit down on Saturday morning with my coffee, my planner and I plan out everything I will be eating for the week. If this is too overwhelming, just start with dinner. This way, you can double some of your recipes and have leftovers for lunch! Now lunch is planned for the week too! I will also brainstorm with my husband during this time to get his input on some meals. This time of the year is perfect for prepping stews and soups to have leftovers for the week. Think about theme nights. Taco Tuesday is popular and maybe have a crockpot meal on Mondays. The point is to make it work for you and your family.
- Look at your calendar. I always look ahead at the week to see what is happening. Once you do this you will know if you have work commitments or if the kids have sports or dance. Remember to be flexible and have some wiggle room. Also, be sure to have a back up meal just in case the week doesn’t go as planned.
- Make a grocery list. Once you have looked at your week and planned your meals, now it is time to make a grocery list. I do this based off exactly what I need to make it through the week. I check my fridge, freezer and pantry to make sure I am not buying something I already have. I then write down my list based on how the store is laid out. Produce, meat, dairy, breads etc. Organizing the list based on the store will make you get in and out in no time.
- Get started with meals. Now you have done all of the above, now it is time to get cooking! Be sure to refer to your plan everyday so you know if meat needs to be laid out to thaw or if something needs to go in the crockpot. You can also prep after grocery shopping to save on time cooking. You can wash and cut up veggies and fruit for the week.
So there you go! Whether you are a complete beginner at meal planning or if you are a pro and just looking for some new tips, I hope you found this helpful. If you need some inspo for recipes I have a few under the recipe tab!
