For many people, eating home-cooked meals every night is the ideal. Not only is it delicious (you can make your favorites!) and often more nutritious, but it's certainly cheaper than going out to eat. However, the idea of that much shopping, chopping and cooking can be intimidating. Plus, we've all had the experience of starting out with the best of intentions, and ending up with a fridge full of wilting veggies and spoiled leftovers. This is where meal planning can help!
Meal planning is one of those things that, frankly, feels like a bit of a drag when I'm doing it, but I am so grateful for it later! It's a wonderful way to use what you have, buy only what you'll use, and meet your own specific needs without a lot of wasted effort. Read on for tips and recipe ideas!
Step 1: Make a Calendar
You can plan for an entire month, or you can start out planning for the week, but it helps to create a physical or digital calendar. Now this is key: before you do any meal planning, write down your upcoming plans. When I first started this process, I found that I would accidentally plan a really involved dinner on a night when my son's school was having a performance. Or when I was going out to meet a friend and my husband and kids would be on their own! Knowing your committments ahead of time will help you figure out which night will be roast chicken, and which will be grilled cheese and tomato soup (the ultimate quick and cheap meal).
Next, figure out how many meals you need. Do you eat breakfast every morning (or wish you did)? How much time do you have in the mornings? Would it be better to make a bunch of muffins to eat throughout the week, or would you prefer to make a quick
smoothie every day? For lunches, do you want to pack a sandwich every day, or would you prefer to burn off dinner leftovers (my trick)? Finally, customize your dinner plans according to your schedule and time availability.
Step 2: Shop Your Kitchen and Pantry
This is the most important part for me. Not only does it keep me in touch with my current inventory, but it keeps me from, say, buying pasta I do not need (again). Check your cupboards, fridge and freezer. Do you have a lot of dry beans or frozen chicken on hand? Do you have a tub of salsa that needs to be used up? Take note!
Step 3: Plan Recipes Strategically
The best and most efficient way to plan your meals is to choose several recipes that use the same ingredients. How many times have I bought a bunch of cilantro, only to use part of it for one recipe and let the rest turn black in my vegetable keeper (answer: too many times)? I find it's easiest to choose a legume, a grain and a fresh herb and see how many different ways I can use them, which I did with the example recipes below. Then I can cook up a bunch of, say, black beans and quinoa at the beginning of the week and toss them into recipes as I go.
Step 4: Schedule Cooking
Your schedule will depend on your life! For me, it's most efficient to shop early in the weekend and do whatever prep I can before the work week. For example, last week I made a big batch of
Blueberry Muffins and froze them (taking them out as needed for breakfasts) as well as
Red Lentil Soup (which will double as lunches). But really, just knowing what you're going to eat each day saves time. Instead of rummaging around your kitchen and trying to figure out what to make, you'll have a plan with all of your ingredients close at hand.
Other breakfasts I have planned for this week:
oatmeal (I make a big batch and reheat as needed), spinach egg and cheese quesadillas, and yogurt with
granola. I try to serve all of our breakfasts with a piece of fruit, too. Other dinners planned for this week:
Slow Cooker White Chicken and Quinoa Chili, burgers, shrimp skewers with Caesar salad, and baked panko chicken cutlets with pasta and veggies. I also always have sandwich fixings on hand in case I run out of dinner leftovers for lunch!
Sample Recipes
To plan our hypothetical week below, I selected
quinoa,
lentils and cilantro as our centerpieces, and then searched
Bob's Red Mill's fantastic recipe site for some delicious recipes to try. I tend to alternate dishes all week long to enjoy some variety
and use up all of the leftovers at the same time, but depending on your needs, you may want more or fewer recipes.
Breakfast
Quinoa Bowls Three Ways makes it easy to change up your breakfasts without a ton of effort. Cook up a batch of quinoa and use it in yogurt parfaits, as a hot cereal, and as a savory grain bowl. Delicious!
You can also use some of that cooked quinoa to make these luscious
Golden Quinoa Muffins. Here, quinoa grain mixes with cornmeal and whole wheat pastry flour and is flavored with orange zest (eat the orange on the side!) and raisins.
Lunch
Be like me and eat leftovers for lunch, or keep sandwich fixings or soup on hand for quick meals.
Dinner
Jacob's Lentil Stew is a fantastic dish to make over the weekend and eat all week long. Lentils combine with aromatic vegetables,
pearl barley, vegetable broth, spices, fresh cilantro and lemon to create a filling, satisfying stew. Stretch it a couple extra days by serving it over
rice!
This
5 Ingredient Mexican Quinoa by Chef Billy Parisi is simple, versatile and loaded with flavor. Top it with avocado and your favorite protein as a grain bowl, serve it as a side dish, or use it in place of rice in a burrito! Purchased black bean-and-corn salsa and—yep—fresh cilantro make this easy and so tasty.
Looking for variety? This
Spicy Veggie Burger is a great example of how you can use the same ingredients but enjoy widely different flavors and textures! Here, our lentils and cilantro are mixed with red potatoes, veggies, ginger and curry spices to create hearty burgers you can serve with your favorite toppings.
Finally, if you're feeling ambitious, give this
Vegan Quinoa Chili a spin! Our heroes quinoa and lentils come together with beans, sweet potatoes, kale and traditional chili flavors to create an incredibly flavorful chili. Sprinkle the rest of this week's cilantro on top and you're good to go.
Extra Credit
- Make sure your spices are stocked: Spices are the easiest way to change things up and help similar ingredients take on vastly different flavors. You don't have to break the bank: start with perennial favorites like cinnamon, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, garlic powder, oregano and basil, and move from there. I love using the bulk bins for spices, because I can get small amounts.
- Double your fun: Whether you're making soup, muffins, or a casserole, double your recipe when you can and freeze the rest in meal-sized portions. This will make meal planning much more convenient, as most of the work has been done for you (by you)! It's also a great way to avoid leftovers fatigue.
- Follow coupons and store deals: Another meal planning method is to clip coupons and follow store sales. This method not only saves you money, but it can provide inspiration and break you out of any ruts. Sign up for your grocery store's loyalty program and check your weekly circulars for manufacturer's coupons. The holy grail is using a manufacturer's coupon and a store coupon on an item that's already on sale to maximize your savings! Speaking of coupons, we have a monthly Bob's Red Mill coupon you can print right here on our site.
With a little advance preparation and these meal planning tips, you may find yourself eating better than ever, with less effort (and money)! Are you a meal planning newbie or an expert? Post your questions and comments below.
Quinoa Bowls Three Ways makes it easy to change up your breakfasts without a ton of effort. Cook up a batch of quinoa and use it in yogurt parfaits, as a hot cereal, and as a savory grain bowl. Delicious!
You can also use some of that cooked quinoa to make these luscious Golden Quinoa Muffins. Here, quinoa grain mixes with cornmeal and whole wheat pastry flour and is flavored with orange zest (eat the orange on the side!) and raisins.
This 5 Ingredient Mexican Quinoa by Chef Billy Parisi is simple, versatile and loaded with flavor. Top it with avocado and your favorite protein as a grain bowl, serve it as a side dish, or use it in place of rice in a burrito! Purchased black bean-and-corn salsa and—yep—fresh cilantro make this easy and so tasty.
Looking for variety? This Spicy Veggie Burger is a great example of how you can use the same ingredients but enjoy widely different flavors and textures! Here, our lentils and cilantro are mixed with red potatoes, veggies, ginger and curry spices to create hearty burgers you can serve with your favorite toppings.
Finally, if you're feeling ambitious, give this Vegan Quinoa Chili a spin! Our heroes quinoa and lentils come together with beans, sweet potatoes, kale and traditional chili flavors to create an incredibly flavorful chili. Sprinkle the rest of this week's cilantro on top and you're good to go.
