If you’re anything like me, one question never stops repeating in your mind: ‘What is everyone going to eat today?’ As a mom, feeding your family can feel like a full-time job. That’s why I’ve created a simple, stress-free system that takes the overwhelm out of meal planning, saving you time, money, and your sanity.
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Why Meal Planning Matters
- Reduces stress at meal times: no more 5 PM panic about what’s for dinner.
- Can lower your grocery Bill: An area people typically overspend on their budget is food. Meal planning allows you to take back control over that area of your budget.
- Promotes healthier eating habits: when you know what you are going to eat for the week, you eliminate the need to go through the drive-thru or grab prepackaged convenience items
Start with What You Have
Many people start meal planning by going on Pinterest, finding the recipes they want to make, and then creating the meal plan from there. This is the wrong approach. Instead, you should:
Check your pantry, fridge, and freezer:
See what you already have on hand and what can be repurposed for this week’s meals. If you have leftover chicken, you can easily turn it into enchiladas or a chicken casserole.
I am not saying that you can never make fun meals for your family, i love experimenting in the kitchen, but that can not be the basis of your meals each week. Not only is searching for these types of meals time-consuming, but the ingredients they call for are often expensive.
Plan Meals
After you know what you have on hand, you need to plan meals based on those items. Here are some practical meal planning tips.
Plan just 3–5 dinners:
Plan a few simple meals for the week, and then plan to eat leftovers in between. Not only does that eliminate food waste, but it also reduces the amount of time spent in the kitchen.
Choose recipes with overlap in ingredients:
Say you bought ground beef this week, you can do tacos and stuffed bell peppers. Both of these meals call for: ground meat, onions, garlic, cheese, and rice. This tip is even better if you have some of these ingredients, such as onions, on hand already.
Repeat family favorite meals weekly or biweekly
You dont have to reinvent the wheel each week. If there are a few meals, you and your family truly enjoy, keep them in rotation. We eat tacos almost every week, but i switch up the protein and toppings.
Use Themed Nights
Using theme nights takes the guesswork out of meal planning each day and acts as a guide for each week.
- Monday: Meatless Monday
- Tuesday: Taco Tuesday
- Wednesday: One Pot Wednesday
- Thursday: Leftovers
- Friday: Pizza Night: Use the leftovers from the week as toppings.
- Saturday /Sunday: Slow Cooker
Batch Prep and Store Basics
Once you know what you are making, meal prepping a few items can also help get a meal on the table without the stress
Chop veggies, cook grains, or protein ahead.
Having these items prepped saves you time in the kitchen and also decreases the likelihood of you eating out if you know there is food prepped at home.
Store ingredients in clear containers
This allows you to see exactly what you have prepped in the fridge so nothing goes to waste.
Pre-portion snacks or lunch components for the week
Although i love spending time in the kitchen, cooking three meals a day can be exhausting. Having snacks and lunch prepped for the week can make it easier to grab from-scratch food rather than convenience items.
Spending 30 minutes to an hour a week prepping food can go a long way in getting meals on the table for the week.
Tools That Help Meal Planning
I have a meal prep planner, which includes a grocery list, meal prep list, and a grocery list that you can download for free below.
An Instant Pot is a lifesaver for me in the kitchen. I often forget to take the meat out of the freezer in the morning. Having the Instant Pot allows me to get frozen meat to a meal in about an hour.
An Inventory Checklist is also an essential tool for keeping track of what you have on hand and reducing waste. I have created one that you can download for free below.
Sample Week:
This is what a typical week of meals looks like for my family. Hopefully, this gives you an idea of how to meal plan using simple pantry staples.
Monday
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs and toast.
Lunch: Salami Sandwich.
Dinner: Whole Roast Chicken with veggies and rice.
Tuesday
Brekfast: Yogurt and gronala.
Lunch : Instant pot chicken soup.
Dinner : Tacocs (made from the leftover chicken) pico and guacamole.
Wednesday
Breakfast: boiled eggs on toast with peach preserves
Lunch: Adult luncable (crakers, deli meat and cheese).
Dinner: Spaghetti and meatballs.
Thursday
Breakfast: Yogurt and granola.
Lunch: Leftover spaghetti and meatballs.
Dinner: Salmon with veggies and rice.
Friday
Breakfast: Breakfast casserole
Lunch: Sandwiches.
Dinner: Steak and mashed potatoes.
Saturday
Breakfast: Leftover breakfast casserole.
Lunch and dinner: fend for yourself.
This allows us to clean out any additional leftovers and produce from the week.
Sunday:
Breakfast: Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon.
I love to make a big breakfast before church on Sunday.
Lunch: fend for yourself.
Dinner: Grill out or slow cooker meal.
My husband will take on grilling, and i will make sides such as potato salad or baked beans. We live in Texas so we are abel to grill most of the year, but if the weather doesnt permit i will. a slow cooker meal.
Hopefully, this inspired you that meal planning does not have to be complicated. As long as you keep pantry staples on hand and shop your shelves first, you can have delicious meals on the table without any stress. Let me know how you meal plan in the comments!
