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Years ago, I would spend no less than 5 hours every Sunday cooking multiple identical meals, packing them away in containers, and then cleaning up the massive mess I made in the kitchen.
Unfortunately — by the end of the week I ended up dreading eating the meals I made, throwing them out, and opting for takeout. It was an unsustainable, unenjoyable, wasteful system that I came to dread. At the time, I didn’t think there was another way. I didn’t think there were any options between meticulously planning out every morsel of food I would eat for the week and showing up at 5pm wondering what I could have for dinner. But neither option was working for me.
Fast forward a couple years, and I’ve finally figured out a method of planning and preparing food for the week that actually works, saves money, and best of all — allows my family to eat healthy and delicious meals for the entire week.
Enter — meal planning!
How to Meal Plan
There are a few issues most of us face with weeknight meals:
- Time – Shopping, cooking, and cleaning every night is extremely time consuming.
- Decision fatigue – Coming up with something healthy and tasty every single night is nearly impossible.
- Cost – Buying different ingredients for every meal is expensive and inefficient.
Meal planning allows us to address all of these issues.
So — How Do We Do It?
First: Map out your week
Figure out how many nights you can or want to cook.
Example: You’re home and free to cook 3 nights out of 7. You plan to go out to eat once, so you’ll need leftovers or easy-to-prep meals for the other 3 nights.
Second: Pick a couple proteins that you like
Protein is typically where we need to be the most intentional and should be the focal point of the meal.
Third: Complete the meals
Each meal should include protein, color (fruits and veggies), and complex carbohydrates. Pick starches and veggies that complement your proteins.
Fourth: Flavor
Get creative! Think about what flavors you like that could work with the proteins you picked. The options here are endless. This is also where we can add in some dietary fats, which increase satiety and add tons of flavor.
Fifth: Prep your shopping list
Try to buy in bulk when you can to save money and simplify shopping. Consider how many people you are feeding and how many meals you are preparing for.
Sample Weekly Menu
Proteins:
- Ground turkey
- Atlantic salmon
Meals:
- Egg roll in a bowl
- Mediterranean turkey burgers
- Air fryer salmon and potatoes
- Salmon rice bowls
Shopping List:
Veggies:
- Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, spinach, snap peas, sun dried tomatoes, onions
- Optional Greek salad ingredients: cucumbers, tomatoes, olives
Starches:
- White rice, choice of potatoes, Dave’s Killer Buns, optional rice pilaf
Fats/Flavor Enhancers:
- Feta cheese, olive oil, avocado, spicy mayo, tzatziki
Seasonings:
- Ginger, garlic, soy sauce, oregano, parsley, sweet chili sauce
In this sample week, we’re actively cooking 3 times. We’re using batch prep methods and repurposing leftovers to minimize cooking/cleanup and maximize variety. For 2 nights, we’re “assembling” meals by chopping some veggies and reheating food we’ve already cooked.
The LVLTN Approach
One of our goals at LVLTN is to make healthy food feel easier, more accessible, and more enjoyable. Meal planning has restored my joy in cooking and helped my family to eat healthier food for less money and way less stress. I hope it does the same for you!
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