Simple & Quick Meal Planning

Weekly meal planning is an essential aspect of healthy eating and can help you save both time and money. By taking the time to plan your meals for the week ahead, you can ensure that you are making healthy choices and avoid the temptation of ordering takeout or fast food on busy weeknights. With a little planning and organization, you can make mealtime stress-free and enjoyable for you and your family.

To begin weekly meal planning, start by creating a list of your favorite healthy recipes. Choose meals that are easy to prepare, use fresh ingredients, and fit within your budget. Consider incorporating a variety of proteins, such as chicken, fish, and plant-based options, as well as plenty of vegetables and whole grains.

Once you have your recipes selected, make a detailed shopping list of all the ingredients you will need for the week. Stick to your list while grocery shopping to avoid impulse purchases and overspending. With your meals planned and ingredients on hand, you can relax and enjoy healthy, delicious meals throughout the week, without the stress of figuring out what to make each night.

For weeknights, try to stick with recipes that make more than you'll eat at once so you'll have leftovers for lunch the following day.

An example plan could be something like this (mine for this week):

Sunday: My Chicken Noodle Soup is a really simple slow cooker recipe and uses ingredients that are usually already in the kitchen. It makes enough for lunch the next day.
Monday: This Chili Con Carne recipe takes a little prep work but, again, is mostly done in the slow cooker. Also great for leftovers.
Tuesday: With chili leftovers for lunch, something light for dinner, like a simple grilled chicken salad with balsamic and feta.
Wednesday: I'm using this quick marinade on a slow cooker pork tenderloin. Put it in before work, add baby carrots and potatoes after. In an hour dinner's ready and there's very little cleanup (which is always a plus for me).
Thursday: Chicken & Black Bean Ziti is a light and flavorful meal that I can prepare without much thought.
Friday: Takeout is ok, I swear!
Saturday: Chicken Pot Pie is one of my favorite meals from growing up. It's heavy and hearty so it shouldn't be a menu regular, but it is still really easy to make and doesn't require extensive shopping.