Cooking Tips

How to Not Dread Meal Planning

Prepping food for the week sounds daunting. It doesn’t have to be.

Published Apr. 26, 2024.

Even the term “meal planning” can sound like a tedious task. The idea of going to the grocery store to gather all the ingredients, cooking the food, storing the meals, and then doing the dishes makes the whole process feel like an all-day affair.

In my household, we always saw meal planning as something that was more trouble than it was worth—until we simplified it.

Meal planning doesn’t need to mean Instagram-worthy storage containers stacked perfectly in your fridge or color-coded lists. It can be uncomplicated, inexpensive, and stress-free.

Here are a few tips for making meal planning more approachable.

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Tip #1: Take Stock of What You Already Have

How often have you gone to the grocery store only to realize you already had that can of beans or bag of lettuce? Compiling a list of what you have and need keeps you from overbuying groceries that will take up room in your kitchen. It also helps you to decide what meals to cook and helps you to use ingredients that might be in your pantry (it’s time to make use of those canned beans!)

Tip #2: Don’t Plan for the Whole Week

When choosing your meals for a busy week it’s easy to be overly ambitious and plan for five nights of cooking. In reality, you probably aren’t going to be cooking every single night. You should leave some nights unplanned—whether you have leftovers, get an unexpected dinner invitation, or just don’t feel like cooking, this will give you some flexibility and help you avoid overbuying.

Choosing three recipes for the week is a good middle-ground between being prepared but not overplanning.

Tip #3: Plan Meals You’ll Actually Want to Eat

Be honest with yourself. What you think you should be eating when you plan your week on Sunday isn’t always what you want to be eating once Wednesday rolls around. Choose dishes you actually want to eat and that are satisfying to you. (If you’re not a kale salad person, don’t plan a kale salad!)

Also, take time into consideration when planning your meals. Pick recipes that don’t take too long (think 30 minutes tops) so cooking doesn’t feel like a chore after a busy day.

Tip #4: Be Smart About Your Leftovers

It’s common to experience a midweek slump. Maybe you don’t want to eat what you made or you just get tired of eating the same thing. Instead of reheating yesterday’s dinner, turn it into something new.

Leftover chicken is perfect for stir-fries, tacos, and salads. Those roasted veggies in your fridge could be great in a frittata. Get creative with sauces, dips, and dressings to change the flavor profiles of leftovers. And when you don’t want to eat them at all? Freeze them and save them for another day!

Tip #5: Always Have a Quick Back-Up

We have a term in our household: emergency pizza. You know the fire extinguishers behind glass cases that read “In case of emergency break glass”? Well, instead of a fire extinguisher, imagine a frozen pizza.

When you decide to freeze your leftovers or move a meal to another day you still have to eat, so having a hassle-free back-up is important. It doesn’t have to be a pizza—it can be your equivalent, such as your favorite can of soup or ingredients for a simple grilled cheese.

Keep the ingredients to your emergency meal on hand so that you can make a quick, satisfying dinner whenever you need it.