Meal Planning Hacks That Will Change Your Dinner Game Forever
Hey mama, let’s be real. Between school drop-offs, work meetings, and finding your toddler’s missing sock (again), who has the time to think about dinner every single night? The good news? Meal planning can totally save your sanity and give you back those precious hours. Plus, it keeps your grocery bill in check—and who doesn’t love that? Yes I know, meal planning sounds like an Instagram myth – but the process can really be a lifesaver if you go in with a plan. Let’s dive into some meal planning hacks that will help you save time and stay organized while keeping your family fed and happy.
Why Meal Planning is a Mom’s Best Friend
Meal planning isn’t just about food; it’s about reclaiming your life. Think about it: no more last-minute runs to the store, no more “what’s for dinner” panic at 5 PM, and no more throwing out unused ingredients that were forgotten in the back of the fridge. In this blog post, we’re going to give you all the tools and strategies you need to take the daily dinner panic off your plate and help you make meal times a stress-free portion of your day.
What are the benefits that come with weekly meal planning?
Weekly meal planning definitely has some delicious additional benefits. Here are just a few:
- More Time: You’ll spend less time stressing and scrambling in the kitchen every evening. Meal planning lets you prep ahead so you can enjoy more quality time with your family.
- Better Budgeting: Planning meals allows you to shop with purpose, avoiding those impulse purchases that sneak up on you (hello, random bag of gourmet popcorn!).
- Less Waste: No more throwing out wilted spinach or mystery leftovers. When you plan meals, everything has a purpose.
- Healthier Choices: With a plan in place, you’re less likely to reach for takeout or junk food.
Pre-Pre-Meal Planning: The Pantry Inventory
Ok, hear me out. Before you start trying to put together weekly meal plans and running out to the store to grab your groceries, there is one very important step that you cannot skip: The pantry inventory. I recommend getting yourself a notebook for your weekly meal planning and saving a few pages at the front of the notebook just for this purpose.
First, you’ll need to go through your pantry and cabinets, making a list of all the ingredients and meal items that you already have on hand. List them by category to make it easy to scan and plan later on. Everything you already have at your disposal goes on this list with the exception of basic spices. It sounds futile, but knowing that you have Flour, Sugar, cream of mushroom soup and Panko breadcrumbs at a glance will make putting together shopping lists much easier. Keep in mind in this instance, ‘pantry’ also refers to refrigerated and freezer meal components as well. Things like cream cheese, chicken breast, pork loin etc. Listing your perishable items keeps them fresh on your mind and will help you remember to use them while they are still… well.. fresh.
As you use items on this list be sure to cross them off or adjust their quantity, this way as you move forward with the next week’s meals you will know what you don’t have and what you might need to replace in order to make various things.
Pro Tip: Some people find re-writing this list every week with the updated quantities and used items removed so they have a fresh, confusion-free visual every week – but that’s entirely up to you.
Start with a Weekly Plan (and Stick to It)
The first step to successful meal planning is, well, planning. Start by setting aside 15 to 20 minutes each week to map out your meals. Choose a day that works best for you. I like to do my meal prep on Sunday mornings with a cup of strong coffee and my favorite grocery store circulars to help me out.
First, you’ll want to have your calendar handy. Take note of how many meals you will need to make this week. Do you have Dance on Wednesday nights and typically get fast food? Great, then you know you’ll need one less dinner option that week. Does your family have a tradition of ordering pizza on Fridays? Ok, put that down on the appropriate day so you’ll know not to plan a meal for that night either. Coming home late on Saturday because of a church function? Plan for a crockpot meal that cooks while your gone during the day so you can feed your hungry kids as soon as you walk in the door. The best part about meal planning is that you can tailor it to your family’s schedule and needs.
If you’re a visual person, consider using a dry-erase meal planner on your fridge and writing out the meal plan once you complete it. It keeps everyone on the same page and even lets your family weigh in. Plus, it’s reusable! Check out this magnetic meal planner to make it even easier.
Assembling Your Meal Plan
Once you have determined how many meals you need that week, take a peek at the list of what you already have. Pair these items to start putting together rounded-out meals. Do you have a pork loin in the freezer that needs to be used? Pair it with a box of mac and cheese and a canned veggie that becomes a meal. Assign that meal to a day and list the ingredients you’ll use underneath. Great! Now move on to the next day and repeat.
Filling in The Blanks
Now, as you are meal planning – you will run across items that you need that you do not have. You may also want to make something that you haven’t yet bought items for. This is fine. On a separate page of your notebook, start your grocery list for that week – those missing items will get listed there. For example – you want to make meatloaf, mashed potatoes and biscuits but you dont have any ground beef or butter? The ground beef and butter go on the shopping list. Easy peasy.
Keep chugging along with this method and in a few minutes, you will have a week’s worth of dinners planned out for easy execution.
Plan To Save Money
As you make your meal plan, use your local grocery store sales to help give you ideas and save you money. Select meat and produce for your meal plan from items that are on sale locally to help keep your grocery budget down. Hamburger meat on sale this week? Russet potatoes on special? Looks like meatloaf and mashed potatoes on Tuesday! Bonus points if you split that bag of potatoes in half and use the other half for a different meal later in the week. Buying items that can be used in different ways for different meals is a great way to make sure nothing goes to waste and that you are making the most of your grocery budget.
Meal Prep Like a Pro
Meal planning is a skill that will save you endless amounts of time and help keep your grocery spending in line. That said, there’s no reason you have to start every meal from scratch. If you just don’t have the time to cook on certain days, here are a few ways to stick to your at-home meal plan while preserving every minute you can.
- Batch Cooking: If you are planning to make things like chilli, spaghetti sauce, homemade cream corn, etc. for a meal, do it in advance. If you have more time on the weekend than during the week, take a few hours to put these together during your downtime. These staples can be frozen and pulled out the morning of to cut cooking time down to a minimum.
- Prep Ingredients in Advance: Once you’ve done your shopping, chop veggies, cook grains, and marinate proteins ahead of time. When dinnertime rolls around, the hard work is already done, and you just need to assemble and cook.
- Invest in Quality Storage Containers: When working on your meal prep, solid, airtight containers are a must to keep your items fresh in the fridge until you are ready to use them that week. We recommend clear containers to make seeing and finding items in your fridge easier — Bonus: they’re microwave- and dishwasher-safe!
If you’re ready to up your meal prep game, check out these meal prep containers from Lock & Lock. They are our favorite, and can keep veggies fresh for more than a week in the fridge. They’re a lifesaver for storing prepped meals and snacks.
Make It a Family Affair
Why shoulder the entire meal-planning burden alone? Get your crew involved in the process. It’s a great way to teach kids life skills and reduce your workload:
- Let the Kids Pick Meals: Giving them a choice makes them feel included. Plus, they’re more likely to eat what’s on their plate if they helped plan it.
- Assign Kitchen Tasks: Even little ones can pitch in! Younger kids can set the table or wash veggies, while older ones can handle basic cooking tasks like stirring or chopping (with supervision, of course).
- Cook Together: Make meal prep a family event. Turn on some music, share stories, and create memories while you chop, mix, and stir. It might take a little longer, but it’s totally worth it.
Bonus Hacks to Make Meal Planning Even Easier
Here are a few extra tips to take your meal-planning game to the next level:
- Create a Recipe Binder: Print out or jot down your family’s favorite recipes and keep them in one place. A binder with dividers makes it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for.
- Rotate Meals: Stick to a rotation of tried-and-true recipes. There’s no shame in repeating meals that work for your family.
- Use Leftovers Wisely: Don’t let leftovers go to waste. Roast chicken one night can become chicken tacos or soup the next.
- Stock Up on Spices: A well-stocked spice rack can turn even the simplest ingredients into something amazing. Organize your spices with a lazy Susan spice organizer to save time and frustration.
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Conclusion: You’ve Got This, Mama!
Meal planning might feel overwhelming at first, but with these hacks, you’ll be a pro in no time. Start small, stay consistent, and remember that every little effort counts. Before you know it, you’ll have more time for the things you actually want to do—like sipping coffee while it’s still hot. Cheers to staying organized and keeping your sanity intact!
