I don’t do a lot of meal prepping where I plan out and cook every single meal for the week but I do believe in prepping food and planning out the meals for the week. I wrote a blog post about that last year and still follow the 5 tips shared in that blog post:
- Wash and cut your veggies as soon as you get home from the store.
- Have some roasted veggies on hand for the week.
- Cook one large batch of rice or quinoa, or both if you prefer.
- Have a simple plan.
- Get pretty containers to store stuff in.
However, there are some weeks where I want more prepared than just a few ingredients – especially our lunches. I have developed what works for me and wanted to share because it might help you develop something that works for you too.
Over the course of the next month, here is what you can expect:
- Today’s post: How I create a plan
- Week two: The tools I use for meal planning
- Week three: Recipes that work well for prepping
- Week four: Start to finish for a family of four… what it looks like, what I make, and how long it takes me.
How I create a plan
First, I start by looking at what is in the fridge, freezer, and pantry.
Sometimes I have a half bag of rice that can be used, beans in the freezer to be used, or an unnecessary amount of chickpeas stocked up in the pantry. I will build my menu for the week from that.
Money-saving tip: If I am feeling more adventurous from there I will look at the sale ads and build the rest of my menu from that.
From there I create my menu. I usually only plan for the week. Every now and then I will do a week and a half if something is going on but I have found that a week’s worth of meals works great for our family.
Making a shopping list
Money-saving tip: Check your weekly sales ad and learn to shop when they have special discount days.
I tend to shop on Fridays for the weekend and the following week.
When I get home from the shopping trip, I unload and organize everything that I can right then and there. I will place any fruit in containers if needed and spinach or herbs in produce saving containers as well. I find those help extend the life of those a bit better. I do not wash any greens though until ready to use them. I will chop carrots, celery, and cucumbers ahead of time though. To keep them from drying out, I place a damp paper towel in the container with the raw veggies and that really helps.
Then on Sunday afternoon, I look at my week ahead and figure out what needs to be prepped. I usually have time to cook our dinners so I have been prepping lunches and planning out which dinners will make leftovers.
Tips I have found to help in the planning process
Each week looks different of course but I have found that sticking to themes really helps with the menu.
Some ideas:
- Meatless Monday
- Taco Tuesday
- Pasta Night
- Leftovers / Snack Dinner Night
- Mexican Food
- Italian Food
- Grilling Night
- Comfort Food
- Casserole Dishes
- Vegan Night
- New Recipes
Stick to your favorite foods and only add in a couple of new recipes to try. If you start out with too many new things at once it may be overwhelming.
Enlist your family to help you when possible. Even if that means kids helping unload groceries, a spouse cooking one night a week, or doing all your shopping online. Find where you need the most help and don’t be afraid to ask for it.
Find what works for you. If you have busy weekends, a Sunday afternoon meal prep may be out of the question.
Stay tuned for the next post about the tools I use. Hint: It is not very much. I like simplicity.
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I always start with a good intention to meal plan but (as your title suggests) I always end up getting frustrated! This post is really useful to help me tackle that and I can totally relate to the weird amount of chickpeas stacking up haha! Thanks for sharing Leah and looking forward to next week’s!
Oh good, I am glad it is helpful. I can still get easily frustrated but I have to remind myself to just keep things simple and that always helps.