Share some meal planning tips for the busy moms out there + a template you can use.
Hello friends! How is the day so far? I hope you had a good time! Getting things ready for the Fit Team (join us here) and some errands to run later.
For today’s post, I wanted to talk a little bit about meal planning because right now it’s SAVING.OUR.BACON. (Time-wise and money-wise!) We’re in the thick of evening activities and events, and if I don’t know what we’re going to eat, it leads to random hostel meals or takeout. It is absolutely worth sitting down each week to plan our meals (at least our dinners) and make a shopping list for a big grocery stop.
Taking a little time to meal plan each week takes the guesswork and last minute dinner stress out of the equation and is a great way to save a lot of time, money and effort. Planning, preparing and cooking healthy meals takes time, and planning meals in advance can help us make healthy meals for the family on a more consistent basis. It also maximizes grocery shopping and makes mom’s life a little easier overall! So I thought it was time to share my meal planning tips for busy moms. Let’s get into it!
Easy meal planning for busy moms
Take the time to make a weekly meal plan
Take about 30 minutes each weekend to create your plan for the week. For us, dinners are the most important, but I also have an idea of what I’ll be making for the girls’ lunches and breakfasts every day of the week. Plan as many meals as you want for the week, focusing on dinner and the main weekly meals.
Create a master list
After planning your meals, make a master list of all the ingredients you need for each meal. Take inventory of your cupboard and fridge to avoid buying duplicates, unless you like to have backups on hand.
Track the meals that work
If you find a meal that is a family staple, keep it in your heart FOREVER. Until you make it again and they don’t like it next time? (Kids can be a mystery sometimes, I tell you.) I keep a cheatsheet on my phone of meals the kids have really loved and will go back to. We also have some staple dishes (like the quick meals in this post) that I know will always be a hit.
Asking for help from family members
I like to ask the kids if there is anything they would like to have next week and use their suggestions when making my list. I will also put some cookbooks on the table for them to choose recipes that look good to them. Sometimes they surprise me with their choices, but I love that it helps shake things up and prevent dinnertime fails. Plus, it helps me to know that they will enjoy, or at least are more likely to enjoy, what I make for each meal.
Create meal plans from items you have on hand
Before I start meal planning for the week, I’ll think about all the items I have on hand that I’d like to use. For example, we may have meat from Butcher shop or vegetables from the garden that I want to use. I will look for recipes using these ingredients from my favorite sources.
Creating topics some days
This is huge if you have a schedule with extracurriculars and after school activities that end up being around dinner time. On football nights, I will purposely plan Instant Pot or slow cooker meals that can be ready quickly or already waiting for us. If we’re going to be home later that night, I’ll choose meals that I can prepare earlier in the day.
Bulk cooking
I’m a big fan of making things in bulk or doubling recipes whenever I’m camping so we can freeze or use leftovers later. Plus, I prefer to only cook certain things once a week, so if I know we’re having rice twice, I’ll make a big batch and save half the amount. And since many leftover dinners work great for breakfast or lunch the next day, it makes planning my lunches a little easier.
Order essentials and favorites online
Ordering specific items online really simplifies the meal planning process for us because it ensures that I usually already have the meat and pantry essentials. I order almost all of our meat from Butcher shop and i get most of our binders from Thrive Market. (<— both of these links are discounted if you decide to give it a try! Thrive is 40% off your first order and ButcherBox is currently 30% off + free chicken for a year.)
Buying as many staples as possible online means I only have fresh ingredients, like eggs and dairy, in the shop. In addition to being extremely convenient, Thrive Market and Butcher shop they are significantly less expensive than current grocery store prices, so we save a lot of money doing it this way. Aside from that, I also love shopping at Costco because they carry many of our favorite brands and items (like Rao’s pasta sauce, kids salad, organic veggies and berries, salsa, avocado oil, syrup, and almond butter).
Prepare protein and other ingredients in advance
Preparing as many ingredients as possible ahead of time is a complete game changer for busy moms. I like to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, chop up whatever I can for dinner and easy snacks, and whip up some basic proteins. I also usually boil eggs and smoke chicken for the week. Anything you can do, prepare yourself in advance: do it.
I also want to mention that if you can enjoy more convenience items that will make your life easier (like chicken that’s already cooked and cut into pieces), go for it! There’s no shame in doing what you have to do to set yourself up for success.
Use a meal planning template
Using a meal planning template helps a lot if you are planning meals for the week! Just print, add your meals and write your grocery list on the opposite side. Consistency is key to meal planning, and a template gives you a guide you can use each week.
Free weekly meal plan for busy moms
Here is a free weekly meal planning template I created. If you need more help, enter your email address here and I’ll send you a free copy of the meal prep plan! It has my exact meal planning strategy, along with some new recipes.
Here’s a sample food week if you’re looking for meal ideas!
Here’s what we have this week:
Sunday: Steak, grilled asparagus, salad kit, homemade sourdough
Monday: Gluten-free cornmeal chili and salad
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday (out!)
Wednesday: Garlic-Lime Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini
Thursday: Greek bowl (rice, chicken, vine leaves, hummus, tzatziki sauce, cucumbers and olives)
Friday: Takeaway
Saturday: Hodge podge (mix of leftovers and/or breakfast for dinner)
So tell me, friends: do you plan your meals in advance? What’s on the menu this week?
xo
Gina
More:
Our easy weeknight dinners
5 days a day he eats in 1 hour
5 high protein meal prep recipes
Healthy meal prep for a week
