Meal planning has been a essential key to our healthy eating success. If it weren’t for planning my meals in advance, we would be ever so tempted to order take out cause we like to eat when we are hungry. It also helps us to save money, but that’s for another blog post.
1. I use Google calendar to schedule meals, which I share with Eric so he knows what’s on tap for the night. (This calendar is also sinked to our phones). All meals are color categorized for easy viewing.
2. I use the same calendar for daily tasks and meetings, so it is easy to plan the type of meal I need. For nights I’ll be out at a meeting, I’ll plan a crock pot meal or something I’ve already prepared so Eric can have dinner ready when he’s hungry.
3. Throughout the week, I’ll get inspired with meal ideas and I’ll go ahead and add it to the calendar. I source the recipe so that I can easily reference ingredients (see below).
4. If there are any gaps in the meal plan on Sunday, I finish it up before going to the grocery store so that I can make a shopping list.
Do you plan your meals too? How do you do it?
Hi I’m Kristina LaRue, RD (registered dietitian nutritionist), Peloton addict and mama to two active and hungry boys. On Love & Zest, you’ll find healthy-ish recipes that fuel the whole family. I’m all about veggie-filled breakfast, meal prep recipes, healthier sweets, and easy weeknight dinners made in the Instant Pot or sheet pan.
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I definitely meal plan, too, but it's a little more loose — I come up with a breakfast and lunches plan, and a couple of dinners to cook over the weekend with my boyfriend, and the leftovers usually last me most of the week. We don't always cook the meal I planned on cooking on the given day, but then I have those ingredients on hand for another time!
I like your weekend strategy! It's so fun to cook together. We sound similar in our meal planning strategies…I treat meal planning as a guide… we don't always cook the foods planned either, often we'll feel in the mood for another item, but in general I have what I need when I need it. Meal planning helps especially on nights when I'll be out and need a dinner cooked in advance. We don't plan b/l.. just have general items + leftovers/salads
I have never really been into meal planning. I just come home, see what there is to eat, and make it!
maybe i'm just type A.