Meal Plan Monday {3 Simple Steps}

Last week I shared my meal plan printable and had a lot of questions about meals and other things pertaining to the way I meal plan. So this week, I decided to continue the #MealPlanMonday madness and share some other meal planning tips with you guys.

Meal planning isn’t really that hard. Like I said last week, it takes some time, but it is so incredibly beneficial. I’ve created a guide to meal planning in three easy steps. Hopefully they help you!

1. Decide on the meals you want.  This is the most time consuming step, especially if you have other people you are trying to feed as well. While I’m all for the “you eat what you are given” method, I’d never cook or plan to cook a meal I knew Thomas wouldn’t touch, it’s just silly and a waste.
Find meals on Pinterest using key words. Search things like “easy Asian dinner ideas,” or “low calorie lunches,” or simple dinner ideas.” Narrowing down your search from things like “dinner meals” will really make a difference, and you will see something other than the same meals over and over again.
Use other methods of searching. Pinterest is fabulous, but it can become a little repetitive after a while. Hit up good old Google or grab a seasonal food magazine from the store. Some of my favorite recipes are from he strangest places.

Above is my meal plan for this week! You can click on any of the meals and it will take you to the recipe link, give it a try.

2. Lay out your meals using my meal plan printableBeing able to see every single meal you want laid out, will help you decide not only exactly what you need from the store that week, but what meals can be turned in to leftovers.
Laying out your meals on the meal plan printable is the tale tell sign if you eat too much of one thing. For me, that thing is usually Mexican food, but whatever. I’m always careful to make sure I’m not eating a certain meat too many days in a row, or having the same veggies three times a week.

3. Go through each meal & write down the ingredients needed from the store. Meal planning is great and all, but if you don’t actually go to the store, all of your hard work was pointless. I start with the first meal of each week, usually Monday morning’s breakfast, and write down the ingredients needed, then to Monday lunch, then dinner and so on and so forth. Going meal by meal allows me to see what I need from the store versus what I already have in my pantry, and it also tells me if I need to buy more of one item or another.

In addition to this weeks meal plan, you can check out my Dinner board on Pinterest for more inspiration for your weekly meals!
What are you cooking up this week? Any questions for me? Be sure to leave them below!

 

 

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21 comments

  1. YAAAS! I'm so happy you're talking more about meal planning because this girl needs some help! Haha 🙂 I totally need to write down the ingredients I need from the store because I always seem to forget stuff when I'm making a recipe!

    X,
    Cristina
    cristinawashere.com

  2. This is awesome! Meal planning saves so much money, and it makes life a heck of a lot easier!

  3. I really need to do this!! I am so bad about spending lots of money on random stuff at the grocery store and then forgetting main ingredients to make the actual meal!! This would be so helpful!

    xo Ashley

  4. Eating at home more is one of my goals for the summer so this printable is perfect! I can't wait to meal plan next week.

    Xoxo,
    Amanda
    Trulyyoursa.com

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