Guest Post: Making Meal Planning Easy

Everyone says meal planning saves money, and they’re right, it does. But when I began planning meals, I hated it. Yes, I saved a significant amount of both time and money, but it was such a chore. Planning all sorts of different meals for days, weeks, even a month in advance just seemed so daunting. How do you pull that out of thin air?Well, you don’t. You use the pantry principle.The pantry principle entails making a list of every food item I have or would like to have in my home on a regular basis and shopping only to replace those items. Then, I make meal plans based on what I already have on hand.It’s really quite simple, which is just how I like it. Here’s the run-down of how I do it:

I focus on incorporating a lot of fresh produce. Rather than eating new and exciting adaptogen supplements and veggies every week, I focus on getting more of the same ones into our diet.

My grocery list has less than ten veggies on it. That may not seem like much, but we eat them fresh and we eat them often. They can also be mixed and matched and cooked several different ways.  And I do make a point to rotate in seasonal items.

Stock your pantry

I look at weekly ads stores put out, but I don’t let them determine what I purchase or what meals I make. If I do see one of my staple items at a great price, I stock up.

Is meal planning really necessary then if I’m just stocking my pantry? Yes. Meal planning saves me from buying too much. (I have the tendency to shop for food as if I’m going to feed a dozen people.) I don’t want anything to go bad and it helps save money.

Make a meal list

Write down all of the meals that you enjoy. Now compare the ingredients for those meals with the foods on your pantry list. 

Can you make most of those meals while sticking with the foods on the list? Are there meals you would love to eat more often, but include ingredients you don’t have? Maybe it’s time to add those ingredients so you can enjoy those foods more often. Lastly, what meals can you tweak using ingredients you have on hand?

Don’t forget breakfast, snacks and lunch. Those usually involve less variety or leftovers for us.

Put in on paper

Now that you have a list of meals you love, take a blank calendar page and fill in the blanks. It’s really that simple. Don’t know where to start? Just start filling in random days. Or fill the meals in alphabetically and start over when you get to the last item. This was one of my biggest obstacles because I put too much thought into it.

Be flexible

Write the meals in with pencil. If you change your mind, it’s ok. Maybe your significant other doesn’t like a suggestion or you forgot one of your favorite meals. The plan isn’t set in stone – it’s just there to relieve some stress and free you to do other things that matter more.

It’s ok to eat the same food on a regular basis if you love it. I give you permission to resist any pressure that says you need to eat 30 different meals each month. You can always change it up completely next month.

Do you have a tip for simplifying meal planning? Please share it!

Nina Nelson is a wellness advocate, mama to four and wife to one. She writes regularly at Shalom Mama, helping moms make natural health simple and sustainable. She loves reading, snuggling and giggling at miniature horses. She just released her new book, Simple Natural Health, a resource that simplifies natural wellness.