Any other moms getting pretty tired of meal planning? It is a never-ending task that loses a lot of its charm over time, but that doesn’t mean we have to suffer through it day-in and day-out. I have come up with a pretty simplified version of what meal planning in my home looks like and I want to share it with you.
🌿For meal ideas, you may also enjoy: 3-Month Vegan Meal Plan for Families (Easy Weeknight Dinners)
Step 1: Write Down Your Tried & True Meals
Write out a list of meals that are fast, easy, and everyone enjoys. For dinners, have about 10 go-to recipes to bounce between. For breakfast and lunch, maybe more like 5 each. Having these already listed out helps to just point to something and plug it into my calendar. It also helps with keeping track with the grocery list for the week.
Step 2: Plan Out Week
Planning the week is mostly figuring out dinners and then filling in a bit with the breakfast/lunch options that you have in mind. By planning ahead, you will know exactly what you need to buy. Consult the master list you created in Step 1.
A note on food waste: If you have leftover vegetables or anything in the fridge that is on its way out, look online to find a recipe to use with those items first so they do not go to waste. A few really easy ways to use extra veggies: soup, pasta with sautéed vegetables, stir fry over rice, or roasted.
If you have extra beans from last week, make enchiladas, tacos, or burritos.
Extra rice? Quick stir fry or rice casserole.
Greens? Sauté them with a little olive oil and garlic.
But whatever you have left, use them first! This is what will save you money.
Once you made a plan for the things that you have leftover, move onto new ideas and take note of the things you will need. Use a plain ‘ol spiral notebook to joy down the meal plan for the week.
A few tips to make life easier on the dinner front: automat a few things… like Taco Tuesday, Pasta Night, Crock-Pot Day, Pizza Fridays… whatever works for your life. Having these “themes” to work around makes it easier to pick and choose. You could also schedule in “leftovers” if you cook in bulk. So for example, a week may look like:
M – Pasta dish
T – Taco Tuesday
W – Crock Pot meal
Th – Soup Night
F – Breakfast for Dinner or Leftovers
Sa- Pizza or Takeout
Su – Leftovers or something new you have time to try
It doesn’t look as daunting when you have a few “freebie” nights mixed in with leftovers and/or takeout.
Step 2: Grocery Shop Online
This not only saves the time it takes to shop on the weekend, but saves money because you are more diligent about what you are adding to your cart and can meet a specific number by taking away things if need be. We personally use a blend of Aldi, Whole Foods, and Target curbside pick-up, but research what is local and best for you. Pick-up makes life so much easier for busy moms.
Step 3: Prepare Basics
If you want to get ahead, you can prep some basics: a batch of rice, beans in the crock pot, sliced vegetables or fruit, a pot of soup, greens, baked potatoes. Once these things are prepped, it is easy to throw together quick lunches/breakfasts.
Simple Meal Ideas & Recipes
If you are looking for some ideas to jog your inspiration, here are some breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas.
Breakfast Rotation
#1: Nice cream bowls – the perfect sweet breakfast that is cool and delicious. My go-to is usually just bananas, a couple dates, splash of vanilla, and soy milk. Sometimes I throw in a handful of cashews for an extra boost of healthy fat and protein. My kids also like theirs with blueberries and feel like they are eating acai bowls from Florida.
#2: Oats in all forms – in the summer, we really love overnight oats or pancakes made in a large batch on the weekend and frozen for throughout the week. But sometimes we even go for a hot bowl of oats like crazy people! They are fast, filling, and easy to change up.
#3: Toast and smoothie – simple and quick. A piece of sprouted toast with whatever we have on hand to top (Earth Balance, jam, hummus, nut butter, vegan cream cheese, etc.) and a smoothie made with fruit, greens, flax or chia, etc.
#4: Cereal – I always keep a box or two of cereal on hand for the world’s fastest breakfast. My kids like Special K red berries and Life cereal with soy milk.
#5: Chickpea egg sandwich – this is the most intensive, but also really not too time consuming. It is my favorite savory breakfast currently and my kids enjoy it, too. Recipe here.
#6: Cheesy hashbrowns – I buy a bag of frozen hashbrowns from Aldi and add to a sheetpan with my pre-made queso sauce. Bake at 400 F for about a half hour and enjoy with more veg or avocado. My kids love these, too.
Lunch Rotation
I’ll be honest and say that my lunch is almost always leftovers, a loaded hummus and veggie sandwich, or a burrito bowl. I don’t overthink my lunch too much. But my kids are where I get the decision fatigue. So here are the 5 lunches I have in rotation for them. I always serve with a side of fruit or veg and a picking snack like pretzels, popcorn, nuts/seeds, etc.
#1: PB&J or PB&Banana – one likes jelly, one likes banana. Easy.
#2: Chik’n fingers – they really enjoy Gardein chik’n tenders and a dip like maple mustard or ketchup/mayo.
#3: Savory sandwich – one like Tofurky and cheese and the other likes cream cheese and cucumber.
#4: Hummus roll-ups – I like to use lavish bread for these.
#5: Pasta with jarred sauce – I used to my my own sauce but jarred is saving me time these days. Sometimes I will add some white beans, chickpeas, or peas.
Dinner Rotation
#1: Mashed potatoes, baked tofu, and whatever vegetable I have on hand – my husband loves a meal like this. I bake the tofu in my air-fryer, so it is fast as ever. Sometimes I will also serve a grain like couscous or rice.
#2: Pasta with creamy tomato basil sauce – this screams summertime with the fresh basil from our backyard.
#3: Loaded nachos – pretty much dump everything on a sheet pan and heat up. This is a family favorite.
#4: Burgers and fries – we love to fire up the grill in the summer at least once or twice a week for vegan burgers, grilled veggies, and fries.
#5: Tostadas – we enjoy a lot of Mexican cuisine, can you tell? Beans, corn, and rice forever!! But these tostadas are my favorite. I simply air-fry the tortillas and mash up a can of beans with a bit of cumin, salt, and lime juice. Top with lettuce, salsa, cashew sour cream, pickled red onion, avocado, hot sauce, queso… whatever!
#6: Asian Rice Rolls – no cooking required at all. Prepare the veggies, tofu, or noodles you want, soak a wrap, and roll up. The peanut sauce comes together quickly, too.
#7: Falafel wraps or bowls – frozen falafel works in a pinch! Add things such as roasted red peppers, hummus, lettuce, red onion, lemony cashew cream, store-bought tabbouleh.
#8: Corn and potato chowder – this one uses the stove for a bit, but we do love a good summer chowder with some crusty bread and this is my favorite recipe.
#9: Macaroni salad – macaroni salad is a summer staple and this is a great recipe. I have swapped out the Just Mayo for cashew cream since I’ve posted the recipe a while back, but both are great choices.
#10: Enchiladas – I like this recipe because I can quickly prepare it in the morning and then throw in the oven later in the day.
Bored of your master list? Swap out for new seasonal favorites every couple months. There are no rules, just whatever makes your life easier, my friend.
If you’re craving a slower, simpler home, keep exploring:
- 10 Tips for Slow Living with Kids
- 10 Simple Ways to Create a Calmer Home
- Cottagecore Living Ideas (Simple Ways to Embrace a Cozy, Slow Life)
