You Can Learn to Cook Part 1: Your Meal Plan
There is something I need to seriously address:
Cooking is not difficult, or at least it does not have to be.
I try to present as many super simple recipes on this site as I can, but I am going to break it down even more for you in a several part series.
Part 1: Your Meal Plan
Too many make the mistake of buying too much at the grocery store and then throwing out rotten, stinky lettuce at the end of the week. That is very discouraging, and a big waste of money. Further, if you plan ahead, you won’t find yourself staring into the fridge at 7 PM, hangry like crazy, with nothing in mind to cook.
How to prevent that? Make a plan! It is easier to show you than explain…
My meal plan two weeks ago.
I knew the following:
-Over the weekend I would be eating out.
-Monday I would still be stuck in Rhode Island and would be having people over for dinner at my dad’s house.
-Wednesday I would have a lot of errands to do (laundry, housekeeping, etc) so dinner should be simple
-We were going snowboarding over the weekend in NY and wouldn’t want anything to go bad.
-I have been trying to increase the protein in my diet while still enjoying balanced meals with my husband.
Here is the meal plan I made:
Monday dinner: salmon, asparagus, broccoli, potatoes, bread (RI)
Tuesday dinner: on the road (bring salad with me)
Wednesday dinner: turkey burgers, baked sweet potato fries for me, regular potato fries for PB
Thursday: za’atar breaded yogurt chicken & roasted eggplant
Friday: on the road up to the mountain, make sandwiches with leftover turkey burgers
Lunches for PB: leftovers from dinners, small yogurts, mini blueberry scones, oranges, bread to make sandwiches with the leftovers
Lunches for RG (including afternoon snack): grilled chicken salads with croutons and dried cranberries, Luna protein bars, golden delicious apples
Breakfasts for PB: bagels with cream cheese or eggs
Breakfasts for RG: mini whole wheat bagels with peanut butter and banana
It might seem crazy that I basically plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner for PB and I at the beginning of the week, but we save so much money by doing that. Of course our kitchen is pretty well stocked so we can always change our minds. However, planning this way keeps things creative (I try about one or two new recipes a week) and keeps us always prepared.
How do I pick the meals?
For the lunches I have a vague formula I follow for PB: a main item, a yogurt, a fruit, something fun, and maybe something else if lunch is smaller than usual. For my lunches I always have a smaller, 300-400 calorie lunch, plus a large balanced snack with a little protein, fat, and carbs. It usually is something slightly sweet but mostly healthy to keep my sweet tooth happy. You can also get help from experts like an online naturopath that can provide meal plans in Mooresville, NC.
For the dinners: I think about that day. Do I have a meeting that night? Will I be tired from the weekend or will we not be too hungry from a dinner out the previous evening? I then craft my menu around those plans. I always keep salad ingredients in the house and can always make a salad if our dinner is missing a vegetable, and I try to have a protein source and a carbohydrate source at each dinner. If we are going to be busy or tired one night I try and make something that is quick and easy. If, however, I know we have no plans that night, I might take on a more ambitious meal.
Our basic dinner formula is: a protein (from beans, fish, organic poultry) and a carbohydrate (pasta, rice, couscous, whole wheat bread, potatoes) with some sort of vegetable. If a vegetable comes to mind that easily goes with the meal or we are craving something specific I will buy it. If not I will make a big salad with lots of vegetables to eat with our dinner.
The next step is to find recipes to make, which will be the topic of the next part of this series, followed by market shopping!
18 Responses to “You Can Learn to Cook Part 1: Your Meal Plan”
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I feel so much calmer when I plan meals and have what I need on hand. When we got back from vacation last week, I was a mess with an empty fridge and crazy schedule! I wrote a few guest posts for Plummelo.com which is a great site for meal planning and recipe storing, very helpful!
I have recently started to take a similar approach to meal planning like you do. It has saved us a bunch of money, but also my sanity. I am so indecisive as well as lazy if I don’t have a plan, so it helps to plan things out if you ask me.
I can’t wait for next weeks post!
These are great tips! I always meal plan and it saves us money AND calories! 🙂
I think planning ahead is SO important, even if it’s only a day ahead of time. If you can just figure out where you’ll be at your meals (aka at home or out), you can decide whether you pack a lunch or not and not waste money because you’re stuck away without anything to eat.
FABULOUS tips! Can’t wait to read more!
Great tips! I love planning for a few days (4) and then letting Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays follow a loose plan. I always incorporate balance and we always save because we have lunch for at least 4 days a week.
I love when I actually plan meals…mostly dinners. But I can see how planning lunches/breakfasts would be very helpful too! I’m liking this idea!! You’re so organized 🙂
Love this post- this is exactly how I plan our meals out too! yes, I also consider breakfast, lunch & dinner for both of us! I don’t actually understnad how people go to the food store without a plan and list! I think I’d be in there for hours trying to figure out what to buy!!
that is great that you plan out the meals. I try to do that as well because you are right, it does save a lot of money and ends up being a lot healthier. It’s just hard when I’m feeling lazy, but I still try to eat fairly balanced on lazy nights too.
Wow, that is quite extensive – not in a bad way, just I am too scattered for that I guess.
Also, I saw your comment on Meghann’s blog about baking mixes – usually it will say w/t the nutritional info is for the mix or baked with other ingredients – if it doesn’t, I assume it’s just the mix.
I wish I was organized enough to plan all those meals!! Someday I’ll get there 😉
You are so organised! Love it! I plan my meals too. First of all, it helps to save money. Second, you are more likely to eat healthy if you plan your meals out. Third, you don’t end up eating out.
I am a big list maker and I like to be organised. I think that it also helps me manage my time better too.
Looking forward to your grocery shopping post.
I eat SO much better when I plan! My husband thinks it is funny that what we are having for dinner is something we talk about at 7 in the morning… but…you’re right, economically, and health-wise, it makes good sense….now, about that beautiful looking drizzly yummy cake in the picture….?!
Love it! i have to plan like this as well, or I end up eating totally random food, with nary a veggie to be seen!
I can totally relate as I too work from home. Time management is my biggest problem with working from home. It is so easy to get distracted with household tasks or that errand that needs to be ran. I also look forward to the days that I get to dress up and get out of the house. I live in my sweats!!
Oops, left the comment on the wrong post!!
I enjoy meal planning and look forward to it! My boyfriend and I plan out the week together and write it on a white board in the kitchen. Then we go shopping together for everything on Saturday afternoon. It’s a fun way to spend time together. Is that weird? heeheehee!
I’m learning to cook now and am hopeful that I will succeed!
We always used to eat out before 3 kids came along in the last 3 1/2 years…time to become a chef master 🙂