Since our schedules can change every week, it’s important to look at the week ahead and see what you have planned already. As you probably know, Workweek Lunch doesn’t support intentional weight loss and everything we talk about here is to help people like you create a system around food to get more out of life.Īre you ready to make a meal plan step-by-step? These steps will work if you’re meal planning for one or more! Let’s do it together.Ĭlick here to download our free meal planning template! Step One: Look At Your Calendar It’s also why meal planning isn’t just a thing dieters do. Related: Meal Planning with Executive Dysfunction / ADHD You’re also saving money and reducing food waste in the process! You’re taking care of future you by getting ahead of all the stress that comes with figuring out what to buy, cook and eat every day. This is why meal planning, while not sexy, is a form of self-care. And you will always have to come up with meal ideas every day, which takes a lot of mental energy on top of everything else we have to worry about.You’ll probably eat more takeout or bowls of cereal for dinner – which is great if you can afford it or feel great eating cereal for dinner every day (hey, no judgment!) but that’s not the case for most of us.You’re likely to waste the food you come home with since you had no idea what to do with it in the first place.You’ll spend a lot more time in the grocery store, wandering aisles, trying to come up with meals on the fly.Skipping the meal planning process usually makes life more hectic. But sometimes it’s more trouble than it’s worth since we do have to eat multiple times per day! I am all for being spontaneous with food when it makes sense. I wish I had a guide like this when I first started! I had to learn all of this the hard way. Without a plan, I just feel lost! In this post, you’ll learn my step-by-step process for meal planning for beginners.
I can admit it I went a little printable crazy designing this set.Meal planning is one of my all-time favorite weekly routines, and it doesn’t have to be intimidating even if you are a beginner! Every Friday, I sit down and follow the exact steps below to create a meal plan for myself that’s interesting, realistic, full of variety, and most importantly, something I look forward to. In the set you’ll also receive a large shopping list, monthly meal planning worksheet, and a favorite meals list along with other printable organizers, covers, and decorative labels. To see more of what’s included in this 165+ page life binder, be sure to check out the tour by clicking here. This is just a small sample of what’s included in the This Organized Life printable set. Now I know what each item is my fridge is for, and we’re eating so much better than we used to. These meal planners were a game changer for me because it helped me keep track of exactly what we need each week. You guys know I’m a sucker for choices so, as usual, I made two styles: horizontal and vertical.
The grocery list can go with you to the store and be recycled afterwards. With these free printable weekly meal planners you can make your grocery list while you figure out your meals for the week.Īfter your list is made, just cut the meal schedule off and put it somewhere handy like the side of your fridge. I wanted to make a planner that allowed everything to be recorded in one place. This is just one of the five pretty printable cover options including in the meal planning kit! If I don’t plan our meals we pretty much have no chance of eating well so creating a great meal planner was really important to me. Last month, you all were sweet enough to give me your feedback on the exact printables you wanted to see in This Organized Life, and meal planning was at the top of the list! Thankfully, these free printable weekly meal planners solved that problem once and for all. I would make long grocery lists and have great ideas, but when it came time to cook I couldn’t remember what I’d planned to make. Have you ever opened your fridge to see a ton of ingredients and absolutely no idea what to make for dinner?