How I make Meal Planning Decisions every week
I firmly believe that the decision-making process is the hardest part of meal planning and prep.
The rest really is just following directions.
Making the foundation and framework for a plan requires long-term thinking, organization and research, which can drain your mental resources for sure.
But when you have a consistent system in place for how you’ll make those weekly decisions AND a format to write it down and implement, you’re golden.
To be completely transparent, I really resist planning and none of this “comes naturally” to me.
Even when I know that planning will inevitably make my life easier, I still resist it.
I don’t know if it’s just my inner rebel or a reluctance to actually own my plan and implement it, but it's still hard sometimes.
If I wing it or stay “flexible” by not planning at all, I’m also planning to let myself off the hook and I’m more likely to order in pizza or Chinese out of sheer exhaustion or overwhelm.
When I’m tired, the thought of batch cooking or even having the brain space to think now what my family might want for dinner 4 nights from now just feels too much and beyond my capacity. (which is why I pre-decide when I have energy - more on that in a bit)
So, I started visualizing how happy and relieved I will feel when I know there is food in the fridge and I don’t have to make any decisions about what I’ll make. It feels amazing to have made that decision already.
Remember, the pre-deciding is the hardest part. Implementing is the easy part.
Visualizing my calm, happy and nourished future self helps me take action in the moment.
Luckily, my meal planning decision making system has really helped me and I hope it will help you too!
Here’s my process for making weekly meal planning decisions.
First things first. Make planning decisions at a time when you have the most energy and are not depleted from the day. Saturday or Sunday morning works best for me. You have to decide what time frame makes most sense for you.
Once you have that regular planning time in place….grab your calendar and ask yourself the following questions:
Who am I cooking for this week?
In the summer, it’s just me and my husband. During the school year, I also take my 3 teens into consideration. You should have a birds eye view of who will actually be home to eat the meals you make. This past week, 2 of my girls had play practice and didn’t have dinner with us which made my planning so much easier. But, each week might be different.
What plans/activities do I have this week? How busy is it?
Do I have a networking event one night? Is there a girls night out planned? Are we having dinner with the in-laws? Having your calendar on hand will help you determine the basics. If I have lots of extra appointments and events to go to, I may opt to do take-out more than once or batch cook something like a stew to keep in the freezer.
What season is it? What can I make that is in season?
I like to eat food that makes sense with what season we are in. That’s because the food is fresher, often tastes better and makes less of an environmental impact than if the food has to be transported from across the country or another country. Get to know what is in season each month and plan accordingly.
What are my health goals right now?
Sometimes, like in the winter, I make sure to have foods with vitamin D in it and a lot of protein to help with my seasonal affective disorder. When Spring and summer comes around I get really into smoothies again. Sometimes I choose to optimize my week to support focus and brain health because I have a deadline coming up. Knowing your health goals and planning accordingly is an important part of the planning process.
What am I in the mood for?
You may not always have the answer to this but ask yourself the question nonetheless. Sometimes you may realize that you’ve been hankering for soup all week. Or maybe you found a new food blog you love and want to make a dish that looks delicious on that site. Don’t discount what you are craving and desiring - these cravings can be a physical manifestation of a nutrient you may be missing, or perhaps there is a textural element of food that you’re looking for like crunch or creaminess.
What do I already have in the house? Take an inventory.
One thing I used to do is just buy what I want at the store without thinking about what I already have. Inevitably things would go back or become expired or I’d buy more of something that I already have. Now, I use this inventory spreadsheet (make a copy of this in order to edit and use) and do a walk-thru of what I already have on hand and it prompts me to throw out anything that is not looking so great or to use my leftovers in a creative way so I don’t have to waste anything.
Once you’ve answered these 6 questions, you’re ready to take more informed action.
Here are the weekly tools that I use to help me choose recipes and make final decisions.
#1
I use a meal planning kit delivery service 3 times a week. Doing this takes almost half of the decisions away from me for each week and I just have to follow instructions and make the dish. (fyi, this is just for me, not my family because I am vegan and they are not but you can certainly find meal kit services that accommodates whole families)
Interested in learning the differences between over 40 meal kit delivery services and how to get started? Check out my free resource below or click HERE
#2
I developed a Recipe database with over 500+ recipes which can be further filtered and categorized by texture, season, ease, health benefit and more. It comes with a weekly meal planning template where you can simply plug in the recipes from your database into your meal planning template.
Check out how it works below. 👇🏼
For a limited time, its available for only $7 right here!
#3
For more consistent support, join us in the Meal Planning Cub! What is the meal planning club you ask?
Have you ever thought to yourself…if only I had a personal chef
Or wished you had a community of fellow foodies and home cooks to bounce ideas off of for meal planning for the week?
Ever wish you could have the guidance of a Classically French trained chef at your fingertips for cooking advice, demos and secrets from NYC restaurant kitchens?
If you’re into food, cooking at home, and are eager to become a better meal planner and home-cook than listen up.
The Meal Planning club might be for you.
When you become a member of the meal planning club you get:
Weekly strategy sessions with Cooking Q&A with chef Arlene
A semi-weekly PDF document with resources, important links and recipes discussed that week
A vault of over 70 previous strategy sessions for you to binge watch or watch at your leisure.
5 special workshops with chefs
The guidance and support of a culinary nutritionist and eating psychology coach with 20 years experience in education, psychology, behavioural modification and coaching
Learn more and join us here!
Meal planning and making decisions about food doesn’t have to be all-consuming, exhausting or overwhelming. Once you follow a system like the one I outlined above and start practicing it, you will be delighted at how much time this saves you on the back while giving you the relief of already having planned out the whole week in advance. It’s like giving your future self a little gift!
What are some of your top meal planning ideas and resources?
Let me know in the comments below!