How to Meal-Plan Once & Stop Stressing About It

plus here are my five kick-butt meals and variations

Meal planning can feel overwhelming and burdensome, but by now I think most of us know by experience that it’s probably something you have to do or you’ll overspend on groceries and/or takeout.

Here’s a huge tip I’ve learned from other people who have their act together more than I do: plan once and repeat. All you have to do is figure out five kick-butt dinners that you know how to make and that serve your family well. It helps to also think of some variations so you can mix things up for the sake of taste preferences, what’s in season, what’s on sale, etc.

The other two days of the week are for “Leftover Buffet” and “Scrounge or Eat Out.” (The word scrounge makes me giggle and it just means we look around the freezer and pantry and improvise what’s for dinner.) It’s helpful to “plan once” for your breakfast and lunch options as well. You might want to change your “Plan Once” meal plan by season or stick with it indefinitely.

If you don’t have five meals you love, check out a YouTube channel like Pro Home Cooks…Super inspiring and doable meal ideas.

Here’s what’s on my meal plan for most weeks and the basic instructions for how to prepare them. Sometimes I feel super-inspired and want to try a lot of new meals, and sometimes I feel super drained and we rely heavily on what I’ve stashed the Trader Joe’s freezer aisle. But it’s nice to know that I can always fall back on my 5 Kick-Butt Dinners and Variations when I meal-plan.

Most of these meals can be adapted as vegetarian.

Breakfasts

• Smoothie bowls

• Instant oatmeal

• Cinnamon-honey-butter toast

• Egg and cheese sandwiches on English muffins

• Kodiak Cakes on electric griddle

spinach-mango smoothie with frozen blueberries, storebought granola, slivered almonds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds

Lunches

• Leftovers

• Turkey-and-cheese sandwiches

• Naan, soft-boiled eggs, and veggies

• Cheese board/snacking platter

my kids and I all ate from this one plate: toasted Trader Joe’s garlic naan, soft-boiled eggs, and some obligatory vegs

Dinner #1: Crock Pot Stew

• Beef or venison stew: sauté meat, garlic, and onions and put in crock pot with carrots, onions, potatoes, broth, and seasonings

  

• Fejoida: soak black beans overnight then drain, rinse, and put in crock pot with some beef and/or ham, broth, and seasonings; serve with rice and oranges or plantains

• White bean stew: soak Great Northern beans overnight then drain, rinse, and put in crock pot with ham, garlic, and seasonings; serve with toast and salad mix

Dinner #2: Fancy Pasta

• Carbonara (pasta, Parmesan, egg yolk, peas or broccoli, sometimes bacon)

• Ramen (noodles, rotisserie chicken, broth, carrots, soft-boiled eggs)

• Be creative and nutritious: chickpeas, radishes, sage, lemon, Pecorino, whatever

Dinner #3: Meat and Three (Or Omit Meat)

• Grilled fish or chicken, mashed potato/cauli, balsamic-glazed brussel sprouts, fresh fruit

• Pork or venison loin and any combination of broccoli, salad kit, roasted vegs, etc.

  

Dinner #4: Coconut Curry

I’ve been making this nearly every week since April 2022 and it is still a huge hit; that’s some proof that you don’t need to mix up your menu plan too much.

Sauté a trinity of garlic, onions, and ginger in olive oil. Add chunks of chicken breast (about 1 lb) with salt and pepper and let it get brown. Add two or three cans of coconut milk and a couple pounds of chopped carrots. Stir in a significant amount of garam masala and curry powder and keep tasting it, adding salt as needed. Keep cooking and reducing liquid until the carrots and chicken are tender and the flavors and just right. (Remember to taste your curry a lot.) Serve with basmati rice.
It. Is. Magic.

Dinner #5: Sheet Pan or One-Pot

• Chicken breasts and fajita vegetables with southwest seasonings

• Vegetables roasted under/with a fatty meat (chicken thighs, kielbasa) with herb/pepper seasonings

• Stir fry with whatever I have

• Try something new (watch Youtube videos or get cookbooks from the library)

Chicken thighs, olives, white beans, broccoli, orzo, with seasonings (could also qualify as Fancy Pasta)

As a reminder, the other two big meals of the week are reserved for Leftover Buffet and Scrounge, excellent opportunities for using paper plates and giving yourself a freaking break.

I’d love to hear about your five kick-butt meals 😋

And if you’re in a season where you just can’t muster much when it comes to making meals…whew. You’re seen. I’ve been there. I’m sure I’ll be there again as other hard times come. During the first trimester of one of my pregnancies, I couldn’t stand up long enough to slice an apple without feeling nauseous. Plus my husband was working 70-hour weeks and couldn’t help much. We did a lot of microwaved hot dogs during that time because it was truly the best I could manage for awhile. But it was a season. Seasons exist. You’ve got people cheering you on. ♥️

But I do hope you enjoy preparing food for yourself and your family. I hope your kids get to be involved and that all of their senses get to be delighted by the process. And I hope this simplifies your life, too. Plan once. ❤️

I hope you have a great week.

Warmly,

Hope from Family Scripts