MYND Yourself
with Meal Planning Made Easy
Benefits of Meal Planning
01
Eat Healthier
Prepare home cooked meals with a variety of healthy ingredients.
02
Save Time
Plan ahead to shop more efficiently and stop the daily question of “what should we have for dinner?”
03
Save Money
Spend less money on restaurant food
Minimize food waste
Do you struggle with meal planning?
Do you currently ‘wing it’ when it comes to what to eat for dinner?
Are you running to the grocery store several times per week to pick up things you need for a dinner you just decided to make?
Are you so tired when you get home from work that trying to figure out what to make for dinner is so overwhelming that you get take-out?
Do you buy fruits and vegetables with the intention of eating them but end up throwing them out when they go bad?
Planning your meals each week will help you:
- Eat healthier by preparing home-cooked meals with a variety of healthy ingredients
- Save time by planning ahead to shop more efficiently and stop asking the daily question of “What should we have for dinner?
- Save money by spending less on restaurant food, and minimizing food waste.
Meal Planning 101
Step 1 – Look at your calendar
- Are you going to be home for all your meals this week?
- Are there certain days/evenings that are busier than others, when you need a quicker meal?
- Do you have company coming for any meals?
Step 2 – Look in your fridge
- What perishables do you have that you need to use up?
Step 3 – Grab a piece of paper or open a Google Doc (see example below)
- List out dinner ideas for the week
- Make a grocery list
- Put things in the order you would see them as you travel through the store
- Check the ingredients you need for each dinner
- Check your white board, fridge and pantry for items you’re low on
- Add some items you need for breakfasts, lunches & snacks
Note: If you create a Google Doc with all your typical grocery items listed (Grocery List template), you can use this to make your grocery list from week to week. Highlighted the items you need for this week and/or delete the items you don’t need for this week from your template.
Meal Planning Dinner Ideas & Tips
- Saturday – Soup
- Sunday – Sheet pan meal
- Monday – Slow cooker/pressure cooker meal
- Tuesday – Stir-fry
- Wednesday – Bowl
- Thursday – Pasta
- Friday – Casual
Families (3+ people)
- Make extra servings if the leftovers are appreciated for lunches
- Double a recipe and freeze half for a quick meal on a busy night.
Two People
- If leftovers are appreciated for lunch, make 4 servings per meal (8 servings when doubling for freezing).
- Otherwise, make 2 servings per meal (4 servings when doubling for freezing).
Example of a Doubling & Freezing Schedule
- Week 1:
- Saturday – Soup – make double & freeze half
- Sunday – Sheet pan meal
- Monday – Slow cooker/pressure cooker meal – make double & freeze half
- Tuesday – Stir-fry
- Wednesday – Bowl
- Thursday – Pasta
- Friday – Casual
- Weeks 2:
- Saturday – Leftover Soup
- Sunday – Sheet pan meal – make double & freeze half
- Monday – Leftover Slow cooker/pressure cooker meal
- Tuesday – Stir-fry
- Wednesday – Bowl – make double & freeze half
- Thursday – Pasta
- Friday – Casual
- Week 3:
- Saturday – Soup – make double & freeze half
- Sunday – Leftover Sheet pan meal
- Monday – Slow cooker/pressure cooker meal – make double & freeze half
- Tuesday – Stir-fry
- Wednesday – Leftover Bowl
- Thursday – Pasta
- Friday – Casual
- Repeat Week 2 & 3
One Person
- In cases where it is not easy to make 1 serving meals (e.g. soup or slow cooker meals), make 2-4 servings instead and either freeze the leftovers (in single serving containers) or eat the leftovers for lunch.