Does the question “What’s for dinner?” make you sigh in frustration? You’re not the only one. Many of us come home after a long day, open the fridge, and realize the chicken is still frozen or the ingredients don’t add up to a real meal. That’s when take-out becomes the easy fallback—again. But hey, here’s the good news: meal planning can change that.
So, before heading to the shop, map out your week’s meals. It goes beyond just saving. It helps you eat healthier, cut food waste, and spend less. With a little prep, meal planning turns stressful evenings into smoother, simpler nights around the table.
What Is Meal Planning?
Meal planning is simply taking a little time to map out your meals and snacks before the week begins. Instead of guessing what to cook each day, you make intentional choices that fit your lifestyle and goals—whether that’s eating a balanced diet, managing weight, handling food allergies, or supporting specific health needs. It usually means deciding what dishes to make, noting portion sizes, writing a grocery list, and matching meals to your schedule.
Its benefits are big. Meal planning helps you eat healthier, save money, cut down on take-out, and make better use of your time. It’s a straightforward way to bring structure and consistency to your eating habits.
Richard Uzelac’s Meal Planning Method
- Plan Before You Shop.
A few days before grocery shopping, I map out meals for the upcoming week. This tells me what needs thawing, what should be prepped ahead of time, and even which dishes require marinating the night before.
- Build from Trusted Recipes.
I keep a folder of go-to recipes that I know work well. Portions depend on my goals: sometimes I cook just enough for one meal, other times I double up for freezer meals, lunches, or to reuse ingredients in a different dish. For example, a pork roast one week becomes stir-fry the next.
- Use Meal Kits as Training Wheels.
Services like Hello Fresh gave me a good sense of portion sizes, ingredients, and flavor pairings. Now, I often recreate those dishes on my own with store-bought ingredients.
- Embrace Shortcuts.
Meal planning isn’t about gourmet cooking every night. I happily use bagged salads, simmer sauces, pre-grated cheese, and other time-savers. They’re cheaper than take-out and make busy nights easier.
- Keep a Running List.
On the fridge, I keep a notepad for jotting down new meal ideas and staples we’re running low on. When it’s time to plan the next week, I already have a head start.
Repurposing Leftovers in Meal Planning
One of the smartest ways to save time and money is to plan meals with leftovers in mind. Here’s how to make it work:
- Cook once, eat twice.
When you make a big meal—like roast chicken or baked salmon—plan to use the extras for a different dish later in the week.
- Transform ingredients.
Leftover chicken can become fried rice, tacos, or a hearty soup. Cooked vegetables can be blended into sauces or added to omelets.
- Freeze for the future.
If you don’t want to eat the same thing twice in one week, freeze portions for a quick meal on a busy night.
- Keep it creative.
Think of leftovers as building blocks. Yogurt from one recipe can top granola, extra rice can be used in stuffed peppers, and roasted veggies can be tossed into salads.
- Reduce waste, save money.
Plan to repurpose ingredients. With this, you cut food waste and stretch your grocery budget further—all without getting bored.
Smart 1-Week Meal Plan with Built-In Leftovers
Monday:
Main Meal: Baked lemon herb chicken with roasted potatoes and broccoli.
Tip: Cook extra chicken breasts to use tomorrow.
Tuesday:
Leftover Twist: Chicken and broccoli stir-fry with brown rice (using Monday’s extra chicken).
Wednesday:
Main Meal: Turkey chili with beans, served with cornbread.
Tip: Make a double batch to repurpose on Thursday.
Thursday:
Leftover Twist: Chili-stuffed baked potatoes topped with shredded cheese and green onions.
Friday:
Main Meal: Sheet-pan salmon with asparagus and quinoa.
Tip: Cook extra salmon fillets.
Saturday:
Leftover Twist: Salmon grain bowls with quinoa, spinach, cucumber, and a light yogurt dressing.
Sunday:
Night Off: Take-out or dinner out!
Ways to Improve Your Meal Planning Efforts
If meal planning feels like a struggle, you’re not alone. Staying consistent week after week can be tough—but a few simple shifts can make the process smoother and more sustainable. Here are some ways to improve your meal planning efforts so you can keep balance, consistency, and personalization in both your meals and fitness routine.
- Simplify Meal Preparation
When you’re just starting out, don’t overcomplicate it. Choose easy, nutritious recipes that use ingredients you already know and can prep quickly. The simpler the process, the easier it is to stick with meal planning long term.
- Cater to Individual Tastes
Cooking for others? Take into account dietary needs and personal preferences. Build weekly “menus” around flexible recipes so one dish can serve multiple tastes without requiring four separate meals.
- Plan for Hectic Days
Busy schedules happen. On weeks full of practices, meetings, or late nights, plan meals that take little effort—think salads, wraps, or slow cooker recipes that can be prepped in advance and reheated when needed.
- Embrace Batch Cooking
Cooking in bulk saves time, money, and stress. Preparing large portions for later use ensures you always have a healthy option on hand—whether it’s dinner for the family or quick lunches for the week.
If you’re still a little stressed about making meal planning, there are tools out there that make the process faster, simpler, and way less stressful. Apps like MeaLime let you choose a meal style—classic, vegetarian, flexitarian—and then automatically build a weekly plan with a ready-to-go shopping list. If you prefer something done-for-you, The Real Food Dietitians offer balanced, downloadable meal plans based on seasonality, helping you save money while eating fresh. And for variety, Skinny Taste publishes new meal plans every week, complete with printable sheets and grocery lists.
Once you have the right resource, I know meal planning will stop feeling like a chore and start becoming a seamless and enjoyable part of your routine.
