I started weekly meal planning years ago when my boyfriend and I were spending too much money on food, arguing over what to eat each day, and resorting to quick, unhealthy options. I thought, if we could just shop once a week and have everything planned out, life would be much easier.
Easier in the sense of food at least. Wouldn’t it be nice to come home each day and know exactly what your dinner plans were? Taking care of one task like that can impact the rest of the week in a positive way.
My Weekly Meal Planning
Every week, I create a list of meals for the next week along with groceries we’ll need in order to make the meals. We go shopping on Sundays so that we don’t have to do it during the week after work. It’s one less thing we have to worry about when we’re tired and ready to just get home.
There are so many benefits to weekly meal planning. Should you make a plan like this too? I’ve made a list of 7 benefits of weekly meal planning. At the end of the post, you’ll find a couple of meal planning printable bundles that you can use to help brainstorm meal ideas, compile shopping lists, and organize a weekly meal plan!
7 Benefits of Weekly Meal Planning
- Saves you money.
- Keeps you on a routine.
- Saves time.
- Reduces stress and arguments.
- Less temptation for quick or bad foods.
- Opportunity to try new recipes.
- Can still be flexible.
Saves Money
If you’re used to buying food everyday, it can get costly. Convenience is great, but it comes at a price. Even going to the store everyday to get ingredients for a recipe takes time and you wind up buying more than you should because you’re already hungry (note to self: must avoid the bakery and snack aisle!). Meal planning and shopping once a week ensures you’re not overspending.
Keeps you on a routine
Routines are good for us and help us set expectations. If you plan your grocery shopping on the same day every week, it makes scheduling a lot easier. It will help you stay on a daily routine, too, because you’re not making extra stops on the way home. You’ll know exactly what to expect each week, which is so relieving.
Saves Time
Making less stops on the way home will save you so much time! A trip to the store is never under a half hour for me unless I’m picking up one single item. But when do you ever leave the store with just one item? Yes, fast food can be quicker than cooking, but it doesn’t feel great eating it all of the time. Overall, I feel happier and better when I can go straight home and leisurely do the things I need to, including cooking, if that’s the plan.
Reduces stress and arguments
We have all seen the memes and videos about couples arguing over what to eat for dinner. It’s funny because it’s true and so common. Been there, done that, right? When you have meal plans for the week, you don’t have to go through the arguing and stress of what to eat. Having less to argue about is a huge benefit!
Less temptation
I’m all for having fast food every once in awhile. Sometimes we even leave a night open for it. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’d rather not do it more than once a week though. Meal planning takes away the temptation of having quick, easy, bad foods too frequently.
Trying new foods
Meal planning gives you the chance to try new foods. I search Pinterest and recipe sites often and will bookmark or save new recipes to put into meal rotation. I’ve found some great recipes that have become favorites this way! It gives me the chance to keep a variety of meal options and it makes meal planning fun.
Allows for Flexibility
Meal planning doesn’t have to be strict or boring. You can still plan for meals out, whether it’s sitting down at a restaurant or hitting up the drive-thru. At least it’s part of your plan! For our meal plans, we don’t even set the meals for specific days. We refer to our list of meals available for the week and then pick whatever we feel like from the list. And if we’ve had a long day and don’t feel like cooking, that’s our takeout night.
What to use for weekly meal planning
You may be wondering about the best tools to use for making meal plans.
- Notes app: The notes app on your phone is great for planning and you can even share your notes with others. Everyone sharing the note will be able to add things and make changes.
- Whiteboard: A whiteboard is great for displaying meals for the week in your kitchen. Here’s a slim one you can put on your fridge!
- Chalkboard: Many people like to decorate a chalkboard with their meals for the week.
- Pen & paper: printer paper or lined paper works just fine for a meal plan.
- Meal planner printables: You can find pre-made printables to buy/download to use specifically for meal planning.
Printable Meal Planning Bundles
Here’s the meal planning bundle I’ve created….
You get 2 types of grocery lists, dinner idea list to keep track of meals you want to make, a weekly dinner plan you can put on your fridge, and combined meal plan and grocery list so you can have it all on one page. Plus, I’ve included recipes pages so you can write down recipes and keep them in a binder or box.
Wanting more color? Here’s a different bundle.
Your Own Plan
After all is said and done, you have to do what works best for you and your family. Schedules, sports, events, and other plans can definitely add a challenge to figuring out meals. At least you can still make a plan around those things. Making one thing easier in your life trickles down to other things and gives you the opportunity to focus on what’s really important.
Discuss with us
What do you currently do to plan meals, if anything?
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Contact: ashley@peekandponder.com
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