How I Meal Plan

One of the best ways to eat healthy is to cook (it’s #1 of my Six Simple Rules), but this is definitely easier said than done for working parents. How do I do it? I make family dinners a priority.

One of the most common reasons I hear for not cooking at home is not having the time. But think of something you do (almost) every day because it’s a priority for you. Is it going to the gym? Or maybe watching your favorite show after the kids go to bed. No, I’m not saying you need to slave away in the kitchen at night when you’d rather be relaxing, I’m just saying there is always a way to find time for something if you make it a priority.

Meal Planning is the most effective way of making sure you have a home-cooked meal on the table every night. It is also the best way to save money on your groceries!

• Start by looking at what you have – some people start with a protein; I usually plan my meals around the veggies I have in the fridge (I’ll explain a little about why below).

• Next, check the weather forecast! What days are best for soup, or what days are going to be too hot to turn the oven on?

• Check your calendar – will you have time for a major Sunday cook-up, or just a couple prep chores like chopping? What days this week will you be late at work or have plans in the evening?

• Get input – ask your family what they want to eat. My husband will sometimes throw out a meal idea that he’s been craving lately. Genevieve will usually say some random thing like waffles; I’m hoping eventually she’ll get a little more involved and helpful. 

• Get inspiration – Grab a couple cookbooks (I usually find myself gravitating towards the same 2 or 3) or pull up your Pinterest board. Is there anything that inspires you and mostly fits in with the main ingredients you have on hand and the weather forecast? When I’m not meal planning, I’m constantly on the lookout for recipe inspiration.

• Want to make it even easier? Make a routine – Mexican food is definitely a favorite in the Beckner household, so we usually have some Mexican-inspired dish every week. Whether it’s taco Tuesdays or pizza Fridays, there’s nothing wrong with a weekly staple, just switch it up a little depending on what you’ve got in the fridge.

• Lastly, and here’s a tough one for a lot of people – don’t rely on recipes! I mainly use recipes for inspiration, but I don’t try to follow them word for word. I change things up to fit with the ingredients I have and the time I want to spend. This definitely leads to some failures (like the time I tried to make mashed potatoes creamier with almonds, don’t ask). But rarely is it totally inedible. Anyway, if you ask Bryan, most things can be fixed with a good dousing of hot sauce!

Find a time during your week where you can sit and go through these steps and write out your grocery list. I find weekly meal planning and grocery shopping works best for us, but I do like to challenge myself occasionally and skip a week of shopping to see what we can make with what we have on hand. The point is to make this work for you; it should be saving you time and money.

A few more thoughts:

We are members of a CSA, meaning throughout most of the year, we get a big batch of veggies once a week. If you aren’t part of a CSA, then start by thinking about what veggies are in season. Not only will this help narrow down options, choosing only in-season produce will make sure it is fresh (the most nutritious and delicious!) and less expensive too. It may also inspire you to try something you wouldn’t normally think of.

Greens first – greens quickly lose their nutrients after being harvested (a great reason to eat local!), so I usually try to use up whatever greens we have earlier in the week.

Don’t forget to factor in cleanup. I’m always looking for recipes with minimal steps and minimal equipment.

Having kids definitely adds a level of complexity to meal planning, but I try not to let it hold me up too much. I usually try to have one ingredient that Genevieve likes (or at least she liked it recently, because you never know with a 2 year old) at each meal. Maybe one meal a week will have all new stuff. My point is, don’t cater to the kids. Kids will eat if they are hungry enough, and the best way to avoid fussy eaters is to have them eat what the adults are eating (and that makes it so much easier on you!). Don’t make a fuss or try too hard to force them to eat anything; I find that every once in a while you will be surprised by what they might try (or even like)!

Two words: freezer meals! Try to make extra when you can so you can save some for a freezer meal when you need it.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Some nights I just don’t feel like cooking. It doesn’t bother me if we have takeout or boxed mac and cheese every once in a while because we are eating well most of the time.

A note on nutrition:

As I said before, I usually start with the veggie(s) I want to use then decide on a protein (this can be meat, fish, eggs, beans or other plant-based protein). Veggies should be the main part of the meal (I’ll say it again – veggies.should.be.the.main.part.of.the.meal), a small amount of protein next (a serving of meat should be no larger than the size of your palm), and then some carbs if you’d like. Many veggies are quite high in carbs, but there’s nothing wrong with adding in (brown) rice, (whole wheat or gluten free)pasta, or good crusty sourdough bread to bulk out a meal.

This is definitely backwards from how most people put together a meal, but not only is it better for you, veg-based meals cheaper too (and better for the environment). Shoot for at least 2-3 servings of veggies at dinner with 1 serving of protein.

Excited? Overwhelmed? No biggie. I work one on one with moms to help them fit healthy eating into their busy lives.

​Don’t forget to download my free CALM mom guide here