Trouble with meal planning-how do you do it?

[Jerseygrl4Paleo]

Good morning everyone!  (or afternoon..or evening)...

 

So when I look at what I'm going to make in a given week, I tend to get easily overwhlemed.  What are some of your tips for meal planning without:

 

(a) breaking the bank

or

( going nuts cooking like a fiend

 

??

[msssjenna]

I meal plan for 3 weeks ahead (only dinner).  I score over Pinterest boards, and Paleo cookbooks.  I keep it all in an excel spreadsheet.

 

As far as lunch at work, I prep it all on Sunday.  I make a big batch of 1 meal, and eat the same thing every day for 5 days.  (boring, I know).

[Roz Griffiths]

I get my shopping delivered on a Friday & usually cook at least 3 things then. But if you want to avoid that, make extra whenever you are cooking. Making a chili? Make a double or triple quantity & refrigerate or freeze the extra in portions. Roasting some veggies? Roast extra & save the rest for a breakfast or two. Chuck a huge lump of pig in the slow cooker & you've got a ready supply of meat for several days. Poach a chicken in a big pot or slow cooker & you've got cooked meat AND the makings of bone broth! Meatloaves are another good one - I'll make enough mix for 2 loaves, cook one & put the rest of the mix in the freezer. Then i've got enough loaf for dinner, some leftovers to have cold or reheated for a couple of days, plus the same amount frozen to do it all again a few weeks later

[GFChris]

I plan 2-3 days out. Cook ahead of time/in bulk for breakfast and dinner as much as possible. Popular breakfast options for me are baked frittatas  or breakfast casseroles. Dinner is chili, meatloaf, or something in a crock pot. Lunch is leftovers or something easy like sardines and sauerkraut, or chicken, tuna or salmon salad made with paleo mayo and a vegetable of choice.

[pjena]

I usually eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day during a given week and make it ahead of time if possible.  So, on Sunday, I'll boil eggs, bake sweet potatoes and massage kale and then divide it into 5 containers for breakfasts.  I'll also make a huge batch of tuna salad and divide that into 5 containers along with some carrots and celery sticks.  I vary my meals week to week, but having the same thing all week just makes it easier for me.

 

Then, I just have dinner to worry about.  I plan my dinners around my CSA box, my kids' schedules and what we have on hand.  I try to make big meals early in the week to have leftovers for the later.  I have a few easy crockpot meals for super busy nights.  I get my CSA box on Thursday and do my big shop on Friday, so I usually sit down Thursday afternoon with the CSA list and the calendar and plan my meals and grocery lists for the next week. 

 

Having a busy family makes this a necessity, W30 or not.  You get used to it.  Good luck!

[Delaine Ross]

Don't get overwhelmed.  As long as you always have some staples on hand you should be good.  Now just figure out what your staples are.  Mine are

 

1. Ground beef

2. Trader Joe's Marinara

3. Onions

4. Coconut oil

5. Sweet potatoes

 

Or if I'm really lazy:

 

1. Ground Turkey

2. Publix Salsa

 

You can make a quick meal in a pinch with those while you figure out what to do next.

[Xandra]

You know that commercial "Every kiss begins with Kay"?  Well mine is "Every dish begins with kale". I try to start with the dark leafy greens, add meat/fish, add whatever other veg I have lying around, then add some mayo or avocado and call it a meal. A lot of my veg are frozen and steamed in minutes. The meats are pre-cooked in batches. So throwing something together takes almost no thought.

[MrsStick]

I start with my meats personally, and pick recipes for that first. Any secondary ingredients for those recipes (fresh spices, etc.) will be things I look for in my side dish recipes.

 

In the end, at this point (6 months after my last W30), my veggies usually consist of some type of sweet potato dish (hash, baked, roasted in chunks) and maybe one other veggie (sometimes it's a roasted mix of carrot/parsnip/mushroom/broccoli/sweet potato, or steamed broccoli with either olive oil or ghee/butter, or frozen carrot/cauli/broccoli with ghee/butter or olive oil...). I'm trying to eat more seasonably, but I'm not there quite yet. Beets have started showing up in my stores, so I need to try them. 

 

I'm usually a eggs/maybe bacon or sausage for breakfast with either veggies in a scramble or sweet potato on the side. But that's just me!

[Lizitea]

I have a word document with different entree and veg combinations that I like.

 

I have a list of idea with recipes that I haven't tried yet.

 

I read down the list and write my grocery list. Then I go shopping.

 

Then when I get home I have another list of meals that I have in the house. 

 

Once a week or so I go thru the fridge to see what needs eating.....

[ajclemons5]

I'm kind of a lazy "cooker/baker".  I usually plan 3 meals to bake for the week and we eat leftovers or a variation on the other days.  Also, I keep my breakfast and lunches similar the entire week so it's easy to prep.  Egg bake muffins and fruit for breakfast, salad with grilled chicken for lunch, etc.  I cut up all my veggies and have plenty of homemade guacamole on hand for when I'm in a pinch.  It definitely gets easier over time.  I've been eating paleo for almost a year.  Good luck!!