At the end of a busy week, the last thing you probably want to do is bust out the pen and paper, put on your thinking cap, and write out a meal plan for the week. But this process doesn’t need to be time intensive or a drain. 

As is the case with most goals, starting small can make a big difference. And as soon as you – and your wallet – feel the benefits of this little weekly ritual, you won’t regret giving it a try.

What is meal planning?

Simply put, meal planning means you’re establishing a menu for one or more of your meals in a given time frame. We like to plan for a week at a time, for the meals we know we’ll be at home. But starting out, even if you only plan for one or two home-cooked dinners, that’s a major win!

The two most important things when planning a meal are that it’s balanced nutritionally, but also that you’ll like it!

Meal planning tips

It can be helpful to start with a list of some of your favorite foods from each of the macronutrient groups, just for a reference point.

From there, pick which meals you are going to plan and how many days worth of options you want. For each meal, select a protein, fat, and carb – one of which should be a fruit or veggie. It can be helpful to create a chart, like the one below: 

Then use the chart to compile a grocery list. Going to the store with a set list of items to buy can help you purchase only what you know you’ll use, which cuts down on food that might wind up going to waste, and saves you money, too. 

As you get more comfortable with the concept of meal planning, you’ll start recognizing ingredients that can be used for a wide variety of tasty dishes. You can even start to shop by categories:

• Whole grains, like quinoa, rice, microwavable grains, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, tortillas, or crackers

• Proteins like frozen chicken/fish, canned legumes, ready-to-eat tofu, frozen falafel/veggie burgers, and eggs

• Fruits and vegetables (frozen, pre-washed salads/leafy greens, canned, shredded, spiralized, etc.)

• Fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, and nut butter

• Dips/condiments like hummus, guacamole, pasta sauce, dijon mustard, or vinegar

If you’re feeling particularly inventive or creative, you can compile seemingly infinite recipes if you have enough variety of ingredients from each category on hand.

Ingredients that work harder

Here’s a sample grocery list that is highly adaptable and includes plenty of ingredients that mix and match well to create a range of tasty and balanced meals.

Staple items

Whole grains:

• Quinoa

• Rice: brown, wild, black

• Cous cous

• Tortilla: whole wheat, sprouted, spinach, tomato

• Pasta: whole wheat, legume-base (black bean, lentil, chickpea)

• Noodles: rice, soba, udon, egg

Vegetables

• Frozen vegetables

• Fresh, pre-cut, pre-washed

• Salad greens (spinach, mixed greens) pre-washed

• Raw vegetables

• Canned vegetables

Proteins:

• Canned legumes (beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils) - rinse well before using

• Veggie burgers, veggie "meatballs:, falafel

• Animal sources: eggs, fish, chicken fillets, rotisserie chicken, turkey burger, lean ground turkey

• Tofu block, soy-based products

• Nuts and seeds

Items like fresh produce, eggs, meats, and others are perishable. But you’ll notice that we like to stock up on foods that have a longer shelf life, whether they’re frozen, canned, or dried. These ingredients are not just versatile, they afford you some wiggle room! 

You never know when you’ll have a last-minute work dinner or a super stressful day and don’t feel like cooking. Or on the other side of the coin, maybe you ran out of time over the weekend to load up on groceries and need to put together a quick dinner in a pinch – with staples like these on hand, you can.