Easy Guide How to Meal Plan Weekly for Busy Moms

Sharing recipes and a good meal plan for busy moms is something I think about all of the time. I am constantly asking myself, "how am I going to get healthy meals in my family without a lot of time this week?" The answer of course is a good plan.

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Why Should I Write a Meal Plan?

"When we fail to plan, we plan to fail."

Benjamin Franklin

There are two sides to this story. After a long day or going into busy nights, you may not a lot of time. This is when we find ourselves grabbing fast food, ordering expensive take out, or eating overly processed quick meals from the freezer section at the grocery store.

So this is what we need: a great meal planning system. Let's save time AND get the whole family to eat healthy food. 

Easy Meal Planning Process

The good news is creating a good meal plan only takes a few simple steps. I'm going to take through a system that you will use over and over again to create your weekly meal plan for the upcoming week.

1. See What You Already Have on Hand

Good news! You're not starting from scratch eat week. The first thing to do is take a look in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. Let's use up some of that inventory you already have on hand before spending more money. 

For example, I start with my freezer to see what cuts of meat I have and look at frozen vegetables and fruit. If you want to stock your freezer with marinated chicken, check out these freezer friendly chicken marinades.

Also, check in your pantry for both inspiration and to use what you have. Things like a good jarred spaghetti sauce, canned beans, and similar food items can get you started.

2. Look at Your Calendar

After you figure out what you already have, check your calendar to see what days you have time to cook and which days will have to be quick meals. With sports, long work days, and extracurricular activities, time can be tight. But, we can be strategic and work in some batch cooking on the days we have time. Then when you have a really busy schedule

3. Make a Plan with Recipes

Now we can get into the meat and potatoes of our plan. Once you know which days you will cook, which days will be what I like to call "Take 2 Days," you can start dropping some recipes. I tend to choose two days of the week to cook a big batch of protein like roast chickens, a tri tip roast, or two pork tenderloins. Then I can use that cooked main dish another day of the week and save major time. 

That alone fills in 4 days of dinner. Next, I'll find one new recipe that I want to try, This keeps me fresh and prevents getting into a rut. 

Lastly, I leave one day flexible. We may end up going out with friends or family, or getting a little wiggle room and spontaneity. Day number 7 is straight up leftover night. Clean out the fridge and start fresh. I like this on Thursday because cooked food has a 4 day shelf life. I also feel a different vibe going into the weekend and want that other food gone.

4. Create Your Shopping List

Now that you have your entire week is ready to go, head to the grocery store. If you're tight on time, send that grocery list to your favorite curbside location.

Tips for a helpful shopping list:

1. Write the grocery list in order of how you will walk the store.
2. Save a master list on paper or in your phone so you don't have to start new every time
3. Stick with your list when shopping! Don't get sucked in by sale items or convenience foods that are not on your list. This will be a waste of money and you will end up with food that goes bad in your pantry.

5. Meal Prep Where You Can

After you get from grocery shopping, take a look at what you can prep now to save time, especially for busy weeknights. A great way to set yourself up for easy meals is to portion out and save meat. For example, when I get home from Costco, I separate portions of steak, pork tenderloin, ground beef and chicken breasts into the exact portion I know I want to cook. 

Save your prepped, marinated, and seasoned meat with a Food Saver or whatever vacuum sealer your have. If you don't have, I strongly encourage you to get one. Eventually is will pay for itself.

Another trick for setting yourself up for success is to wash and cut your fresh fruit and veggies all at once. Plus, this is the best way to get your kids to eat healthy snacks. I've noticed that what is ready gets eaten and this totally applies to fresh produce. I also like having fruit and vegetables ready for breakfast and packing lunches.  

Things to Incorporate For When You Write Your Plan

1. Make sure to include a couple family favorites- whether that's taco tuesday, build your own pizza night, or a burger bar, including at least 2 meals that you know your family loves keeps everyone excited to hit the dinner table.
2. Look for helpful freezer meal ideas and big batch recipes that you can use to set yourself up for success on busy night of the week. 
3. Create a Master List of grocery staples. A few of my favorite staples include rotisserie chicken, green veggies like broccoli and green beans, milk, bread, fruit. 
4. Include one or two big batch proteins that can be used for more than one dinner, such as: whole chickens, pork shoulder, 2-3 pound batch of ground beef, double pork tenderloin, 5-6 grilled chicken breasts. Just doing that simple step can take tons of pressure off another day of the week.

Favorite Recipes to Include in Your Meal Plan

• Rotisserie Chicken Stew
• Traeger Pork Tenderloin
• Perfectly Cooked Meatballs
• Twice Baked Potatoes
• One Pan Skillet Enchilada