Have you ever aimlessly wandered the aisles of the supermarket trying to think of what to make for dinner and feel like you have never made dinner before in your life? Like there is not one idea in your brain on what you could possibly make for dinner. But at the same time feeling like the monotony of doing this is just more than you can take? Well, that’s where the 5 Minute Meal Plan might help you.

I have been there many times. When I feel like shaking myself and saying, what’s wrong with you?? Snap out of it. Just think of something for goodness sake.

Well, there is an answer to those supermarket prayers….the meal plan. Let’s take a quick look at why meal planning is so important.

• It makes life easier. You won’t have those moments of stress about what to make for dinner.
• It saves you trips to the store. And who doesn’t like the sound of that? Especially trips to the store around dinnertime, when it’s packed with people in the same boat as you.
• It saves you money. Having the plan will make writing the grocery list easier. You’ll be less likely to buy stuff you don’t need and more likely to use the stuff you do buy. Plus, you’ll be less likely to say screw it and order takeout!
• It’s healthier. You’re more likely to make healthy dinners when you have a plan. And more likely to eat a balanced diet when you plan what you’re eating for the week. When I’m rushed and scrambling I am much more likely to reach for packaged convenience foods than healthier options. And, again, you’ll be less likely to fall back on pizza or fast food!

I can bear witness to the fact that the weeks I have a meal plan in place are much smoother than the ones when I don’t. I save myself that panic that sets in around the time the kids get home from school, and those dreaded trips back to ShopRite for the fifth time that week. We eat better, dinnertime is less stressful, we have leftovers for lunch, everyone is happier.

You may feel like meal planning is a waste of time, but I promise it doesn’t have to take long, it gets easier and faster once you’ve done it a few times, and the few minutes you do spend on it will be worth it.

How to Make a Meal Plan in 5 Minutes

1. Write out the days of the week (or use a pretty printable). Like literally chicken scratch an M, a T, a W, a Th, an F, an S and an Su on an old envelope if you have to. Or make it pretty if that makes you happy 🙂
2. Take a look at your calendar. Which nights will be busy? Plan a quick recipe like 15 Minute Chicken for that night. Or maybe a crockpot recipe like Hearty Beef & Butternut Squash Stew.
3. Pick a dinner for each day of the week. If you’re going out one night, put it on there. If you know you’ll order pizza on Friday, put it on there. Then plug in those dinners for the other nights.
4. Jot down breakfast and lunch options to have on hand. You can get more involved with meal planning and include breakfast, lunch, and snacks. But to keep things simple, start with dinner. It’s the most important as far as planning goes. While you might eat the same thing for breakfast every day, no one really wants to eat the same thing for dinner every day. I just like to have a general idea of what kind of lunches we’ll need. Our breakfasts are pretty much the same week to week.
5. Make a grocery list. Check your freezer, fridge, pantry, cabinets to see what you have in the house first.

And that’s really it! The hardest part is #3, but there are ways to make that easier. One is to create a master list to work from. Create a list of all the dinners you make and cycle through the list. Keep your old meal plans too. You can use them for ideas! Another idea is to have a theme for each day of the week; this will give you some direction and narrow down your choices. Here’s an example:

I like to make a plan on Saturday and go shopping on Sunday. Whenever possible, I try to do some food prep on Sunday, too. I also like to make big meals early in the week so we have leftovers for lunches. Making a big dinner that can be used for another night’s dinner is a great time and stress saver too!

My final tip is to keep the plan visible. I have a pretty chalkboard I write my dinners on. You can also pin a paper meal plan to a bulletin board or tape it to a cabinet or the refrigerator. Just having it in sight will help you stick to it and it will reduce stress over what you’re having for dinner. If you’re having company you can hide the ratty old envelope you wrote your list on….but don’t forget to put it back in sight.

If you don’t get to make a meal you planned, that’s ok. Freeze the ingredients. Don’t feel like you’re stuck with what you planned if something comes up. But at least you’ll know going into the week that you have ingredients in the house to make healthy dinners for your family each night.

Meal planning can simplify your life, make eating healthy easier, save you money, and maybe even help you lose some unwanted pounds! You’ll be happier, your loved ones will be happier. All from taking 5 minutes to jot down those dinner ideas.