Are you the type of person that…

• loves a good meal plan ��
• knows things are much less stressful when they have a meal plan ��‍♀️
• researches all the best meal plans online and finds one that everybody says is perfect ��
• tries the perfect meal plan and loves it ��
• abandons the meal plan after two weeks because it’s just too hard to maintain ��

I get you. I’m that person too.

Part of the problem is that someone else’s perfect meal plan isn’t your perfect plan.

Finding a system of planning and prepping meals is very individual. What works for someone else isn’t necessarily going to work for you. You have to be willing to experiment and try a few different systems.

Three ways to approach meal prep/planning:

1️. Thinking to the week ahead and scheduling their meals for each day. This allows for a lot of customization and is best done a day or two before you shop so you can make sure to get all the ingredients. I like to crowd source suggestions from family members or make each person responsible for choosing/cooking one of the eating healthy meals. Keep a running list of your favourites and where the recipe is.

2️. Prepping ingredients. If you’re more free-flowing, you can try batch prepping ingredients. This often works well for households with teenagers who are constantly in the fridge “looking for food” ��‍♀️. You can then take the individual ingredients and quickly create a meal by combining a protein, some veggies, a carb and a source of fat. My favourite prepped foods to have on hand are: grilled chicken breasts, ground beef, rice, quinoa, roasted and cut-up veggies, hard-boiled eggs, pasta, overnight oats, beans, soup and sauces/dressings.

3️. Planning meals by type. For example, every Monday is a soup and salad, Tuesday is tacos, Wednesday is a casserole, Thursday is burgers, etc. This allows for variations on a theme and gives you structure as well as variety.

The key to meal planning success is finding a system that fits your lifestyle. You don’t have to stick to a rigid plan if that doesn’t work for you—mix and match these approaches, or tweak them to fit your needs.

A few final tips to make meal planning easier:
✅ Keep it simple. You don’t need elaborate meals every night. Focus on easy, nourishing options.
✅ Plan for real life. If you know you’ll have a busy evening, schedule a quick meal or leftovers.
✅ Make a master list. Having a go-to list of meals your family loves makes planning so much faster.
✅ Give yourself grace. Some weeks will go smoothly, others won’t. That’s okay! Progress over perfection.

At the end of the day, meal planning should make your life easier, not more stressful. Find what works for you and run with it!