Meal Planning 101

You don’t have to be an ace in the kitchen to eat well. Our guide makes meal planning easy as 1-2-3.

1: Plan Your Menu
Start with a calendar: paper, digital or app (we love Paprika). Plug in all activities for the week so you can plan for freezer meals on sports nights, or three-course meals on a leisurely Sunday. Then gather together your tried-and-true recipes. If eating healthy is a goal, check out Skinnytaste, the South Beach Diet and Weight Watchers for fitness-friendly recipes. 

2: Make a List
Make your life easier by printing out copies of your recipes. With Paprika, you can import recipes, plug them into a weekly menu, even generate a grocery list. Otherwise, write out your list. And while this may sound super type-A, organizing your list by aisle saves tons of time (think produce, meat, dairy, etc.).

3: Stock Up
Before you leave the house, shop your pantry and fridge to avoid buying duplicates. And let’s get real: grocery shopping is best done alone. Think of it as “me time” (with groceries).

Bonus: Meal Prep
Meal prep is an entire post on its own, so let’s just cover the basics:

•    Have a few freezer soups and chilis on hand for busy nights. 
•    Batch cook rice, quinoa or beans and roast some veggies for easy salads and sides. 
•    Roast a chicken or grill extra steaks to slice over greens and grains. 
•    Mason jar salads are perfect for eating lunch at your desk. 
•    Have the kids fill their bento boxes each night to simplify the morning routine.

Planning your meals can save a ton of time, money and frustration. And who knows? Maybe you’ll never have to hear, “What’s for dinner?” again. 

What are your tips and tricks for getting dinner on the table? Do you have any go-to recipes to share?