Create a Meal Plan You are Excited About!

Meal Planning is something I have done for years… almost 11 years now actually! It is something that I don’t consider a chore, but a necessary part of the week.

When I lived in Milwaukee, I went to the grocery store every.day. Alex and I were engaged and had just moved in together and one of our favorite activities was eating out (and Milwaukee has the BEST food - even better than Chicago - gah! I said it, I know) BUT with our opposite schedules (I worked nights at the time) it just wasn’t possible everyday and I took it on as my duty to (learn to) cook.

I had a new pots and pans and was excited to learn how to use them! I had never really been a cook. My mom always cooked growing up and in college I was in a sorority, so I didn’t even have the option.

I found myself going to the grocery store every.single.day with the dilemma - what should we have for dinner?!

At the time, I liked it. I went to different stores and really learned about food and brands and what I liked/didn’t like. This was around the time when I switching over to all “clean” food so I would spend a TON of time reading labels. (This was a much harder chore 12 years ago than it would be today, I think.)

Now, I know what I like and what lives up to my food standards, for the most part. I also simplified this a lot by shopping at Whole Foods for most products.

A note about this statement —> I find that Whole Foods has a few things that are marked up, but overall., not too crazy when I think about the convenience of it being close to my home (4 minutes) and knowing if I don’t read every ingredient on the label while in a hurry, I will probably be ok. I also enjoy the experience.

I have a system now. I buy staple ingredients at Costco, Target, and Whole Foods, and I keep costs as low as possible with my method. Believe me, I do not overpay just because. :)

ANYWAY - all of this led to me meal planning. I eventually burned out of going to the grocery store everyday. I also developed my love of cookbooks. I would spend some time each week going through them and finding recipes I wanted to try and going to the grocery store once or twice a week. And I realized how much more time I had in a day!

As we have gotten older, moved to Chicago. changed careers, and had children - I have streamlined the process even more.

While I used to write my meal plans and lists on the back of envelopes that would inevitable get lost, I now have a system.

I created a meal planner years ago that I had been using and in 2020, developed it into an actual product! I hope you check it out if you have not already! 

My number one tip for successful meal planning is to make a meal plan you are excited about! Your meals can be simple or elaborate - it doesn’t matter - you just have to have a plan for each night so you can save that brain space for things that are far more important that worrying about dinner everyday!

Create a list of meals each week, grocery shop once, and always know what’s on the table. Life will be so much more simple. I promise.