The Answer is Meal Plans (Kind Of)
And a few ideas to kick things off
I took to the internet streets with my big dinner question, posing it to a food-focused Facebook group. When asked about dinner routines and logistics, one resounding answer came back: meal plans.
While I don’t always make them, I am a big fan of meal plans. The days I have planned ahead leave me feeling much less stressed at dinnertime than the ones when I am scrambling. I am not a “wing it” cook and am in awe of anyone who can do a quick scan of their fridge and throw something together. I always felt like this might be a personal flaw, but it seems that others are not flying by the seat of their dinner pants either.
Consistently, what helps people get dinner on the table night after night is some forethought ahead of the week on what they are going to make and which ingredients are needed. One contributor, Malisa, has been meal planning for 10 years. “I meal plan every weekend for the following week,” she says. “That means I write out my menu, accounting for how long recipes take, which ones will leave us leftovers for lunch, etc., and write my grocery list at the same time.”
What is refreshing about Malisa’s meal plan, and universally all of the others shared, is how real they are. While many like to add some fun to their routine by throwing in a new recipe here or there, the majority of the dinners shared were not Bon Appétit links. Rather, these meal plans are just a way to get organized for the week with a simple list. Some rotate through many of the same meals or reuse weekly lists. And all of them, like my own meal plans, include pasta.
Malisa also leaves herself and her family some margin. “We order in every Wednesday and usually one weekend evening is ‘scrounge,’ meaning we eat leftovers, snacks, or whatever you can find.” I love this. Planning ahead for takeout, snacks, leftovers, or a freezer clean-out day gives you not only a break from cooking, but also from spending the day with dinner gears grinding in the back of your mind.
Yet, meals plans are not always easy. As Faye said in my last newsletter, “It can be daunting to sit down each weekend and meal plan.” And my sister-in-law, Lauren, shared, “Meal planning is my bane. What am I going to want to eat on Thursday, and will the kale I bought on Sunday even make it that long?”
For me, the hardest part of meal planning is the feeling of starting from scratch every time. Suddenly, I can’t seem to remember a single meal I have ever cooked. When the blank page of meal planning is overwhelming, a starting list of options to kick things off can be helpful. Here are some of the categories and ideas shared. (I’ll be stealing a few of these, along with Malisa’s “scrounge” night.)
Frozen ravioli and meatballs, with roasted veggies
Sandwiches with vegetable crudité and chips
Chicken chili (Crockpot/Instant Pot)
Roasted sausage and vegetables
Roasted chicken thighs with potatoes
Tacos of all kinds! (Shredded chicken, fish, ground meat, black beans)
Tomato, cucumber, feta salad with frozen falafel
Rice and beans, with Mexican cheese and salsa
Breakfast for dinner (e.g. scrambled eggs)
Soup with bread
Pasta with meat sauce or vegetables
Frozen pizza and salad
Food For Thought
Some helpful and interesting links from around the internet:
My family’s favorite, easy slow cooker chili is this White Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili from Skinnytaste. I’ll stand by my opinion that chili can be a summer food (especially when topped with fresh avocado and parsley or cilantro).
This recipe for Lemony Roasted Sausage and Veggies from Life is But a Dish is truly chop, dump, and roast.
This notepad makes meal planning a little more fun.