If you’re new to meal planning, you’re in the right place.
Meal planning doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need fancy spreadsheets, a freezer full of batch-cooked meals or a plan that accounts for every single thing you’re going to eat for the next seven days.
For me, it’s simply about having a rough plan for the week so I know what I’m cooking, what I need to buy and what I already have that needs using up. It saves me money, cuts down on food waste and, most importantly, means I spend much less time standing in front of the fridge wondering what on earth we’re having for tea.
If you’re just getting started, these three posts are a good place to begin.
What is meal planning?
If you’ve never meal planned before, start here. I explain what meal planning actually is, why I do it and how something so simple can make such a difference to both your food budget and your week.
Meal Planning for Beginners – Step by Step
Once you know what meal planning is, this is the practical bit. I’ll take you through putting together your first meal plan without making it more complicated than it needs to be.
Meal Planning for beginners – step by step
Build up a recipe bank
One of the easiest ways to make meal planning quicker is to have a list of meals you already know everyone likes. No trying to think of seven different meals from scratch every single week and no endlessly scrolling for inspiration.
How to build up a recipe bank to make meal planning even easier
Where next?
Once you’ve got the basics, have a look through my meal plans for some real-life inspiration, browse the easy recipes or head to the Spend Less section for ideas to help make your food budget stretch further.
And remember, a meal plan isn’t a set of rules. If Wednesday comes around and you really don’t fancy what you planned, change it. The whole point is to make life easier, not give yourself another thing to feel like you have to stick to.
