Whether you’re religious about meal planning or you just wing it daily, we all have those nights where we’re feeling particularly uninspired and stumped in regards to what to cook for dinner.
I do my best to follow my go-to meal planning system each Sunday, but I definitely slack at it sometimes (err…a lot lately). This leads to a lot of last-minute meals thrown together or us doing our own thing (which usually ends up with popcorn, cereal, or some other underwhelming pseudo-dinner).
This habit of figuring what to make when 1. you’re hungry, 2. you have little patience for making a gourmet meal, and 3. you may not have a lot of ingredients on hand? It can get frustrating after awhile—especially if you have picky eaters in the house who aren’t as willing as you are to try new recipes or food combos.
After reading a post from Healthy Inspiration recently, this recurring problem of getting bored with dinner suddenly seemed a whole lot easier to resolve. Jennifer recommended a simple task that takes about four minutes, that would make meal planning MUCH easier for the long term. It’s actually something I’ve been considering doing for awhile, but I hadn’t sat down to work on until I read her post, which convinced me it was worth my time.
Create a master list of go-to recipes your family loves.
After taking about 10 minutes to jot down the recipes we tend to make (and enjoy) the most, I felt relieved. When you’re winging it for dinner, you don’t always think about all the recipes you and your family enjoy. You’re probably just in a hurry to get something cooked that’s semi-nutritious and won’t demand all of your remaining energy for the day. I have about 15 go-to dinner ideas so far, but I think I’ll be able to come up with more as I remember random dishes we enjoy.
Here’s some advice I have for coming up with your master list of recipe favorites:
- Include ideas that can be made in about 30 mintues or less.
- Add recipes that use healthy food staples you usually have on hand.
- Include some options someone else can cook with little-to-no guidance.
- Don’t try too hard (simple meals like spaghetti or an egg scramble are perfect sometimes).
Once you have your completed list, keep it in an easy-to-reach spot, like inside a pantry or cabinet, on the side of the fridge, or maybe a bulletin board you have nearby. The list is only helpful if you actually reference it, so don’t stash it away somewhere if you’re never going to look at it! (I made my list on my phone, but I think I might make a physical copy to display somewhere.)
I LOVE this meal planning hack because it’s extremely easy to do and is so helpful for those nights when you’re out of ideas and getting frustrated with every passing minute because you need to get food on the table.
Hope you find this meal planning resource helpful!
What are some of your family’s favorite recipes?
