streamlined meal planning tips + tricks
Menu MasterY
Streamline your meal prep routine with easy hacks.
Save time and money by planning ahead with a customized menu list, have fun experimenting with new recipes or ingredients, prep meals in batches to save time, reduce waste, and save money. With a few tricks, you can make meal prep easier, more fun, and ultimately more effective in helping you achieve your health and nutrition goals.
Whipping up Ideas
Begin by brainstorming your favorite foods, new things you’d like to try, and any health or dietary requirements you may have. Consider your time, budget, and the availability of ingredients in your area, including seasonal foods and the types of grocery stores or local markets nearby.
Search online using keywords for the foods you’ve selected. Combine searches with keywords for time constraints or dietary requirements. For example, try searching for meals in under 30 minutes, quick healthy meals, or carb-friendly recipes. Mix in a few complex dishes you’d like to experiment with when time allows, along with more time- and budget-friendly dishes.
Browse through recipes selecting the ones that interest you. Once you’ve found a few, save them to a Word document or spreadsheet.
Create a list of custom keywords for each recipe, noting factors like the time it takes to make the meal, the type of meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner), whether it’s a favorite, and its dietary significance or suitability for freezing and storing.
Preferences
a Selection
recipes
keywords
a Calendar
Some online recipes offer the option to print the recipe. Use this feature to save the menu as a PDF. As you collect more recipes, combine them into one PDF file. Similar to copying recipes to a Word document and adding keywords, include text keywords for your PDF recipes.
DESIGN DELICIOUSNESS
After organizing your recipes with keywords, search among them to create a customized weekly menu. Check your fridge and pantry for available ingredients and find meals that don’t require a trip to the market. Additionally, plan your menu based on your week’s schedule or dietary preferences to create your shopping list. You can also plan meals to make ahead of time for freezing.
SCHEDULE
Consider your schedule for the week as you plan out your menu.
PRE-MAKE
Make meals ahead of time to have ready to go the same day.
SHOP
Use your menu & recipe list to create a weekly grocery list.
ADD
Add a new recipe you'd like to try every so often.
No more scrambling to find a recipe you saw once online or keeping track of scraps of paper. Once you have a list of recipes with customized keywords, a search will take you directly to what you need.
Create a weekly menu chart.
To manage your menus, you can use a straightforward Word document or spreadsheet template. Create one for each week or month and add a place for any groceries you may need. Post the menu chart in a visible spot for reference each day.
Using the menu chart, add your recipes for the week.
Now you have your meals planned for each day and a quick and easy way to find the recipe when it’s time to make it!
These two example menu templates can be downloaded for printing below.
