How Planning Meals (Not Prepping!) Saves My Sanity

After getting married, I quickly realized how exhausting it can be to come up with dinner ideas! I often found myself planning meals the same day, which led to frequent trips to the grocery store (sometimes even multiple times a day.) There were moments when I’d be standing in the store, brainstorming dinner on the fly or calling my sister for recipe inspiration.

As you can imagine, that routine wasn’t sustainable. It drained my time, increased our grocery expenses, and turned dinner into more of a chore than something to look forward to.

So I made a shift. I wanted to stay organized, cut down grocery runs to just once a week (sometimes even less!), and make sure dinner was ready just in time for my husband to come home.

Honestly, there’s no magic trick! As someone who learns best visually, weekly meal planning has become my anchor. It’s simple, but it’s made all the difference.

Here is an easy way to start your own meal planning routine with confidence.

Get yourself a monthly planner! Here is a simple, undated one I like.

Grab some index cards. Lined, unlined, or even colored!

On each index card, write the name of a dinner you love to prepare (and eat! 😜). If you'd like, include the recipe as well! On the reverse side, jot down all the ingredients you'll need for that dish.

At the start of each week, flip through your index cards and choose the recipes to make. Your grocery list will already be ready for you!

When planning meals, I follow this simple guideline: one cozy soup dinner, one light fish dish, and one veggie-packed meal to keep things balanced and delicious. This is when getting organized with colored index cards can come in handy!

Why Does It Work? With so many recipes to choose from, dinner planning can quickly feel overwhelming. By having your meal ideas visible, you avoid the same old meals and keep dinner exciting and fresh! Even designating a ‘Takeout days absolutely count as meal planning!” 😉

P.S. I love making extras so my husband and I can enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day! This eliminates the need to brainstorm lunch ideas!

- Diana