essay about meal planning

Here is your essay on Meal Planning

Food is the basic necessity for all members of the family. Our health depends upon the food we take. Balanced diet is important for good health.

“A balanced diet is one which contains different types of foods in adequate quantities and right proportions to meet the nutritional requirements of our body.” Nutritional requirements of dif­ferent members of the family depend on their physical activity, age and sex.

There can be dissimilarities in their likings for food. So a housewife has to take a number of decisions in order to provide a balanced diet to each member of the family, e.g., what should be cooked, when and how much should be cooked, when and how to be served. Before cooking food, take an appropriate decision after consider all these things and implement that decision is called meal planning.

Meal planning is the planning of meals for all members of the family in order to provide nutrition on time according to their needs and choices.

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Meal Planning is both a science and an art. It is a science of selecting food on the basis of nutritive value to provide optimum nutrition to all members of the family. It is an art of skillful blending of colour, taste, flavour and texture in meals.

Related Articles:

• What is the Importance of Meal Planning?
• What are the Steps of Meal Planning?
• What are the Principles of Meal Planning?
• Free Sample Essay on Meal Planning for School Going Children

Meal Planning 101: A Complete Beginner’s Guide to Meal Prep

Figuring out what to eat every day can be stressful, especially when you’re already juggling a busy schedule that includes work, family, and social obligations. Often, people end up scraping together last-minute meals or throwing in the hat and ordering food delivery.

Rest assured there’s a better way to feed yourself and your family: meal planning. This approach ensures that you’re never left wondering what’s for dinner.

What Is Meal Planning?

Meal planning is the process of building a weekly menu to best suit your nutritional needs. “It can take the guesswork out of dinnertime, help you to stick to a budget, and help keep your nutrition goals on track,” says Stacey Simon, MS, RDN , who offers counseling through her New York City practice.

Some people follow a meal plan with a specific outcome in mind, such as weight loss or cholesterol improvements. Or an athlete may plan their meals to ensure that they get enough of the nutrients they need to perform. Others meal plan to stick to a food budget or map out meals for an entire family, says Alix Turoff, RD , the New York City–based host of the “Alix Turoff Nutrition Podcast.”

There are different types of meal plans. Some may be geared toward managing a specific health condition, such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease . These meal plans are often created with input from a registered dietitian or healthcare provider. For example, people with type 2 diabetes typically follow a diabetes-friendly meal plan to control their blood sugar levels, while people concerned about a family history of heart disease may follow a meal plan focused on heart health.

People who aren’t trying to manage a health condition will typically make their own meal plans by selecting healthy recipes that their families enjoy.

Common Questions & Answers

Select the meals and snacks you plan to eat for the following week and put them into your calendar. Create a grocery list that includes any ingredients you need to buy, snacks, and convenience items (for example, instant oatmeal or salad kits). Once you have everything you need, set aside a few hours each week to chop up fruit and vegetables and cook grains and proteins.

Repetition is key. Pick two or three breakfast options and two or three lunch options for the week (at most), and add variety through dinner and snacks. Consider what meals you and your family enjoy eating, any food allergies or dietary needs, and how much time you have to prepare food.

Planning your meals can save time and money, make it easier to eat healthy foods, and help you manage health conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

How long food lasts in the refrigerator varies depending on what it is. Soups, stews, and salads can last for three to four days, whereas chicken and turkey only last one to two days, according to FoodSafety.gov (check for details on specific food items). When in doubt, put items in the freezer.

Meal planning helps you plan ahead and build balanced, nourishing meals that provide the nutrition you need, Simon says. Knowing what you’re going to eat every day and having healthy meals on hand also may lower the likelihood that you’ll turn to fast-food and other impulse choices that add unnecessary calories to your diet.

Why Meal Plan?

There are many reasons to plan your meals in advance. “No matter the goal, everyone can benefit from meal planning because it’s a really good way to get organized and have some sort of road map for the week,” Turoff says.

Meal planning takes a little effort at the outset to think through what you’re going to eat the following week, but having a plan in place takes away the stress of planning and cooking meals every day. So meal planning may be especially helpful for people who work long hours, manage a health condition like diabetes, or have a family to feed. You don’t even have to stick to your meal plan down to every last detail — simply having a rough guide can be enough to take some of the stress out of grocery shopping and preparing meals every week.

Meal planning can also help you follow a healthy eating pattern. “If you don’t have a plan in place, you may be more inclined to order a pizza on a busy evening, even if it’s not something you’re going to truly enjoy,” Simon says. But if you know you have a healthy and delicious meal waiting for you at home, that pizza or trip to the drive-thru may sound less appealing.

Eating healthier is beneficial for everyone, but it’s especially helpful for people who need to pay close attention to the foods they eat, like those with type 2 diabetes or heart disease. Having a meal plan can make healthy eating less overwhelming for these people. “You’re not stressing about what foods go with what, and you know ahead of time that these foods have been cleared by your doctor or dietitian to help manage your condition,” Turoff says.

“When you go to the grocery store without a plan, you just kind of buy whatever sounds good at the moment, but you have no idea what to do with it,” Turoff says. Inevitably, that food will sit in your fridge or cupboard until you finally throw it out. But when you plan out your meals, you know what and how much food to buy, which leads to less food (and money) wasted.

Learn More About the Benefits of Meal Planning

Meal-Planning Considerations

Repetition is key for meal planning, Turoff says. You don’t have to eat the same thing every day, but cutting down on the number of different meals you have during the week will make things easier. She recommends picking two or three breakfast options and two or three lunch options for the week (at most), and adding variety through dinner and snacks. You can even repeat those meals for a few weeks before switching things up.

Having a few staple meals every week can help keep you from feeling overwhelmed while ensuring there’s enough variety, according to Turoff. For example, have fish for one dinner every week, tacos for another dinner, and burgers for another. You can change the recipe by trying different fish dishes, taco fillings, and burger meats, including vegetarian options.

Set aside a few hours on a day that isn’t very busy to batch cook any meals that repeat, so you’re all set for the week. “Let’s say you’re planning to have oatmeal three days a week. You can make three servings of overnight oats at once,” Turoff says. Or make a large egg frittata so that all you have to do is heat up a single portion in the morning, and you’re good to go.

Be sure to factor any wild cards into your meal plan. “If you like to order food one day a week, include that in your plan so you know not to plan a meal for dinner that day,” Turoff says. Or if your office provides snacks, you may not need to plan for those.

If you or any family members have food allergies, dietary considerations, or intense dislikes, try to make the meal work for everyone so you’re not making multiple dishes. For instance, if you’re making lasagna and someone has a gluten intolerance , you can make the meal with gluten-free noodles so everyone can enjoy it and you only cook once.

You can also keep the main dish the same but allow family members to customize their meals according to their needs and preferences. For example, if it’s taco night, offer different tortilla options and keep add-ons like avocado and onions separate.

If you’re still feeling lost and overwhelmed, or you’d like guidance on how to plan meals for a specific goal (such as weight loss or blood sugar control), you can always seek help from a registered dietitian.

Tools for Meal Planning

You don’t need to overhaul your entire kitchen to begin meal planning. All you need are a few tools to help you stay organized:

• Food Storage Containers  Get a variety of sizes so you can store both individual portions and large batches of food. Find containers that are freezer- and microwave-friendly (Turoff likes Pyrex glass containers ) to make storing and heating your meals even easier.
• Lunch Box  If you plan on transporting your meals, a lunch box is a must-have. “It sounds obvious, but a lunch box makes it easier to stick with those meals you worked so hard to prepare,” Simon says.
• Meal-Planning App  There are tons of free and paid mobile apps that you can use to keep track of your meal plan. Paprika Recipe Manager , for example, allows you to make meal plans, organize your recipes, and create grocery lists. The app will even sort the items in your grocery list according to which section in the store you can find them. When it’s time to cook, you can track your progress in the app by crossing off ingredients when you’re done with them and scale ingredients to your desired serving size.
• Meal-Planning Journal  If you prefer pen and paper, use a meal-planning journal. Bloom offers different options, including a pad to keep on your fridge. Fill in which meals you have planned for each day of the week and then write out what items you need in the shopping list section. The shopping list is perforated so you can tear it off and bring it with you to the grocery store.
• Labels To make it easier to keep track of your meals in the fridge and freezer, Turoff recommends labeling them with the recipe name and date. Labeling your food containers is especially helpful if you plan on freezing a lot of items. This way, if things pile up in your freezer, you won’t have to waste time guessing what’s in each container. Basic labels will work just fine, but you can also find meal-prep labels online .

Grocery Shopping Tips for Meal Preppers

Once you have your meal plan in place, your next meal planning task is to hit the grocery store. Use these tips to make shopping easier.

• Make a list. You’ll inevitably forget one or two items if you try to remember everything off the top of your head, Simon says. So be sure to make a list. Review your meal plan for the coming week and write down which food items you need. Cross out the items you already have so you don’t buy more than necessary. You can make your list using the Notes app on your phone, another app, or pen and paper.
• Hit the frozen food section. Turoff has found many hidden meal planning gems in the frozen food section. “The freezer aisle has come a long way over the years,” she says. For instance, you can often find grain and vegetable blends you can simply pop in the microwave or cook on the stove ( Green Giant offers tons of options). The frozen food section is also a good place to stock up on prepared burgers and meatballs (you can often find beef, turkey, and plant-based options), shrimp and seafood, and any fruits or veggies you didn’t buy fresh. Stick with foods that don’t have added sauces or sugar.
• Go for canned foods. “I’m a big fan of canned tuna, chicken, and salmon packed in water for easy protein, and I love to cook with canned beans,” Simon says. Just be sure to give the beans a good rinse under the faucet to get rid of excess sodium before cooking with them, she adds.
• Splurge on convenience items. Preparing food takes time, so if saving time is at the top of your list, consider spending a little extra to get convenience items, such as salad kits, containers of chopped fruit and veggies, instant oatmeal, cooked rotisserie chicken, and precooked noodles and rice ( Minute Rice offers ready-to-serve rice cups that cook in the microwave in one minute). “Those items are more expensive, but if it means you’re going to save money long term because you’re not throwing out food, then it might be worth it,” Turoff says.

You may be able to put together meals faster during the week by doing some of the work in advance. How long you spend doing prep work is up to you and your schedule, but here are a few food items you can start with.

• Fruits and Vegetables Turoff recommends prepping produce as soon as you get home from the grocery store. “Wash it, cut it, and put it in containers so it’s ready to go. That way, when the week gets crazy, it’s one less thing you have to do,” she says. Chopped fruits and vegetables are great for adding to salads, stir-fries, and fajitas, or on their own as a quick snack, with or without condiments and dips.
• Whole Grains  “I love preparing whole grains ahead of time that can be used in a variety of dishes,” Simon says. Throw together a batch of brown rice or farro, then use it in a handful of your recipes for the week. For example, have a farro salad for lunch or on the side with salmon.
• Meat and Meat Alternatives. Cooking meat and meat alternatives (like tofu or bean burgers) can be time-consuming. So save this task for a day when you don’t have a crammed schedule. Cook large batches so you have enough for multiple meals; freeze anything you won’t eat that week.

RELATED: 10 Meal Prep Tips Every Beginner Should Follow

Meal Planning Recipes

If you’re at a loss of where to start looking for recipes, we’ve got you covered with several options that are well-suited to meal planning:

• Strawberry Peach Overnight Oats (Project Meal Plan)
• Thai Chicken Lunch Bowls (Sweet Peas and Saffron)
• Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal (Simply Quinoa)
• Spicy Chicken Meal Prep With Rice and Beans (Pinch of Yum)
• The Hummus Lunch Box (Budget Bytes)
• Frittata Egg Muffins (Recipe Tin Eats)
• Taco Bowl (Chelsea’s Messy Apron)

Meal planning involves creating a weekly menu. It can reduce stress and save time during the week by getting rid of the decision-making around food. Planning your meals in advance can also help you stick to a healthy diet, since you may be less tempted to hit the drive-thru or order pizza at the end of a busy day. Set aside a few hours during the week to select your meals, buy the ingredients you need, and prep a few food items. Stay organized by logging your meals and recipes in an app or writing them down with pen and paper. Keep your meals organized by storing them in clear containers labeled with the food item’s name and the date it was made or purchased.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

• Food Loss and Waste. U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• Preventing Wasted Food at Home. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. October 19, 2023.
• Cold Food Storage Chart. FoodSafety.gov. September 19, 2023.

Easy recipes. Inspired meal plans.

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The importance of meal planning + how to do it better.

Discover the importance of meal planning and how it can help simplify your life. From saving time and money to reducing stress, learn how meal planning can transform your approach to mealtime.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Top 5 benefits of meal planning, how to get started, tips and tricks for better meal planning, planning for picky eaters and dietary needs, planning for different lifestyles, how to overcome common challenges.

As busy and expensive as life can be nowadays, it’s no surprise that mealtime can be downright overwhelming. With work, school, and extracurricular activities, finding the time to plan, shop for, and prepare home-cooked meals can feel like a cruel joke and you’re finding yourself spending far too much money on fast food and takeout. But there is a solution: Meal planning!

Before you brush it off, meal planning is not just for over-achievers! It’s a tool that normal, busy people like you can use to streamline their routines and simplify their lives. It can save precious time and money, while reducing stress and improving nutrition. And it’s the solution you need to make mealtimes more enjoyable for you and your family.

I know what you’re thinking: “I don’t have the time or brain power to meal plan!” Trust me, I get it. But the truth is, meal planning doesn’t have to be a time-consuming chore. And meal planning does NOT mean prepping. Simply creating a weekly menu and getting your groceries for the week will save you loads of time and stress each day. Still skeptical? Keep reading for all the benefits and importance of meal planning as well as some tips to help you get started and stay on track. 

Meal planning can provide numerous benefits for busy families. By planning dinners in advance, you can:

1. Save Time and Reduce Stress

As a busy parent, you know that time is a precious commodity. By planning out your meals for the week ahead of time, you can save yourself the stress and hassle of figuring out what to make for dinner each night. This means less time spent standing in front of the fridge, trying to come up with dinner ideas, and more time to relax with your family (or maybe tackle that laundry pile, finally?)

2. Save Money

One of the biggest benefits of meal planning is that it can help you save money on groceries and avoid last-minute junk food or restaurant meals. By planning out your meals in advance, you can avoid overbuying and reduce food waste. You’ll also be less likely to make impulse buys when grocery shopping.

3. Promote Nutrition and Healthy Habits

In our busy lives, poor planning often results in poor food choices. Meal planning allows you to take control of your family’s nutrition and ensure that everyone is getting the right balance of nutritious food. Having a dinner schedule in place with quick and easy, but well-balanced meals can help you avoid the temptation of reaching for fast food when you’re short on time. Plus, meal planning can help you incorporate more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your family’s diet.

4. Reduce Food Waste

Did you know that the average American family throws out about 25% of the food they buy? Meal planning can help you reduce food waste by allowing you to buy only what you need and use up ingredients before they go bad. This not only saves you money but also helps the environment by reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfills.

5. Encourage Family Participation

Meal planning can be a fun and creative activity that you can involve your whole family in. Get your kids involved by asking them to help you pick out recipes or by letting them choose a meal for the week. This not only helps to promote healthy eating habits but could encourage picky eaters to be more open to trying new foods!

Getting started with meal planning is easier than you might think!

• Set aside time to plan: Choose a time each week to plan out your meals for the upcoming week.
• Inventory what you have: Check your pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what ingredients you already have on hand.
• Choose your recipes: Browse cookbooks, online recipe sites, or use a meal planning service to find recipes that fit your dietary needs and preferences.
• Make a grocery list: Create a shopping list based on the recipes you’ve chosen and the ingredients you need to buy.
• Shop for groceries: Head to the grocery store (or order online) and purchase the items on your list.
• Prep in advance: Chop vegetables, cook rice or pasta, or marinate meat in advance to save time during the week.

To make meal planning easier, here are some simple tips to help you stay on track and avoid common pitfalls:

Be Realistic & Flexible

For some people, a strict meal schedule can be too rigid. Instead of planning to cook for every night of the week, try planning for a few meals and leaving room to switch things up as needed.

Having the ingredients on hand for planned meals, but not feeling pressured to make a certain meal on a certain day, can make menu planning feel less stressful and more sustainable in the long run.

Check Your Calendar

Before starting your meal plan for the week, it’s a good idea to check your calendar for any events, extracurricular activities, or late nights at the office. This can help you plan for a super quick meal, double batch a previous meal for leftovers, or intentionally schedule these nights as take-out nights.

Shop Your Kitchen First

Before heading to the grocery store, take a look in your fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what ingredients you already have on hand. Think of creative ways to use up ingredients that may be close to expiration, such as incorporating stray carrots into a stir-fry or using leftover chicken in enchiladas. You may be surprised at how many meals you can create using the ingredients you already have on hand. 

By shopping your kitchen first, you’ll also be able to create a more focused grocery list and avoid buying duplicates or items you don’t need. This can not only help you save money but also reduce food waste.

Incorporate Variety

It’s easy to create a list of meals your family enjoys and simply rotate them each week. But let’s be honest, that can get boring quick.

One of the keys to successful meal planning is to incorporate a variety of foods into your meals. This not only helps to keep things interesting but also ensures that your family is getting a wide range of nutrients. You can still keep a list of your favorite meals on hand and incorporate them into your weekly menu while trying new recipes as well.

Mark Off-Limit Foods

Have you ever gone to make dinner and suddenly realize an ingredient you need is gone? Someone went and had themselves a little snacky-snack and now you’re having to deal with how to make dinner without it.

Try using sticky notes to label off-limits ingredients that are meant for specific meals.

Alternatively, you can invest in a few clear containers to store ingredients for upcoming meals. By gathering the necessary ingredients in one container, you can easily grab it on the night of the meal, reducing the time spent searching around the kitchen and ultimately reducing meal prep time.

Keep Meal Prep Simple

Meal planning can also include preparing and storing your meals, but it doesn’t have to be an all-day event! Do anything that feels attainable for you. Even one or two small preps can be a tremendous help on busy days.

One way to use meal prepping to your advantage is batch cooking. Cook a large batch of meatballs to use in spaghetti one night, teriyaki rice bowls another night, and freeze a portion or two for another week. 

You can also prep partial ingredients ahead of time, such as chopping vegetables or making dressings, sauces or marinades so they’re ready to go. Another time- and money-saver is to purchase chicken breasts in bulk and prep into freezer bags. Make portions that are sliced, some that are diced, and others simply fileted.

Take Advantage of My Weekly Meal Plans

To make meal planning even easier, or simply for inspiration, check out my weekly meal plans archive . These are a helpful and time-saving resource that provide you fresh ideas each week and cut down on the process of planning. I source tons of easy recipes, provide helpful info on ingredients and substitutions, tips for meal prepping, and more. It’s one less thing to worry about!

Use a Notes App

Another tool that can make meal planning more effortless is a Notes app on your phone. Use it to store your meal plans so you can go back to previous weeks to re-use plans, notate or tag dinners you especially liked for future reference, and quickly add ideas on the go. 

Dinner time can be especially stressful when you have picky eaters or family members with specific dietary needs. But meal planning can actually help reduce the stress and frustration! By planning ahead, it’s easier to adjust your meals while still making delicious and healthy food the entire family can enjoy! Here are some tips for meal planning for picky eaters or special preferences:

• Plan for ingredient swaps

If you have a picky eater or family member with a specific dietary restriction, plan for ingredient swaps or adjustments that can still make the meal enjoyable for everyone. For example, if you want to make shrimp tacos but your toddler hates shrimp, you can plan to make a ground beef dinner the day before, saving a small portion of the beef for the following day so you can reheat it for your toddler.

• Keep it simple

When meal planning for picky eaters, keep it simple. Stick to familiar ingredients and flavors that everyone likes, but incorporate some variety to keep things interesting and allow for exposure to new foods.

You can even involve your family in the meal planning process, asking them for their input on what they’d like to eat during the week. This can be particularly helpful with picky kids as it can make them feel more in control of what they’re eating and therefore more willing to try new foods.

• Prep ahead of time

Meal prep can be especially helpful when meal planning for picky eaters or dietary needs. By prepping ingredients or even whole meals ahead of time, you can save time and reduce stress during busy weeknights. You can also label and store different portions separately, making it easy to adjust meals based on individual needs.

Meal planning can also be challenging for unique lifestyles so it’s important to tailor your meal planning to your individual needs. For example,

Work From Home

If you work from home, you may have a more flexible schedule than someone who works outside the home. However, this doesn’t mean that you have more time for meal preparation each night. In fact, it can be even more challenging to stay on top of dinner when you’re in the same environment where you work and relax.

To make meal planning work harder for you, take advantage of your flexible schedule. Take two minutes in the morning to think through that evening’s dinner and see if there is anything you can start prepping during the day. Can you chop vegetables during your lunch break? Or get meat into the slow cooker by late morning?

Families with Lots of After School Activities

For families with children who have lots of extracurricular activities, meal planning can be a lifesaver. Being prepared for late nights or whirlwind afternoons can save you from eating fast food night after night.

Schedule cooking in large batches on calmer nights or over the weekend so that you have wholesome meals ready to reheat and take on the go in a thermos. Plan for slow cooker meals that are ready when you get home or try simple sheet-pan, one-pan, or air-fryer meals that can be thrown together with little effort and cook while everyone gets ready to leave for evening practices. 

Night Shift Workers

For those who work the night shift, mealtime can be particularly challenging. Consider planning slow cooker meals that you can prep and start cooking before you head off to sleep. Once you wake up, a fresh homemade meal is just about ready for your family to eat and you to pack for later.  You can also prepare meals in advance and freeze them so you have a stash of pre-made healthier meals ready to go.

Meal planning can be a great tool to help simplify your life, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes you can get overwhelmed with decision fatigue, or find that you’re lacking the time or motivation to plan.

It’s OK to take a step back and just wing it for a week or two if you need. But then push yourself to re-start and get back on track. It’s likely that you’ll find your groove again and realize you enjoy being prepared for dinners each week! Here’s some tips and ideas for overcoming common challenges of meal planning:

Overcoming Lack of Motivation

It’s easy to start off strong with meal planning, but over time you may find your motivation dwindling. This could be due to a lack of variety in your meals or simply feeling burnt out from planning and cooking.

To overcome this, try switching things up with new recipes or cuisines. You can also enlist the help of family members or friends to cook with you or even start a meal-planning group. Setting small goals and rewarding yourself can help keep you motivated.

Sticking to a Budget

Meal planning can be a great way to save money on food, but it can also be challenging to stick to a budget.

To overcome this, start by setting a realistic budget each week. Then, look for sales and coupons at your grocery store, and plan your dinners around these deals. Finally, consider shopping at bulk discount stores. This is a great way to not only save money, but buying in bulk allows you to more easily double batch recipes and store them in the freezer for easy home-cooked meals that can be merely reheated on the busiest days.

Finding Time to Plan

One of the biggest challenges of meal planning is finding the time to actually sit down to research recipes, plan out the week’s meals, and make a shopping list. Between work, family, and other obligations, it seems finding spare time is akin to finding a magical unicorn.

Yet, if you truly think about how long it takes you to come up with dinners each night and make multiple trips to the grocery store throughout the week, you’ll find that you are probably using more precious time than if you had just blocked off an hour or so and focused on creating that meal plan.

If you’re struggling to find the time to plan out your meals each week, check out my weekly meal plans . They’re designed to take the stress out of meal planning by providing you with delicious, healthy(-ish) recipes and a few even come with a complete grocery list!

Use your spare minutes wisely. Waiting for a work meeting to start? Sitting in the doctor’s office waiting room? Think of one or two dinners and add it to your plan for next week. You’ll have your weekly menu done before you know it.

Meal planning is a powerful tool for improving your eating habits and overall well-being. By taking a little time each week to plan out your meals and groceries, you can save time, reduce stress, and eat healthier. It doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, and with a little practice, it can become a natural part of your routine. Remember to be kind to yourself and stay flexible!

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I'm Anna. Full time problem-solver, part-time recipe tester. Wife. Mama. Multi-passionate daydreamer. Knower of random facts. Lover of food and beautiful days. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you find some yummy inspiration!

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Health benefits of meal planning

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Whether you’re trying to lose weight, or just improve your diet, meal planning is an easy step to help you reach your goals. There are numerous advantages of planning out your meals in advance that can not only save your waistline, but also improve your health.

"With anything in life, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That applies to meal planning as well," says Silvia Veri, registered dietitian at the Beaumont Weight Control Center - Canton . "Planning meals and snacks ahead of time increases the chance for success, it increases the likelihood a healthier food choice will be made."

Check out these benefits of meal planning:

LEARN PORTION CONTROL

Planning your own meals will allow you to see how much you’re actually eating. This also prevents you from overeating at restaurants, which tend to serve a way bigger portion than you should actually be eating.

EAT HEALTHY

When you’re hungry and your blood sugar drops, you’re more inclined to eat whatever you can get the fastest. This is why some of us settle for the closest fast food joint with unhealthy options. Meal planning eliminates this issue when you have a balanced meal at your fingertips, filled with nutrient-dense food prepped and ready to go!

"Many times unhealthy foods are chosen because of convenience," explains Veri. " If we can take the time out to plan meals, write a grocery list and have fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans available, they will become convenient and eaten more often."

Being hungry and realizing you have nothing planned is undoubtedly stressful. Instead of standing in front of your fridge or pantry deciding what to whip up, you can have your healthy meal ready in minutes. This also saves you the hassle of cleaning up after cooking.

Everyone can agree that saving money is something we all try to do, and meal planning is a great way to help. While you skip out on spending money at restaurants, meal planning also involves buying items in bulk, which can be a huge money saver. Sticking to what’s on the list also avoids impulse buys at the grocery store.

AVOID WASTING FOOD

When it comes to meal planning, you go to the grocery store with a plan, and know how you’re going to use all of the items. When every food has a purpose, you won’t have to worry about items in your fridge going to waste.

Whether you’re cooking for your entire family or just yourself, taking the time to plan your meals for the week ahead is definitely worth the effort. The key is just to set aside a little bit of time each week to do it.

Veri advises, "Just take one meal at a time. Try to make the best choice possible for that meal!"

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Project Meal Plan is a food blog dedicated to make-ahead recipes, meal planning and preparing ahead.

The Importance of Meal Planning: 3 Reasons to Meal Plan Weekly

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Why is meal planning important? The exact benefits of meal planning are a little different for everyone, but I find most reasons fit into three main categories. Here’s my take on The Importance of Meal Planning: Three Reasons to Meal Plan Weekly !

What is meal planning?

Meal planning is the simple act of planning and writing down any of your meals for the week (or month!) ahead of time.

Plan for yourself or plan for your family. Plan to eat wholesome meals, and plan a night out or two. Plan every snack and meal, or simply plan your lunches so you don’t spend money on restaurant food during the week.

Meal planning is as flexible or as rigid as you want it to be!

It doesn’t really matter what you plan, as long as you thought about it! The goal is not to start from zero for every single meal.

There are a lot of reasons why I think meal planning and meal prepping rock, but I think they all fit into three main categories: saving time, saving money, and having more control over your food choices .

The Importance of Meal Planning: 3 Reasons to Meal Plan

1. save time.

This reason is the most appealing to me. I love saving time! Some people need to save more time than others. Everyone is different, and everyone’s needs are different.

When you start meal planning, try to identify one meal where you really need a time-saver, and then plan your meals with that in mind.

Save yourself time on those busiest days by having meals already prepared, or by planning super simple quick meals you know the whole family loves.

BONUS: You can easily make sure you already have all the ingredients ahead of time!. 

A way to start – pick your busy days , and plan on those meals being the most simple, or prepared ahead of time to help you later. Here are some examples:

• Breakfast: I’m not a morning person, at all. Breakfast used to always be the first thing to go if I woke up late or just took too long getting ready. So I learned that I needed to prep a breakfast ahead of time that was as simple as popping it in the microwave or toaster oven. Browse my meal prep breakfast recipes!
• Lunch: My lunch break always seemed to last a lot longer if I didn’t have to run out and get some food during the first half. Weird, huh? Lunch prep is best prep if you work outside the home! Browse my meal prep lunches recipes!
• Dinner: If you planned ahead, you already know what’s for dinner, and you probably already have the ingredients for it. I’m on a mission to turn the classic “what’s for dinner?” question into “how can we prep for dinner?” and “will there be leftovers?” Browse all my dinner recipe ideas!

A lot of Project Meal Plan recipes are focused on make-ahead food and prep that can be done ahead to save time later. That’s because if you meal plan, you can always meal prep, which can save you even more time!

Here are some other ways meal planning can save you time:

• Reduce grocery store trips. If your weekly menu is planned ahead of time, you can do your best to buy everything for the week in one trip (unless you somehow still forget things like me).
• Reduces wandering at the grocery store. I’m a wanderer. Even now when I have a list, sometimes I just want to search for sales or find yummy new items. But too much of that wastes time.
• Know what foods can be prepared ahead of time. You know the menu, so you know what needs to be prepped. For example, we put diced onion in almost everything. So instead of dicing a little bit for every other meal, we dice the whole thing at one time. You might not think about it, but that saves the time of washing and drying your knife and cutting board for the next 3 or 4 times you need diced onion. And, if I have time now, I’ll dice the other veggies for later too. Tiny little time savers added up can really make a difference!
• Planned leftovers. What can I say? I love leftovers. I’ll stop trying to make “planned-overs” happen if you guys just admit leftovers save time. This one is pretty obvious to me!

2. Save money

When you plan and cook your own meals, you are most likely saving money on each of those meals, compared to purchasing the same type of meal in a restaurant .

I haven’t scientifically tested that theory, but I’m going to go ahead and make that bold assumption based on my years of eating experience (both cooking my own food and eating out).

Tess Rose Lampert at Cheapism.com does a bit of research in her article I s Cooking at Home Really Cheaper Than Eating Out ? She compares prices on a classic chicken dinner with veggies and determined that cooking the classic dinner at home could cost up to 60% less than eating it at a restaurant.

Lastly, planning your meals can help reduce food waste , which can save you money on your grocery bill in the long run. While it might be impossible to go 100% waste free, some simple planning techniques can help dramatically reduce your food waste.

For example, if one of my casseroles requires some baby spinach, I’ll also try to plan lunches or smoothies for the week that also require baby spinach, helping me to use up more of the ingredient I purchased.

Simply eating leftovers or planning a day to eat leftovers is a good practice to reduce food waste (and therefore save you money!). 

Check out my article 15 Totally Doable Ways to Save Money When You Meal Prep for more money saving tips!

3. More control over food

Everyone is different, and everyone’s needs are different. When you plan ahead, you can make smart choices related to your own personal food needs and fitness needs, instead of grabbing something at the last minute.

More insights on how meal planning can give you control over your food:

• Eating the right amount for you. Sometimes if you’re feeling excessively hungry, way too happy to be eating, or just using a different sized spoon, you can get totally varying/random portion sizes on the plate. Planning and pre-portioning your food can ensure your hard work makes it to the amount of servings you initially planned for. Plus, it can be really nice to have everything already portioned out for you. Of course if that’s not your style, try a buffet style meal prep instead! 
• Staying accountable to past you. If you already made the food and pre-portioned it into perfect bowls with future you in mind, you’re really kicking past you in the butt if you don’t eat it. Planning and prepping your meals provides a little more incentive to eat the delicious things you’ve already planned out and cooked. If it’s already made, I’m gonna eat it!
• More control over your choices. If you have certain goals with your eating, it can be a lot easier to incorporate them into your life by planning meals ahead of time. Or, it can be as simple as the fact that already choosing a meal to cook or eat keeps you from ordering food and spending more money. Either way, planning out your choices ahead of time means you are more likely to stick with them when the time comes.

Things to remember about meal planning:

• Don’t let the term meal plan scare you. You can plan literally anything. You can even plan NOT to cook. What’s important is that you thought about it. You know what you have going on. 
• Make YOUR meal plan as flexible as you want. It’s for you, and it’s okay if you don’t follow it 100%. I’ve seen a little negativity towards meals plans because sometimes it’s hard to stick to it. That’s okay! Meal plans are meant to be a helpful road map, not a strict set of rules that causes anxiety. 
• If you don’t like eating the same thing every day, planning is even more important for you in order to save time, money, and make healthy choices. You can cook a large batch of chicken or other meat and eat it in various ways throughout the week. For more, read How to Meal Prep & Eat Different Meals Everyday .
• The perfect meal plan for you is in your head – you just need some resources . The whole point is to not start from zero every night.
• More simple meal planning tips to remember here!

Now that you know the importance of meal planning, are you looking to get started with meal prep? Check out How to Meal Prep for Beginners !!

How to Get Started

If you have absolutely no idea where to begin, here’s what I suggest.

• Pick out one meal of the week that you struggle with. Maybe you want to save time or money by planning ahead and cooking this meal at home.
• Plan what you’re going to have for that one meal of the day for the next 3 days in a row. If you need a place to start, look in your pantry so you can use some ingredients you already have on hand.
• Write down your planned meals on a notepad, in a calendar, in an app, or print out one of my meal planner templates and put it up on the fridge.
• Review all planned recipes and make a grocery list . When you go shopping, do your best to stick to the list. This is one way meal planning helps you save money!
• Follow through by actually cooking the meals you’ve planned. You don’t always have to do exactly what you planned out for yourself, but try it for at least 3 days. Use up your ingredients by making delicious home cooked meals.

I hope this helps explain why meal planning is important in my eyes! If you’ve got questions, concerns, or comments, please leave them below. Why do YOU meal plan?! I want to know!

About Danielle

Hi, I’m Danielle! My passion for meal planning was born from a desire to save money and reduce food waste, and I want to share it with you! Besides cooking and photography, I absolutely love my cats & dog, growing food in my yard, and cheesy sandwiches! Read More...

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Meal Plans, Essay Example

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Catherine’s meal plan was directed for a young patient with cardiovascular disease. For this type of patient, meals high in protein but low in saturated fat and cholesterol are desirable, which Catherine accomplished by incorporating fish and chicken into two of the meals. In addition, she incorporated egg whites, steel cut oatmeal, and other whole grains and vegetables into the diet, all of which are likely to promote greater fat and cholesterol control and reduce the risks associated with cardiovascular disease. In addition, she used “good” fats such as extra virgin olive oil. The foods that Catherine chose are beneficial to the selected patient and her condition because although she is very young, she is nonetheless high risk and must be monitored effectively so that she is able to live a long and healthy life in spite of her condition. One area of caution is the use of salt in the diet, because for somebody with cardiovascular disease, sodium intake must be minimized as much as possible. The use of sea salt and the gyro for lunch perhaps should be substituted for items with lower sodium or none at all. Also the patient’s shrimp intake should also be monitored to ensure that she does not consume excessive amounts of cholesterol in the process. Finally and perhaps most relevant is that the patient’s diet does not include any dairy products. Low fat and low cholesterol dairy products are essential to achieve optimal nutrition for this patient and to maintain healthy skin, teeth, and bones. Otherwise, Catherine has accomplished her objectives quite successfully. She has provided a great start to a healthy diet and with a few minor adjustments, will achieve optimal nutritional levels for this young patient with the intent to preserve her health and wellbeing for as long as possible.

Joshua’s meal plan was directed for a 25 to 30 year old male undergoing chemotherapy for an unspecified form of cancer. As a result, many of his required nutrient levels have been depleted and must be added back into his diet in some form. Since chemotherapy takes such a toll on organs and systems, weight loss due to fatigue and general malaise are likely to occur. Therefore, the patient must consume the appropriate diet that is low in fat but high enough in calories to promote modest weight gain. Due to potential complications associated with constipation and/or diarrhea, food intake must be regulated so that fiber is increased as needed or reduced accordingly. With the selected diet, Joshua has achieved success in offering the patient a balance to meet his needs. The diet emphasizes a higher level of carbohydrates with potatoes, rice, and oatmeal and then balances this out effectively with vegetables and proteins throughout the day. The consumption of fish and chicken provide much-needed protein to rebuild his system and energy levels. In addition, the use of “good” fats provides additional support to promote the patient’s healthy diet. One recommendation is to perhaps reduce slightly the consumption of rice and potatoes to reduce the risks associated with constipation, which could make the patient feel weaker. In addition, juice consumption should be monitored for excess sugar intake and high levels of acidity. Nonetheless, Joshua has offered the patient a well-balanced and nutritious diet to accommodate his current chemotherapy treatments in an effective manner. This is an important opportunity for the patient to regain some of his strength and to restore any nutrients that have been lost during the treatment regimen. Chemotherapy is difficult to sustain and to recover from, particularly if treatments are lengthy and frequent; therefore, the patient must consume foods that will promote a stronger and healthier recovery effort in a manner that can be sustained for a long period of time.

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How to organize a paragraph: the MEAL plan

Composing a clear paragraph is a foundational skill in academic writing. In high school, you may have been taught that a paragraph requires a certain number of sentences – maybe three, maybe five. But paragraphs come in different lengths, and rather than follow strict rules about word count or a requisite number of sentences, it’s important to keep in mind what a good paragraph should do: deliver an idea, support it with evidence, and remind the reader (not always explicitly!) how this particular paragraph operates in the service of a larger argumentative claim. With this general guideline, students can write paragraphs that are as long or as short as they’d like. 

A common tip used in university writing centers around the country is to think of a single paragraph in an essay as a complete and balanced meal . That’s M-E-A-L, to stand for the following things:

(m) main idea:.

The main idea of the paragraph is the paragraph’s argumentative claim. The main idea is sometimes found in the first sentence, which is often called the “topic sentence,” but it could also come in following sentences if the first sentence of the paragraph is doing transitional work. Typically, though, the main idea is located in the early part of the paragraph. 

If you’re having a hard time coming up with your main idea or topic sentence, or if you’re in the process of revising your paragraph, start by asking yourself: “What is this paragraph about?” You can answer yourself in a flat-footed manner: “This paragraph is about ____.” From there, finish the sentence. As you rephrase the sentence, delete the words “This paragraph is about” and revise the rest. 

If you’re new to writing academic essays, try to limit yourself to writing about one main idea per paragraph. Your reader should be able to identify your main idea without re-reading your paragraph multiple times. 

(E) Evidence:

You’ll need some kind of proof or textual support to demonstrate your argument. The evidence and analysis are often connected, without one necessarily coming before the other. This would be the place to bring in external information. If you’re writing an English paper, for example, here is where you would introduce a quote from the poem or the novel that you are examining. If you’re writing a history paper, you might include a quote, statistic, or data point from the textbook, monograph, or article that you are using in your research. 

(A) Analysis:

The analysis is intertwined with the evidence . How can you explain or break down your evidence to make it more clear and applicable to your argument? If you are writing an English paper, the quote from the novel or poem you’ve supplied as the evidence should be explained at this point. You might to a close reading of the quote, paying attention to the rhythm of the language or the repetition of certain words. Close attention to the quote you’ve selected as evidence is necessary, no matter the subject or discipline of your essay. 

Link back to the larger claim: As you approach the end of your paragraph, you should be able to easily pinpoint the paragraph’s overall message. How does this message contribute to the argument of the paper at large? The reader should be able to understand, without much difficulty, why you’ve written this paragraph. The link ought not to be an explicitly belabored point; the best examples of this link will be implicit or subtle. If you are struggling with wrapping up the paragraph, ask yourself about the link in a schematic way: “What is the connection between this paragraph that I’ve just completed and the major thesis claim of my paper?” Answer your question in a flatfooted way (“This paragraph is important because ________) before revising it to fit more seamlessly with the rest of the paragraph.

Ellen majored in English at Williams College and received her PhD in English from Duke University. She teaches American Literature in the History & Literature department at Harvard University.

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Meal Planning Essays

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Evidence-based arguments: meal plan.

One approach that students may want to use to create effective arguments/paragraphs in capstone writing is the MEAL plan. This is one option for how to construct a paragraph. Duke University's Thompson Writing Program (n.d.) recommended that writers organize the material within a paragraph according to the MEAL plan:

Main Idea: Topic sentence stating the concrete claim the paragraph is advancing.   Evidence: Paraphrase or direct quotations from the source material used to support the topic sentence's claim.                Analysis: Explanation and evaluation of the evidence; explaining the evidence you provided and its relevance in the writer's own words.   Lead Out: Concluding; preparing the reader to transition to the next paragraph (and the next claim).

The MEAL plan matches the general format of academic writing on many levels: that of assertion, evidence, and explanation.  Many students make the mistake of writing toward a topic sentence or claim, rather than from one; keeping the MEAL plan in mind as you write will help you begin your paragraphs strongly and develop your analysis thoroughly.

Duke University Thompson Writing Program. (n.d.). Paragraphing: The MEAL plan. Retrieved from http://twp.duke.edu/sites/twp.duke.edu/files/file-attachments/meal-plan-2-1.original.pdf

For more on organization of the doctoral capstone, also see the writing tips on  rhetorical structure  and  cohesion  in a capstone document.

Outlining Strategies

Outlining (or reverse outlining) a first draft by listing each paragraph's topic sentence can be an easy way to ensure that each paragraph is serving a specific purpose in the argument.  Walden capstone writers may find opportunities to combine or eliminate potential paragraphs when outlining—first drafts often contain repetitive ideas or sections that stall, rather than advance, the paper's central argument.

For writers who are having trouble revising a paper, making an outline of each paragraph and its topic sentence after the draft is completed can be an effective way of identifying an argument's clarity and flow through the paragraphs presented. Review the SMRTguide on the MEAL Plan and Reverse Outlining . 

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