Freeze items that will make your meal planning easier
FROM E1 Have a list of your go-to dishes
Years ago, in the pre-kid times, when we had more leisure time than I ever realized, my husband and I created a “what’s for dinner” spreadsheet. It includes such details as type of cuisine, who makes it and whether it is doable on a weeknight, which was easier back then. You don’t need to get too fancy, or even update it every time you try a new dish (if you do, more power to you), but the simple exercise of a brain dump of at least some of the dishes in your repertoire can be exceedingly helpful when it comes time to picking what to make. That way you won’t feel like you’re starting from scratch every week, and you may be reminded of old favorites you’d forgotten.
Shop smartly
Once you make your list of dishes, survey the ingredients you have on hand and then compile a list of what you need. Schedule a time to shop for the week, whether it’s in-store, curbside or delivery. That way you make sure you get what you need, before you need it, and won’t have to make multiple runs to the store.
When you’re unpacking, place your groceries where you know you’ll find them. I even like to group together ingredients from the same recipe to cut down on time spent rummaging around for stuff.
Make use of your freezer
I will continue to beat this drum. Look, I am always going to carve out room for ice cream and other sweet indulgences in my freezer. But devoting as much space as I can to things that will make my dinners easier is a priority.
Try to include a mix of ready-to-eat items, such as burritos or soups, and ingredients that can be used for quick, flexible meals, such as cooked beans or pesto.
And how about convenience foods? I’m giving you permission to have your favorite store-bought frozen meals on hand for every once in a while. When you’re planning, look ahead at your week for nights when you know you may be otherwise tied up and peg them for a from-the-freezer meal. Make note if you need to pull something out to thaw in the fridge overnight and set a reminder on your phone to do so.
Stock the pantry
This is the corollary to my freezer advice. Make sure your cabinets are stocked with versatile ingredients that can be used in any number of ways, depending on what you feel like cooking. At the top of my list would be canned tomatoes (diced and crushed), dried pasta, dried and/or canned beans and grains (rice, barley, etc.).
Extra points if you keep a running inventory somewhere.
Let someone else do the planning
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s more than OK to follow someone else’s lead. Search online recipe libraries, follow food blogs and subscribe to newsletters.
You can probably find a personality with a meal plan to suit any interest and diet, either online or in print. Among recently published books, “The Fit Foodie Meal Prep Plan” by Sally O’Neilys and “Ready, Set, Cook” by
Dawn Perry both resonated with my colleagues.
Set aside a night off
If your budget and diet allow, plan for one evening a week when you’re off the hook for cooking. This helps relieve some pressure and also supports your local restaurants in a challenging time. Knowing you’ve already got your night off booked can be a motivator to power through the other six days of dinners. When your break rolls around, you’ll have earned it.
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