When many people hear meal planning, they picture a perfectly organized chart of three meals a day, seven days a week, with everything assigned to a specific day. But meal planning doesn’t have to look like that!
Meal planning should fit your life, not the other way around. Whether you want to plan around a crazy schedule, prep in bulk, or even just map out what you’re eating, there’s no one-size-fits-all method for meal planning.
That’s why I’m sharing three flexible meal planning approaches you may not have considered – these ideas work with your life, not against it. And the best part? They’re all easy to accomplish in Plan to Eat!
1. Plan without a plan!
If you like the idea of meal planning but hate being locked into specific meals on specific days, this method is for you. You need a plan that bends and stretches just like your schedule!
🔹 How it works: Instead of assigning recipes to exact days, simply add your planned meals to the first day of the week in Plan to Eat. Then, as the week progresses, drag and drop meals onto specific days based on what sounds good or what fits your schedule.
🔹 Example:
- Add 3-4 recipes to the first day of the week.
- Shop for everything from your organized list!
- Each day, choose which meal you want to make based on your mood, time, or energy level.
This method eliminates the daily “what’s for dinner?” stress while still allowing for flexibility. You’ll always have ingredients on hand, but you won’t be tied to a rigid schedule.
2. Plan without recipes!
What if you don’t need a detailed recipe to make dinner happen? If you have go-to meals memorized, or you prefer to throw ingredients together based on what you have, this is your new meal planning system!
🔹 How it works: Add Ingredients to the Plan to Eat Planner instead of full recipes. Simply add the ingredients you need to your meal planner, and Plan to Eat will automatically add them to your shopping list. If you want, you can also add a Note on the planner to remind yourself what dish you’re making.
🔹 Example:
Instead of planning a “Taco Night” recipe, just add: ground beef, tortillas, cheese, salsa, avocado, and lettuce as Ingredient Notes.
This method is perfect for simple, staple meals that don’t require a recipe.
3. Plan for prep!
Maybe you don’t want to plan recipes at all – you just want to prep once and eat simple meals throughout the week. If you love batch cooking or prepping staple ingredients to mix and match, this method is for you.
🔹 How it works: Instead of planning full recipes, plan your meal prep ingredients on a specific day of the week. You can do this in two ways:
- Use Ingredient Notes to list what you need to prep.
- Create a “Meal Prep” recipe that includes everything you want to batch cook.
🔹 Example:
- On Sunday, plan to prep your items like: grilled chicken, roasted veggies, quinoa, boiled eggs, and chopped fruit.
- Use these ingredients throughout the week to make different meals.
- Midweek, add another batch prep session if needed!
Prepping ingredients in advance makes it easy to throw together quick, balanced meals without starting from scratch every night. It’s perfect for busy weeks, health-conscious planners, or anyone who loves efficiency in the kitchen.
There’s no “right” way to meal plan – there’s only the way that makes your life easier. No matter if you are a “strict” planner or like to plan in an unconventional way, Plan to Eat can help you make it happen!
Ditch the idea that meal planning has to be a strict, all-or-nothing system. Find the method that works for you, and start finding the joy of meal planning!
