Why I Don’t Meal Plan- And What We Do Instead
Meal planning is a hot topic. There are entire blogs devoted to the subject. I’ve tried ‘meal planning’ many times over the years. I think it can be a great idea and I envy the type of people who can make a meal plan and actually stick with it for more than a day. I am not that type of person.
We don’t really live a life conducive to strict schedules and we enjoy that. Andy often has things come up for work or other activities at the last minute, meaning whatever plan we’ve made goes out the window. The freedom is well worth the inconveniences.
Why Weekly Meal Planning Doesn’t Work
Meal planning just doesn’t work for us, and maybe it doesn’t work for you either. That’s totally ok. Here are some reasons why meal planning hasn’t worked for us:
1. We’re Busy
Our schedules change with the seasons. We’re extremely busy all summer, and have much more free time in the winter. In the spring and summer I don’t have much time to cook on a regular basis or plan what we’re going to eat, so we rely on food pulled out of the freezer or a few favorite meals that come together quickly. In the winter I have much more time to cook and experiment.
2. I Get Overly Ambitious
It’s amazing how much time and energy you think you’re going to have to cook dinner when you’re sitting down on the couch on Sunday night, isn’t it? Then mid-week comes and suddenly all your plans go out the window.
3. It Wastes Food
When I’ve tried meal planning, I’ve always found us wasting MORE food, not less. It tended to make me over-buy and over-prepare and the leftovers never got eaten before they went bad.
4. Cooking Every Day Takes Time
Cooking is a process. Shopping, prepping, cooking, and cleanup all take time. I’m all about saving steps where I can, and if I can avoid getting the kitchen messy every single day, I will. There is no rule saying you have to cook something new for dinner every night…leftovers are great!
5. It Creates Stress
Meal planning just stresses me out. I don’t like it, so I don’t do it. It feels like an extra chore that creates more work than is necessary. As a ‘free spirit’ (according to Andy) it’s just too much commitment. It also seems to create an artificial need (in me) to cook things and buy things that I wouldn’t normally cook or buy. If meal planning eliminates stress from your life, keep doing it.
What Do I Do Instead of Meal Planning?
Cooking and Freezing in Bulk
When I cook something, I try to cook a lot of it. If it can be frozen, I make double or triple or quadruple what we would normally eat and freeze the rest portioned out for single meals. Instead of having to make chili 5 times, I make it once.
This does require a lot of freezer space, but it’s worth it. It’s great to know that I don’t have to be thinking about what’s for dinner while we’re outside working in the garden or if I wake up with a migraine that day. I just have to thaw something in the microwave. Or for days I’m really on top of it, I can take something bigger like a casserole out and let it thaw on the counter.
Whether I cook enough chili for tonight or for 5 nights, I get the kitchen just as messy. But the next time we eat, dinner is done without getting the kitchen dirty, and we can have a warm, homemade meal even on days where we’re busy or I don’t feel good. Cooking in bulk means I can cook all of our meals from scratch but I don’t have to spend my entire life in the kitchen to do it.
Cooking in bulk can be as easy as making a double recipe of whatever you’re cooking and throwing the extra in the freezer for later. Try it and I bet you’ll love the feeling next time you’re wondering what’s for dinner and remember you have a frozen meal ready and waiting.
Cook Things I Know
On days I do have time to cook, I cook things that I know. I stick to old standbys that I can make without a recipe and with ingredients that we always have on hand. Rice can be made in dozens of different ways by dumping pantry staples into a rice cooker: rice and beans, taco rice, rice with peas and carrots, rice with butter, cheesy rice, tomatillo salsa rice, chicken and rice…it can be the main dish or a side.
Pasta is equally versatile, especially if you have a few frozen or canned sauces to start with. Add vegetables and protein and you have a well rounded meal. When I cook I never measure and use what we have, so things are rarely the same, but almost always taste good. Because I’m not following a strict recipe, I can use up what we have on hand avoiding food waste and saving money.
Entirely new recipes with novel ingredients are not a regular occurrence. They’re reserved for special occasions when we have friends or family over and cooking is the main event, or slow days when I just really want to try something new and have time to enjoy the process.
I’ll also try a new recipe when I have a specific reason: a new type of food I need to use up, or if I don’t love a current recipe I’m using or think I could make something better or easier.
On a regular basis I cook the same 5 or 10 things over and over again, which you could say is a meal plan in itself. But because it’s always the same, I don’t have to sit down and draw it up every week saving me time. I also always know what my grocery list is going to look like. When we run out of something, I add it to the list. Over time I’m able to get a good idea of our inventory and can buy certain things in bulk knowing how long it will take us to use them up.
Find What Works For You
There are an unlimited number of ways to plan out your meals. For me, the simpler I can get the better it works. I’m not a list person or a planner. If you’re the same way, try eliminating some choices and preparing ahead for the days you just can’t cook. Take a day to stock the freezer, and an evening to list out everything you love to cook and can make with staples from your pantry and fridge.
And then enjoy knowing that the next time you get home late you have a homemade dinner waiting for you, just a microwave away.
