Meal Planning Tips
Life can feel chaotic, and meal planning often adds to that feeling. Between work, school, relationships, and all our other responsibilities, figuring out what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks while also trying to please everyone in the family can feel like one more impossible task. And even once you have a plan in place, the next challenge is finding the time to prep it all.
For many people, especially those in recovery or working toward a more flexible relationship with food, meal planning can also feel rigid or counterproductive to working towards a more intuitive eating approach. What I remind my clients is that meal planning isn’t about control, it’s about creating access. Planning and prepping ahead simply ensures that you have foods you enjoy available during the week, while still leaving room for flexibility and spontaneity.
For example, let’s say making spaghetti was your plan for tonight. If a friend invites you out to dinner or you’re suddenly craving pizza, you have full permission to shift your plan. The spaghetti will still be there tomorrow.
Here are a few tips to manage the chaos and help you plan ahead successfully for the week:
1. Set aside time to plan your week.
Pick a day (typically Saturday or Sunday) to look at your week and map out a plan for meals and snacks. For breakfast and lunch, choose 2–3 options for each that you can rotate through. For dinner, think about how many nights you’ll realistically eat at home and plan accordingly. To simplify things, try using themed nights such as Taco Tuesday, breakfast-for-dinner, or bowl night.
2. Look for inspiration.
If you feel stuck in a rut, scroll through Instagram, TikTok, or Pinterest for new ideas. Over time, you’ll find a few favorite creators you can rely on for easy meal inspiration.
3. Prep versatile components in advance.
Make a larger batch of something you can use in different ways throughout the week. For example, bake a couple of pounds of chicken you can add to a salad kit for lunch or pair it with rice and veggies for dinner.
4. Embrace convenience foods.
Don’t hesitate to lean on time-savers like steam-in-bag veggies, premade salad kits, rotisserie chicken, or 90-second rice. These can cut down stress while still helping you build balanced, satisfying meals.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing simple lunch and dinner ideas to give you fresh inspiration for meal planning, so stay tuned! And if food ever feels overwhelming or stressful, or if you’d just like to deepen your understanding of nutrition and how the body works, ATX Nutritional Counseling is here to support you. We offer both virtual sessions and in-person appointments in Georgetown and Austin.