Meal Planning Made Easy

What’s for dinner? The eternal question that never seems to have an easy answer. When you throw in a family’s busy schedule, picky eaters, and individual diet and health goals, it can start to feel oh-so-complicated! But just because it’s difficult doesn’t mean it’s impossible. We would like to introduce two frameworks or methods that are going to make meal planning a lot simpler. But first, let’s take a look at what your week looks like.

Identifying Busy Days

The first thing we will determine is which days of the week are the most stressful and busy. Do your kids have after-school activities? Do you like to make it to the gym after work on Tuesdays? Do you need to wake up extra early on Wednesdays? Whether your schedule stays the same week to week, or changes drastically, outline which nights you’ll be home to cook dinner and which nights you’ll be on the go. For the days things are a little busier, you may consider calling those “no cook” days, where you plan a no-cook meal, repurpose leftovers or throw something in the crockpot ahead of time. 

Protein-Based Meal Planning Framework

Most people don’t consume enough protein in their week, so it’s helpful to have a framework where we build our meal around the protein source. For example, your week could look something like this: 

• Meatless Monday
• Tofu Tuesday
• Fish on Wednesday
• Poultry on Thursday
• Friday is a wild card

This allows us to have a variety of protein sources, while giving structure and creativity to our week.

Meatless Monday Ideas

Tofu, edamame, beans, veggie burgers and eggs are all great meatless protein options. Pick one or two of these meatless protein sources and build your meal around it. Here are some example meal ideas: 

• Vegetarian chili with black beans (Bonus! You can turn this into quesadillas for lunch the next day) 
• Crunchy Buddha bowl salad with edamame and quinoa as the base
• Pad Thai with stir fried veggies and tofu
• Teriyaki stir-fry with brown rice and fried eggs
• Veggie burger with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli (We like Beyond Burgers and Gardein as good veggie burger options)
• Spaghetti with meatless meatballs and cauliflower on the side

Fish and Seafood Ideas 

Fish is an incredible source of omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial to have at least once or twice a week. Here are some ideas: 

• Salmon burgers
• Teriyaki salmon with rice and veggies 
• Spicy sriracha salmon
• Nut-crusted salmon with roasted fingerling potatoes
• Tuna salad pan-fried “quesadilla” with cheddar cheese 
• Mahi-mahi tacos with homemade slaw
• Shrimp scampi

Poultry Ideas 

Poultry is a great option for a lean protein source. Chicken and turkey are so versatile and can be easily incorporated into many of your staple recipes. Here are some ideas: 

• Sheet pan chicken and peppers
• Instant Pot or air fried chicken (great for making up ahead of time to have on salads, wraps, or rice bowls) 
• Asian chicken stir-fry
• Pesto pasta and chicken 
• Grilled BBQ chicken with grilled zucchini
• Lemon pepper chicken with noodles and veggies 
• Ground turkey chili
• Pasta with turkey meatballs and peas

Cuisine-Based Meal Planning Framework

The second way to meal plan is by cuisine. Think of your five favorite types of cuisines and assign them to a night. Get creative and think outside the box! Some ideas include Asian, Mexican, French, American, Italian, Mediterranean and German…but obviously there are so many more! 

Pro tip! When creating your cuisine-based meals prioritize health over authenticity. As long as there’s enough flavor, the meal will still be enjoyable. For example, we know refried beans are traditionally made with lard, but obviously that’s not going to be the best option for our health. If you’re making homemade refried beans try olive oil to provide a healthy fat instead. 

• German inspired meal: Sheet pan bratwurst with onions and peppers (look for a lower fat, high protein sausage) 
• Mexican inspired meal: Enchiladas with extra sautéed veggies and chips and guacamole on the side
• Asian inspired meal: High protein ramen with tofu, broccoli and mushrooms
• Mediterranean inspired meal: Chicken shawarma with an Israeli salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and a lemon-olive oil dressing

Low-Cook Meals

Who doesn’t love a low-cook meal? When we say a low-cook meal we mean meals that take little to no prep or cooking at all. Crock-pot, Instant Pot and air fryer meals are great for low-cook nights.

Crock-pot or Instant Pot meal ideas: 

• Pulled chicken sandwiches
• Chili 
• Chicken Noodle Soup

Low-cook meals ideas: 

• Grilled Cheese w/ Tomato & Turkey: 2 slices whole-wheat bread, 3 slices deli turkey, 1 slice provolone, 2 slices tomato, 1 small spritz olive-oil spray (to grease pan or panini press), add extra sliced veggies to up the veg-factor! Grill on stovetop or in panini press and serve warm.
• Apple & PB Wrap: 1 whole wheat wrap, sliced apples and 2 Tbsp. peanut butter. Spread ingredients on wrap, roll up and enjoy. (Could swap apple for banana if preferred)
• Caesar Salmon Wrap: 1 whole-wheat pita, 5-ounce can/packet of salmon, 2 Tbsp. light Caesar dressing, 1 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, 1 handful spinach
• Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Salad: 3 thick slices fresh mozzarella cheese, 2 plum tomatoes, sliced, 3 basil leaves, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• Loaded Sweet Potato: Poke holes in sweet potato and microwave until soft, cut open and top with chopped veggie burger/ground turkey/sliced chicken, shredded cheese, chopped peppers, salsa, and a dollop of plain non-fat Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream).
• Quick Tortellini: Frozen or fresh tortellini, mix with marinara sauce, mix in frozen broccoli or frozen spinach. Microwave all ingredients and pair with 3-4 oz. of rotisserie chicken on the side. 
• Rotisserie chicken and microwave-cooked baked potato with steamed veggies
• Mediterranean Burger: 1 whole-wheat bun, 1 turkey burger patty, 2 Tbsp. feta cheese, 2 slices tomato, 1 round slice red onion, 1 handful spinach
• Spiced Chickpea Pita: 1 whole-wheat pita, ½ a chicken breast, ¼ cup chickpeas, 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise, sprinkle parsley, sprinkle oregano
• Pizza Burger: 1 whole-wheat bun, 1 veggie burger patty, 2 slices fresh mozzarella cheese, 2 Tbsp. marinara sauce
• Easy Quesadilla: ¼ cup vegetarian refried beans, ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese, 3 oz. sliced pre-cooked chicken, salsa (pan fry to cook)
• Breakfast for dinner: scramble up some eggs, pop in some toast, wash a few grapes and you have a very simple meal!

Low-Cook Pantry Staples: 

• Rice packets
• Pre-cooked chicken 
• Canned tuna and/or salmon
• Potatoes (for microwaved baked potatoes!) 
• Frozen veggies
• Low-sodium canned veggies 
• Salad kits

When planning your menu for the week, get your family involved. Let your kids choose at least one meal per week, and make tweaks as needed to make it more balanced. 

Most families will need to plan only five meals for the week. Research shows the average person has 12 recipes on rotation. Choose your 12 go-to recipes, and then we can add new things into circulation as time goes on. 

If menu planning feels overwhelming, we’d love to work with you! Our team of dietitians are the experts in creating menus that will fit your needs while considering your health goals, food preferences and your family’s needs too. Schedule a discovery call today and find out how we can help you!

Written by our Registered Dietitian and board certified specialist, Megan Rose.