How to Start Meal Planning Without Getting Overwhelmed
Ahhhh, meal planning. Some people hear the word and get excited about how convenient it can be. Others (like me) internally cringe as we SCOUR through Pinterest and get overwhelmed by the MILLIONS of recipes that are available to try out.
When we first got married, we literally ate the SAME 4-5 meals every single day for over a YEAR. Finally, I told my husband I had ENOUGH - I couldn’t eat the same ingredients every day, and we needed to try something new. But I quickly got overwhelmed trying to find new recipes and try new things EVERY DAY. So how can you make your life MORE enjoyable and convenient with meal planning?
Start off SMALL. Try 1 new meal a week. That way, you can slowly incorporate new meals into your plan, without spending hours trying new techniques and buying a lot of new ingredients.
Limit your Pinterest time. Scrolling on Pinterest for too long can get overwhelming FAST - so only spend 10-15 minutes before taking a break and looking another day for new recipes.
Keep track of the recipes you like. If you try a recipe you like, make sure to save it on a document or PInterest board that you can easily go back to and find! If you DON’T like a recipe, take the time to remove it from your board so you never forget what you like/don’t like!
Be specific in your search. Instead of just looking up “dinner recipes”, be EXTREMELY specific with your search! Try looking with specific ingredients or style of dishes, like “keto roasted chicken dinner recipes” or “mexican healthy dishes” - this narrows down your results and gets rid of recipes that you really aren’t too interested in.
Plan your meal a week in advance. This way, you can grab ingredients the next time you go in the store and don’t have to make random grocery trips during the week.
Incorporate meals with similar ingredients. When meal planning, try to choose recipes that may have overlapping ingredients - this saves money as well as prep time, as you can bulk prep ingredients all at once!
Ask for help! Just asking friends and family for recipes they love can be an easy way to add meals to your plan!
Meal planning can be daunting at first, but it is SOOOOO worth the time and money you save. Plus, you can try new recipes without feeling overwhelmed with each new piece!
What are some of your favorite Pinterest meals that you can’t live without???
