Chili w/ crackers Potato soup w/ fresh bread Biscuits and gravy with fried potatoes and eggs Lasagna, salad Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas Spaghetti with heavy meat sauce Tacos or Chicken quesadillas with refried beans and rice...a wonderful lady Rachel cooks with love makes easy and awesome authentic Mexican...Huge hit here. Beans, greens, cornbread, and fried taters the day before Mexican...allows you to have your beans already made and just need to refry the next day. Fried chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans Sloppy joes, Mac and cheese, and mixed veges Lunches can be leftovers, creative leftovers, PB and j with fruit, or any other salad or sandwich. I buy bulk sliced cheese at the beginning of the month so I can make grilled cheese often for quick lunches.
Ariel, I'm not your target audience at all. I'm a sixty-year-old single woman with only myself and a 400 square foot apartment to manage. And yet, your videos inspire me -- and holy cow, are they entertaining! I just want to say thank you and congratulations on hitting 100k subscribers.🎉 I wish you all the success you can handle! ❤
Hi Denise I'm a sixty year old single woman with just myself in a small apartment and I tune In every week to be totally entertained and I pick up some great tips because she is awesome so I guess we are the targeted audience 😆 Lol.
I live alone with my pets. I found recipes for small crock pots for 2, how to use the instant pot for small meals, I sauté often. My new plan is to add salad daily, can be simple or elaborate. I designate a theme for the days of the week, then Sunday smorgasbord of leftovers.
I have never meal planned and always ignored the meal planning advice….but your video has finally convinced me to give it a try! Your no-meal-plan life is the perfect description of my life!
2 tips I’ve found helpful as someone who always resented the meal planning advice because I hated it the first time I tried it: (1) Start with 3-4 meals a week (2) just because you plan what you’re going to cook each week, doesn’t mean you have to decide which day it is. With 3 kids under 4 & thyroid condition, our days are incredibly unpredictable & deciding which day for which meal often failed. I started by saying “these are the 3 of the things I’m going to cook next week” and then picking between those 3 things each day I have the brain space to cook.
i really appreciate your videos! every other sahm youtuber is putting such a show on with fancy filters and expencive lifestyles, i never leave your videos thinking i need too buy more pretty things to be happy, but to be content right where i am
We'll do a hybrid of meal planning, batch cooking and keeping basic pantry items in the house to pull together meals quickly. I stopped worrying about those certain meals being on that particular day of the week and just made sure we could get those meals in for that week instead, which definitely helped! One kid would change their mind on what we were having a lot, so that little bit of flexibility made things easier with them. I do agree that meal planning does save you money. The little trips to our little supermarket add up quickly!
I agree with all of this.... AND I also believe that being able to make a meal or twelve from a half stocked kitchen with like 3 sticks and a chicken breast is a life skill we all need to have.
Wow, I think you finally convinced me after years of NOT meal planning consistently. I didn't even realize some of those things were happening to me because of a lack of planning! THANK YOU!!!
I've never been good at meal planning. I don't have the energy to think that far ahead. We buy various things that can be used in a bunch of meals. If a veggie is going bad, we chop it up and freeze it or just throw it into whatever meal I've decided to make. I just look in the fridge and come up with something interesting. I find it freeing most of the time.
I have a golden middle route for this issue: i have some basic ingredients always at home in the pantry ( which is just 1 big cabinet) and meat and some veggies in the freezer, sour cream and cheese in the fridge, eggs, etc. Even if i cannot cook what i want to, i can always whip up something from this. But i weekly make a menu, or at least what i want to use, and what i really need to buy. But i never allocate these dishes to a day, and it has wiggle room and changes. Like for this week i had written beans with ham, and at the end i baked the ham with potatoes, and the beans will be chili, so got 2 different dishes from the original idea. And i cook for 2 days, so i am not cooking every day.
Girl I didn’t even expect this to hit me the way it did. Bc your month without the planning is what my life feels like and k didn’t even realize it lol
I don’t meal plan but I keep my pantry and freezer stocked with the common things I use to make a meal (stock up when it’s on sale!) and I always have something to make a meal with.
As a working mom who often doesn't get home until 7p, I've had to add 1 more prep step that has revolutionized our meal planning. Batch cooking meat! (Thank you Dana K. White!!!) I'll make a crockpot of boneless chicken thighs, shred, and freeze in portions. Same with hamburger. The night before a meal that uses those meats, i put the frozen container in the fridge to defrost. When I need to throw together spaghetti, Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or casseroles, the meat is all ready to add. I can get home at 7 and frequently have a meal on the table a half hour later, instead of an hour later.
@@SleeplessinOC zip lock bags with all the air squeezed out of them. I've now changed to silicone ones to be able to reuse, same process. Hope this helps
@@SleeplessinOC - I let cool in completely in the fridge with the bag slightly open to let out moisture. Then I squeeze out all the air I can, and seal. I keep these bags in larger 2 gallon bags in the freezer so I don't "lose" them in my chest freezer, lol. I also typically use them up in a 1-2 months, so freezer burn hasn't really been an issue in our household.
I have seen videos on WHY you should meal plan for years but I've never seen someone do the reverse and THAT'S what finally got me meal planning! And I LOVE it, THANK YOU
Laughing because I literally binge-watched a bunch of your Flylady videos & all 3 of your meal planning videos late into last night and here you are with a fresh one! I had a few ideas I wanted to share with you about meals prep that I hope you find useful (I use my oven a lot): * bacon - put it on a sheet pan & bake in the oven. I can cook a package on two sheet pans - it takes about 15-20 min depending upon your oven temp - saves on stove top clean up & requires less time overall * sausage - I take the meat out of the casing or buy ground sausage & cook it all at once. Then I portion out the sausage into smaller bags, throw them in the freezer & just take out one at a time as needed for that day's meal. You can do this with ground beef too - season, cook all, portion out & freeze - quick taco filling, nacho topping, spaghetti sauce addition, etc. * sausage again - I throw links on a sheet pan & bake those as well. Then I throw in sauce or serve with meal as needed * meatballs - this was a game changer for me - I premake a ton of meatballs. I have a recipe that I found on reddit that is fantastic! I buy 3lbs of beef on sale, 1.5lbs of sausage/ground pork & triple this recipe. I freeze them 6 to a bag & then take out for spaghetti, serve on their own (we like them with homemade mac & cheese), or make meatball sandwiches with them. (recipe: www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/ff2gzs/my_86_yearold_nonno_makes_the_best_meatballs_and/) Tip: I brown the meatballs on the stove then bake them on a sheet pan for about 10-15 min. I prefer them slightly undercooked before I throw them into the freezer because they will be heated up and I don't want them dried out. If defrosted, they can cook in the oven 12-15 min to heat up. * lasagne - for quick lasagne we use a small 8" square baking dish, but you can make a bigger pan. For the 8" pan, I boil 5 lasagne noodles broken in half (cook for less time than box says since it will bake). I layer them 3 per row (top row gets 4) with ricotta, mozzarella, sauce (of course) and throughout the layers I sprinkle a bag of ground sausage or beef I cooked previously & saved in the freezer. Oven for 1 hour. Prep is 30 min tops. * if your budget allows, use foil in as many baking dishes/sheet pans as possible. Saves on that end of day dish pile since you don't need to soak. Also highly recommend using parchment paper under things you're cooking in the oven - we use it constantly & not just for cookies. I don't have to spray down my pans & then I don't have to scrub off the baked on oil that is almost impossible to remove. Love your channel, your sense of humor, and your commonsense approach. Bonus family cameos!
Invest in some silicone mats and use instead of both parchment paper and foil. Saves $, time, your health and the environment. Aluminum foil is toxic especially at high heat.
Yes! I just cut down to cooking dinner only 3 times a week and planning leftovers for the other days. Plus if there are extra leftovers they go to lunches or frozen for a time I don’t want to cook.
I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t plan each specific meal out but I do know what things we typically eat and always make sure I have these ingredients on hand. There’s always something for me to throw together. Eating out or running to the store isn’t an option for me since I’m too far from stores.
I don’t meal plan. Rather I have staples that I can use to make several different meals. But I’m glad it works so well for you. And good that month is over 😅 Wishing you all the best!
If meal planning was a company, it should have been the sponsor of this video! 👍🏼 I don't even have a family and now you have me wanting to meal plan. 😁💐❤️
I don’t think I could function without meal planning, but I think that is just my personality. We are a family of 10 and each week I make a menu for all three meals a day, then make my grocery list accordingly. I am not stringent on which meal to eat which day, but I have to have the direction. To me, it is one less decision and I can determine early in the day how to function based on what kind of meals I’m planning. Sometimes I will make a month’s menu out at a time but that takes quite a bit of time. It is worth it for me, but some people are naturally spontaneous and good at it. I think it largely depends on your personality type. Great video, as always. ❤
I meal plan one week a month and wonder why it doesn't work lol. Your video inspired me to actually take the time to meal plan the whole month and stop the dinner chaos I thought was normal. Thank you.
My parents and I share a house. My family has NEVER meal planned. EVER. And I’m in my 40s! Two weeks ago while out grocery shopping I planned an entire week of dinners based on what I bought , and listed them for my dad to choose from the list , my mom to make when they got hungry, and I would know there would be leftovers when I got home from work. BREEZIEST WEEK OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. My dad didn’t pester my mom for food as much, my dad bought less fast food and my mom wasn’t stress. Except the work going into planning which is so new to me. I was so busy that weekend I immediately reverted back to doing whatever. Immediate chaos ensued! Your video was SO SPOT ON on how our lives normally work. I’m constantly bitter and overwhelmed at home and I think about a third of that is about lack of meal planning! You just convinced me to spend that 2 hours a week planning and shopping. Really not a huge investment for all that time and money savings and my parents actually consuming veggies. I have no idea why you popped up on my feed but so thankful you did.
Nope, no meal planning until a couple of days ahead - I keep proteins in freezer, buy a week’s worth of veg (things that look good/on sale). I usually have potatoes on hand, pasta, rice, tortillas if I remembered to buy them. I have flour, oil, butter, sugar, milk, half & half, frozen berries, frozen peas & spinach, plan yogurt, eggs…a good aged cheese, good sausages of some sort in freezer. Aromatic veg, ginger, good canned tomatoes, assorted spices, chiles, and condiments. I make a pot of dried beans or chick peas most weeks, too. We rarely throw anything out and we eat quite well. I did more meal planning with small children at home, as they were less flexible!
I have an intermediate way of meal planning: I plan as many dinners as I know we'll eat at home that week (so if we're planning on visiting friends, I'll plan only six meals). Then during the week, I pick one of the meals that sound appealing to me. There are always easier and more time-consuming meals, so I can choose which fits the day. Gives me a feeling of freedom and allows for flexibility, whilst still having the benefits of meal planning.
We do a hybridized version. I think about the meals that we like to cook and try to have things on hand, or take meat out of the freezer on the night before, but I couldn’t tell you what specific meals we will eat in the coming week, but I always have options.
I didn’t even realise that some people DONT meal plan until now. I can’t imagine life without meal planning- It prevents decision fatigue creates and mental energy for me!
I'm planning the day before - but I'm living on countryside. I have a pantry, two freezers, a vegetables and fruit garden and a gardening neighbour. Too much planning causes lack of flexibility if your neighbour rings the bell and gives you 8 cucumbers or a bucket of tomatoes, or if your pear tree donates you 100 pounds of pears in 4 days. It depends on your situation if a plan for a week helps or not so much.
Meal planning seems super great if you have already learned how to do it and have a bank of meals you're already comfortable preparing! If it's new to you, it probably has all the benefits *except" saving time. I think the learning phase is tough for a lot of people (myself included) since it takes a lot of discipline and trial and error for a while. Fortunately, I don't have the full mental load for feeding the family as my husband is a pretty good chef!
I can never get past the first week or so. I'll make a list and then find myself improvising anyway after the first few days.😮 for no reason, I just can't seem to follow through on it.
You're totally right, the learning process does take a while. My first meal plan took me like 5 hours just to plan. Getting my list of meals took a while too. But once you get there, the benefits are so worth it!
@cadylynn3487yes! I typically only plan 2-4 meals a week. It helps that my husband is “in charge” of 2 meals a week, but expecting to ad-lib or change it up if I’m just too fatigued helps. I also don’t pick days. On my days to cook I just think about which of the 2-4 meals I have the spoons to tackle.
@BriannePitt … I started my bank of meals by taking about a month w/out meal planning & just writing a list of the meals we’d cooked & liked. I then asked my husband if there was anything he wanted added to the list. If you don’t cook much at home now, don’t try to start cooking all meals at home right away … ease into it & good luck!
Everything you said is true. I spent the first year of my sons life experimenting with recipes and figuring out what everyone liked. Now meal planning is a breeze, but the beginning phase can be a trial
I’m also an over 60 year old follower. Love your content ❤ I find that if I plan out meal it does save money, time and most importantly stress. I eat the same breakfast M-F usually oats, yogurt & fruit. Weekends are eggs brunch stuff. Lunches tend to be salad kits with beans or other protein . I plan out 3-4 dinners - eating leftovers on another day. One dinner is either takeout or clean the fridge out. 😊 I look thru the ads and the internet to decide what dinners might be. I keep a couple of frozen pizzas/entrees for those nights when it’s just not gonna happen. 🫤
Sitting down to meal plan now... thanks for the inspiration! And I laughed out loud when you asked your husband what's for dinner! The look on his face! You make an awesome pair! 😂
Once I started meal planning, I noticed how hard it was to function without it. It costs me time, money, and health when I don’t do it. If I don’t have time to plan the whole week, I at least plan the next 2-3 days.
Another great video. Love the idea of using one meal for multiple meals! Two other meal plan ideas I like are: Lena Patterson Plans has a video called meal plan with me monthly and weekly planning where she mentions theme meals for the days of the week like pizza on Fridays and The Secret Slob video Meal Plan Day 19, where she writes a list of meals for the week but do not assign a specific day to allow for flexibility.
this is perfect! I appreciate this take on it. I have to meal plan. I have 4 kids and my grocery bill is outrageous when I don't meal plan. I use a two week meal rotation, with one night a week planned for leftovers- which I do on garbage night in case I end up tossing the leftovers we forgot about from two weeks ago that no one liked. every few months I tweak the menu based on what meals the kids liked and what's in season.
I struggle with meal planning, but I'm so much calmer when I do it. Decision fatigue is huge in the later afternoon, so having to figure out what to make for supper can be really stressful. Meal planning takes all decisions away - you already figured that out.
My meal plans are very “loose” in that I don’t try and assign a certain meal to a day of the week. Because it never fails that we won’t be in the mood for whatever I wrote on that day. Instead, I list 4-5 meals that I have all the ingredients for and make whatever we’re feeling like that day from my list. We also have hodgepodge nights to use up leftovers and that can include a bowl of cereal or can of soup if we want. Frozen pizza with salad is also a life saver to avoid takeout.
By far, and I mean FAR, the best meal planning video on RUclips!!!! 😂 Im in. I'm getting the index cards right now to plan the meals this week! Thank you!
I have seen you planing before and said meh! Planning is not for me. I seize the day. However after watching this video I saw my life and decided meal planning. Commenting after a week. A week with no shopping or cooking struggle. Was soo easy and stress free. I am going to continue to plan. Sometimes you need to see bad sides to appreciate good. Thanks for making this video 😂
My husband was always against meal planning until he started being the main cook lol ! I *hated* being the one who had to decide what I was cooking each day. Now we sit down once a week and discuss what we are going to eat - I have 3 teenagers and they all pitch in. It also helps to look at our nutrition on a weekly basis - are we eating too much red meat, what veg are we going to have etc. It also means that you can easily switch up the days if something happens and yet you still have all the necessary ingredients. And it means anyone can start dinner if need be.
We've meal planned for over 20 years. That being said we are childless so it's just me and my husband and we LOVE leftovers. One of us picks seven recipes and dinner is always lunch the next day. It cut way down on waste and we eat much better. I print out recipes that we might like and if we make it, and we like it, the recipe gets taped into a scribbler. We have four dinner scribblers and many Post It notes marking favourite recipes in cookbooks. It's much easier to go shopping too and these days groceries are SO expensive it's good to know we are not wasting money in spoiled food. It's a bit clunky getting started but once you get into the habit it's really great. You can also save menu plans from week to week!
Wow. You're basically describing my life here in those 30 days. I really need to start mealplanning again. It's hard because there isn't much that all four of us like to eat for various reasons. It's still better than chaos and stress though!!
First, as I tell my husband, "what's for dinner" is not a conversation!! He stopped saying it when I kept saying, I don't know what are YOU making. Second, I LOVE you. You are so cute and funny and enjoyable. I'm in my 60s. Past the stage of raising children and working an upper management job for a Fortune 500 company. I did not do take out. I rushed home, kicked off my shoes, and put an apron over my "power suite" to put a healthy meal on the table for my family. Then I helped with homework. After "bedtime"routine, I got back to my the job that paid the bills. Endless Exhaustion. Not that I wish that on ANYONE, but watching your videos on figuring this out makes me smile. Keep them coming. THANK YOU.
I started meal planning several months ago after watching your meal planning videos and it's seriously one of the best things! You made it so simple compared to all the complicated ways I've seen people do it in the past and it takes me less than 10 minutes to meal plan each week. We save a ton on groceries and takeout and I still have flexibility!
Very good quick video to encourage us to meal plan! My newest version is a two week (10 meals) rotation. So having the same thing every other Monday, etc. So far it’s working pretty well for taking a lot of the stress out of planning! (I’m homeschooling three kids 😬).
I think about this video all the time. I think about it when I'm going to the grocery store at 6am. Or whipping up a meal at whitching hour. My family really needs me and I'm good at this! Thanks!
Being organized and disciplined and structured takes a lot of work and isn't fun, but not being organized and disciplined and structured is not only more difficult, it's a lifestyle that comes with own unique set of additional miseries.
I've been a casual meal planner off and on. The days where I'm not prepared are definitely chaos or simple box meals. My home situation leaves some chaos that I can't control but having a direction and plan for the week definitely helps!
Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll try it. The problems you pointed out specifically are my daily life. Also - New filming corner looks fantastic. 🤗 Feels fresh, modern, cozy, authentic to you. Hope you are enjoying your new bedroom! ❤
I don't formally plan meals, but I always have ingredients on hand for a variety of easy meals (the only kind I make - easy). We can decide what we want when my husband gets home from work. Sometimes he wants the same thing three nights in row. That's ok with me. We almost never get take-out, and we eat out only a couple of times a year.
This is how my mom always did it! I love that method, but unfortunately I’m a little too extra when it comes to trying new recipes for this to work consistently for me… 🫣
Thank you for your sacrifice!!! I always thought I had meals and grocery shopping under control but the truth is, I experienced all of the negative things you experienced, stress, spending too much, hungry husband and kids, etc.....
This was a description of my life! And after checking out your videos on meal planning, yours is the first system I've ever encountered that didn't look like MORE trouble and MORE work. Your system is easy to understand and easy to implement. Told my sister about it, and we're BOTH starting it! Thank you!
I have been working on improving things in my life and this is one area I have failed in. Thank you for the reminder and the encouragement to make this a priority. 😊
What a great video, Ariel! My kids are in their 20s now, but I still try to meal plan to save time, effort and money. Do I always do it? No 😆 The great part is when your kids are a bit older they can contribute to dinner ideas so you don't have to dream it up by yourself every week. My go-to meal for when I'm working from home or on a weekend - roast a chicken with some roasted veggies. It sounds fancy but is super easy.
You are so right, even planning something simple like chicken nuggets in the oven helps me stick to it if I have a plan instead of ordering out. You inspired me, I have a 7 day meal plan and I’m going to do the same meals for the next 4 weeks. I make things to complicated sometimes!
You’ve convinced me to create a more formal plan for this week. My goal is to avoid going back to the store until next week. I feel like even though I have a general idea I keep stopping every 2-3 days to grab something. It’s frustrating.
I have always meal planned, it was a large money saver. I love meal planning and looking for variety in protiens, starches and vegtables. It was amaizing when I needed to walk in the door from work and start cooking. I posted the menu on the fridge and then my kids could see what was for dinner.
If you are just starting. Meal planning is SUPER easy using E-meals pairing it with Wal-mart is a very easy route remember to shop your pantry and fridge before sending your sending your list to the store. I sometimes paired it with Wal-mart but mostly took screen shots of the list and hit Aldi up first then picknsave then Walmart
During the busy week...crockpot and soups are your friend! Plan a few of those and first thing in the morning put them in and focus on anything else you want all day! Make a list of ten meals...at least a third of them go into the crockpot. Make one meal for the crockpot and one for the freezer....one mess equals two meals each time...then your second half of the month is all that easier😁
Coming over from Jen Chapin’s channel and I must say - you are adorable and hilarious! Really enjoyed your honest and thoughtful video. Very entertaining. Thank you!
Funny story my stepmom when asked what was for dinner she’d respond “food”. What type of food? “Edible food”, lol. She learned quickly to meal plan and put the list on the fridge so no more hearing 12 kids ask what’s for dinner, lol. Great video that holds a lot of truth about meal planning.
I never meal plan but I pre-plan if that makes sense. I use the roughly same structure for all my meals and have different pre-prepared ingredients to switch between. I pre-cut and freeze the meat and vegetables in one-meal portion, I have different sorts of spices and sauces and cheese etc. and different sorts of carbs to switch between (pasta, noodles, rice, lentils, bread...) so I just pick one portion of each category and throw it all in a pot or a pan or sometimes in the oven, and hope for the best.
I love these videos of yours!!!!!!!! I’ve been hesitant to meal plan every week thinking “it’s fine. I’ll Walmart delivery every couple days if I need to.” But you’re proving that I’m spending more money and time. Keep ‘em comin!!!
Thank you! I messed up and stopped meal planning for 2 weeks and omg the stress, waste of money etc u stated.....the worst was a hungry husband sick of take out or box meals, I felt icky too, my body was screaming for home cooked nutrition
I used to feel overwhelmed by meal planning because trying to come up with a whole weeks worth of meals at one time was overwhelming for my brain. So what I do now is grocery shop twice a week. I plan for 3-4 days of meals at a time. During those 3-4 days I have time to think of what I will have the days after that. It seems more economical to me, because I will use up everything I have and my produce will be more fresh. It also saves time because I wil,l for example, roast a chicken on Monday and have that with veggies and potatoes or whatever. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, I use the leftovers to make a quick meal.
Very insightful video! I have a full time job and a part time job and I don’t know what I would do without meal kits. I’ve been using Hungry Root for several months now and the convenience justifies the cost for me. I still have to shop for household things, but it’s nice having the peace of mind that comes with knowing my full meal is waiting for me to prep in the fridge and all I have to do is review the next week’s menu on my phone. I’m usually just planning for me and my boyfriend but I order 4 servings instead of 2 so we have leftovers for lunch the next day and the meals are so simple even he can cook them. I own my own business and I’m the only employee currently and I don’t have the opportunity to leave for lunch most days, so this helps me make sure I’m eating healthy food even when I’m pressed for time. I also like to do soup or salad jars for quick meals when I just want something different. I’m considering keeping a food chopper at my studio so I can make quick salads at work.
My deal with planning meals is I don't know what will be on sale at the grocery store. I do plan in a way, but in the form of buying the food I need to make dinner for a few days, as well as the basic supplies we need for breakfast and lunch. I can cook pretty creatively with what I have on hand, and I don't rely very much on recipes. We never do take-out or delivery, and eat out moderately according to regular family schedule and not necessity. Anything that causes you to buy super-costly pre-made food is going to be out of budget for the vast majority. That money has ten other places you could invest or spend it better. I just learned to make good tortillas, which promises to be a great money saver.
Yes someone who sort of plans like I do. Walking through the grocery store is a what meats are at an affordable price. Some week none. Thanks for the preplanning in the freezer. Other groceries are like you the basic supplies that are always there. Grocery store shopping is only once a week. The closest one is 15 minutes away and the other ones are 25 minutes. Take out does not happen due to the same time thing and also no one will deliver where I live. By the time we get home who wants to drive 15 minutes minimum in, wait for food and 15 minutes back. My stomach will not do that to say even more for my wallet. Basic cupboard stocking is the best grocery solution for both time and prices. To say nothing about only once a week and thinking first. I'm with you.
That’s why I like to reverse meal plan. I’ve stocked up when items on are sale so I can just shop my freezer and pantry for most of my meal plan. Then I just have a few missing ingredients that I have to buy each week. When something’s on sale I buy enough to last three to six months so I don’t have to pay full price for a while.
Shopping sales & choosing fresh produce is a big one for me too … For my grocery list I like to add non-specific line items like “fish meal” and “herbs for chicken” or “vegetable for pork chops”
I’ve always been overwhelmed with meal planning & had a general idea of what’s for dinner, but in the last 2 months I’ve finally buckled down to give it a serious go. This video is awesome- to see the difference between planning and doing things on the fly. Thank you!
Getting ready to do our October meal plan. We do the same. We do one big trip at the beginning of the month for the basics (shelf-staples) and then once a week for fresh foods. Been doing it for the better part of 20 years. We stopped for a few months a couple of years ago and yes, it did cause problems.
I've done meal prep, bulk cooking when my kids were little. Saved money and time. But it was a day or two of torture! I finally figured out to meal plan for the week, with doubling or tripling the dinner on one or two nights. Eat one of the meals and freeze the rest. It was way easier and didn't take that much extra effort. Plus I could focus on what was on sale that week (usually the protein component).
Tip fot meal planning. Start planning with what you already have.. Them go to the store and get what you actually need plus the usual staples.. We shop twive a month. We do buy most of our meat in bulk and local.. We get takeout about 4 times a year..
I started using the list you mentioned on your other meal plan video and I love it! we have a few staples and then I save new recipes to try here and there. I also started writing the "menu" on our whiteboard but my husband does not look at it hahaha
I have done it both ways. In myvyounger days, it was a help. Now, older in our late 70's, flexibility is easy. I know what we eat, I can keep track of what I have on hand and fix meals accordingly. I guess with age comes a certain ease with familiarity, if that makes sense?
I am pretty good at winging it but i keep a stocked kitchen and pick up a box of veggies at a Co op every week. However when i plan i usually use emeals to get ideas. You should make a video about that, the emeals plan
YES!! To save even more time I created meal plans for tree weeks that I rotate. I pre-wrote the shopping list for each. On Mondays my google calendar will automatically remind me of the right list for this week and also tell me each day what to cook. It took me maybe 3 hours to plan and put everything into the calendar (as reoccurring events) and now I never have to think about it again! 🎉😅 (maybe now for fall I will switch some meals according to the season as I live in Germany and we have loads of pumpkins)
I have heard of this type of system before, but for some reason your comment just hit home in a different way and so I have also just gone and done the same thing (finally). Thank you!
@@hollydingman7455and here I was, proudly thinking I invented it 😂 Very good 👍🏽 I hope it helps you as much as it helped me! To be honest though, from time to time there is a week where I forget and then I just cook from what I still have in my pantry, but the good thing is that next week I can fall into the routine easily again because it is already planned 😊 All the best for you :) You got this!
Congratulations on hitting one hundred thousand subscribers! 🥳👏👏👏 I’ve been meal planning for years, and highly recommend it. My husband and I started before we even had kids, because we found it saved time only shopping once a week. WITH kids, it’s vital. It also saves food waste and money!
I always shop with a plan but only follow it half way through the week. Budgets getting tighter though so it's time to crack down. One tip I'll offer those who haven't been in the practice; keep a note book of your meal plans. After several weeks of doing it, it will be super easy to look back and plan for the up coming week.
I never meal-plan, we've tried in the past, but whenever I made food, my husband would eat cereal instead, so I stopped. And my kids are snackers, so sit-down meals don't really work. The trick, I've found, is to keep yourself stocked up so that you have everything you need. The vegetables are harder, but I've gotten in the habit of throwing them in to whatever I'm making. I also know what foods I'll lean towards eating and making, so I can keep those at the ready. The idea of meal planning is too stressful for me, especially when no one would eat what I made. If I made a big meal, my oldest would just ask for eggs or cottage cheese and my twins don't like being fed food, they only want what they can grab with their hands. I've done it enough over the years, I know how to utilize what I have and to keep my pantry stocked with ingredients and what vegetables we'll use or won't use so we don't waste that. We also don't eat out pretty much at all because we have all the foods we need. I think both ways work, just for different families.
What is your go-to meal that you know everyone in your family enjoys? Mine is Chicken Parmesan served over spaghetti!
Please make more videos about meal planning!!! Lv your videos!!
You lived like me for a month.😂 for me Lunch/Dinner is Pasta or take out.
Chili w/ crackers
Potato soup w/ fresh bread
Biscuits and gravy with fried potatoes and eggs
Lasagna, salad
Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas
Spaghetti with heavy meat sauce
Tacos or Chicken quesadillas with refried beans and rice...a wonderful lady Rachel cooks with love makes easy and awesome authentic Mexican...Huge hit here.
Beans, greens, cornbread, and fried taters the day before Mexican...allows you to have your beans already made and just need to refry the next day.
Fried chicken with mashed potatoes, green beans
Sloppy joes, Mac and cheese, and mixed veges
Lunches can be leftovers, creative leftovers, PB and j with fruit, or any other salad or sandwich. I buy bulk sliced cheese at the beginning of the month so I can make grilled cheese often for quick lunches.
Definitely tacos!!! 🌮 🎉
Chili, always chili. 😁
Ariel, I'm not your target audience at all. I'm a sixty-year-old single woman with only myself and a 400 square foot apartment to manage. And yet, your videos inspire me -- and holy cow, are they entertaining! I just want to say thank you and congratulations on hitting 100k subscribers.🎉 I wish you all the success you can handle! ❤
Thank you Denise! 💞
I agree. such a waste when I don't plan ...and...you are entertaining. This was informative too.
I know... I'm an empty nester and this lady is great!
I feel this!! I dont have a lot in common with Ariel, but she is just so endearing I keep clicking on her videos!
Hi Denise I'm a sixty year old single woman with just myself in a small apartment and I tune In every week to be totally entertained and I pick up some great tips because she is awesome so I guess we are the targeted audience 😆 Lol.
I live alone with my pets. I found recipes for small crock pots for 2, how to use the instant pot for small meals, I sauté often. My new plan is to add salad daily, can be simple or elaborate. I designate a theme for the days of the week, then Sunday smorgasbord of leftovers.
I have never meal planned and always ignored the meal planning advice….but your video has finally convinced me to give it a try! Your no-meal-plan life is the perfect description of my life!
I also am going to give it a try. Thank you!!!
Same! I'm excited that you are going to do more meal plan videos!
2 tips I’ve found helpful as someone who always resented the meal planning advice because I hated it the first time I tried it:
(1) Start with 3-4 meals a week
(2) just because you plan what you’re going to cook each week, doesn’t mean you have to decide which day it is.
With 3 kids under 4 & thyroid condition, our days are incredibly unpredictable & deciding which day for which meal often failed. I started by saying “these are the 3 of the things I’m going to cook next week” and then picking between those 3 things each day I have the brain space to cook.
Don't meal plan never eat out and cook big meals to last 2 days
Ok, this 72 yr old is finally convinced. I’ll try meal planning. But pancakes for dinner will still be on the list 😅
i really appreciate your videos! every other sahm youtuber is putting such a show on with fancy filters and expencive lifestyles, i never leave your videos thinking i need too buy more pretty things to be happy, but to be content right where i am
We'll do a hybrid of meal planning, batch cooking and keeping basic pantry items in the house to pull together meals quickly. I stopped worrying about those certain meals being on that particular day of the week and just made sure we could get those meals in for that week instead, which definitely helped! One kid would change their mind on what we were having a lot, so that little bit of flexibility made things easier with them. I do agree that meal planning does save you money. The little trips to our little supermarket add up quickly!
I agree with all of this.... AND I also believe that being able to make a meal or twelve from a half stocked kitchen with like 3 sticks and a chicken breast is a life skill we all need to have.
Wow, I think you finally convinced me after years of NOT meal planning consistently. I didn't even realize some of those things were happening to me because of a lack of planning! THANK YOU!!!
Yes!! Me, too! This talked me into it way more than any of the "how to" and "things you must do" videos!
I've never been good at meal planning. I don't have the energy to think that far ahead. We buy various things that can be used in a bunch of meals. If a veggie is going bad, we chop it up and freeze it or just throw it into whatever meal I've decided to make. I just look in the fridge and come up with something interesting. I find it freeing most of the time.
I have a golden middle route for this issue: i have some basic ingredients always at home in the pantry ( which is just 1 big cabinet) and meat and some veggies in the freezer, sour cream and cheese in the fridge, eggs, etc. Even if i cannot cook what i want to, i can always whip up something from this. But i weekly make a menu, or at least what i want to use, and what i really need to buy. But i never allocate these dishes to a day, and it has wiggle room and changes. Like for this week i had written beans with ham, and at the end i baked the ham with potatoes, and the beans will be chili, so got 2 different dishes from the original idea. And i cook for 2 days, so i am not cooking every day.
Darn I was hoping I wouldn't have to start meal planning... But this is so accurate. I know what I must do.
Girl I didn’t even expect this to hit me the way it did. Bc your month without the planning is what my life feels like and k didn’t even realize it lol
Honestly same, the trips to the store all week and everything.
In Germany we have a great solution for 'whats for dinner': Abendbrot - eating sliced bread with sliced meat and cheese ect. 😘
I don’t meal plan but I keep my pantry and freezer stocked with the common things I use to make a meal (stock up when it’s on sale!) and I always have something to make a meal with.
As a working mom who often doesn't get home until 7p, I've had to add 1 more prep step that has revolutionized our meal planning.
Batch cooking meat! (Thank you Dana K. White!!!)
I'll make a crockpot of boneless chicken thighs, shred, and freeze in portions. Same with hamburger. The night before a meal that uses those meats, i put the frozen container in the fridge to defrost. When I need to throw together spaghetti, Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or casseroles, the meat is all ready to add. I can get home at 7 and frequently have a meal on the table a half hour later, instead of an hour later.
This is what I do too. That slow cooker base can become so many meals to pull out of the freezer!
What do you use to freeze the portions though to keep them well sealed and from ice crystals and freezer burn ? Freezer ziploc bags ? Tupperware ?
@@SleeplessinOC zip lock bags with all the air squeezed out of them. I've now changed to silicone ones to be able to reuse, same process. Hope this helps
@@SleeplessinOC - I let cool in completely in the fridge with the bag slightly open to let out moisture. Then I squeeze out all the air I can, and seal. I keep these bags in larger 2 gallon bags in the freezer so I don't "lose" them in my chest freezer, lol. I also typically use them up in a 1-2 months, so freezer burn hasn't really been an issue in our household.
We always batch cook Sheppards pie and spaghetti sauce. Freeze some for later and just reheat
I have seen videos on WHY you should meal plan for years but I've never seen someone do the reverse and THAT'S what finally got me meal planning! And I LOVE it, THANK YOU
Laughing because I literally binge-watched a bunch of your Flylady videos & all 3 of your meal planning videos late into last night and here you are with a fresh one!
I had a few ideas I wanted to share with you about meals prep that I hope you find useful (I use my oven a lot):
* bacon - put it on a sheet pan & bake in the oven. I can cook a package on two sheet pans - it takes about 15-20 min depending upon your oven temp - saves on stove top clean up & requires less time overall
* sausage - I take the meat out of the casing or buy ground sausage & cook it all at once. Then I portion out the sausage into smaller bags, throw them in the freezer & just take out one at a time as needed for that day's meal. You can do this with ground beef too - season, cook all, portion out & freeze - quick taco filling, nacho topping, spaghetti sauce addition, etc.
* sausage again - I throw links on a sheet pan & bake those as well. Then I throw in sauce or serve with meal as needed
* meatballs - this was a game changer for me - I premake a ton of meatballs. I have a recipe that I found on reddit that is fantastic! I buy 3lbs of beef on sale, 1.5lbs of sausage/ground pork & triple this recipe. I freeze them 6 to a bag & then take out for spaghetti, serve on their own (we like them with homemade mac & cheese), or make meatball sandwiches with them. (recipe: www.reddit.com/r/Cooking/comments/ff2gzs/my_86_yearold_nonno_makes_the_best_meatballs_and/) Tip: I brown the meatballs on the stove then bake them on a sheet pan for about 10-15 min. I prefer them slightly undercooked before I throw them into the freezer because they will be heated up and I don't want them dried out. If defrosted, they can cook in the oven 12-15 min to heat up.
* lasagne - for quick lasagne we use a small 8" square baking dish, but you can make a bigger pan. For the 8" pan, I boil 5 lasagne noodles broken in half (cook for less time than box says since it will bake). I layer them 3 per row (top row gets 4) with ricotta, mozzarella, sauce (of course) and throughout the layers I sprinkle a bag of ground sausage or beef I cooked previously & saved in the freezer. Oven for 1 hour. Prep is 30 min tops.
* if your budget allows, use foil in as many baking dishes/sheet pans as possible. Saves on that end of day dish pile since you don't need to soak. Also highly recommend using parchment paper under things you're cooking in the oven - we use it constantly & not just for cookies. I don't have to spray down my pans & then I don't have to scrub off the baked on oil that is almost impossible to remove.
Love your channel, your sense of humor, and your commonsense approach. Bonus family cameos!
excellent tips. Yes, real time savings and eliminates repetitive clean up to cook meat in bigger batches and freeze in small portions.
Invest in some silicone mats and use instead of both parchment paper and foil. Saves $, time, your health and the environment. Aluminum foil is toxic especially at high heat.
Yes! I just cut down to cooking dinner only 3 times a week and planning leftovers for the other days.
Plus if there are extra leftovers they go to lunches or frozen for a time I don’t want to cook.
I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t plan each specific meal out but I do know what things we typically eat and always make sure I have these ingredients on hand. There’s always something for me to throw together. Eating out or running to the store isn’t an option for me since I’m too far from stores.
Hahaha I used to live 25 miles from the store. There is no running to the store. Keeping a pantry of staples and being creative are essential. 😀🙏🌞
You have a genuine gift for helping others and your channels is one of the very best on RUclips. If you ever stop making videos, I will need therapy.❤
Nicia you are just the sweetest. Thank you for being here and always making my day with your kindness 🙏
@@ThatAwkwardMom ❤️❤️❤️
I don’t meal plan. Rather I have staples that I can use to make several different meals. But I’m glad it works so well for you. And good that month is over 😅 Wishing you all the best!
The sad face veggies were so cute and hilarious. I really appreciate that edit.
If meal planning was a company, it should have been the sponsor of this video! 👍🏼 I don't even have a family and now you have me wanting to meal plan. 😁💐❤️
I don’t think I could function without meal planning, but I think that is just my personality. We are a family of 10 and each week I make a menu for all three meals a day, then make my grocery list accordingly. I am not stringent on which meal to eat which day, but I have to have the direction. To me, it is one less decision and I can determine early in the day how to function based on what kind of meals I’m planning. Sometimes I will make a month’s menu out at a time but that takes quite a bit of time. It is worth it for me, but some people are naturally spontaneous and good at it. I think it largely depends on your personality type. Great video, as always. ❤
How about rotating/repeating monthly or weekly plans. Do it once - save the plan - use it again in 4 months.
I’m so glad to see that my theory has been validated 😂 Great video!! ❤
Haha!
I meal plan one week a month and wonder why it doesn't work lol. Your video inspired me to actually take the time to meal plan the whole month and stop the dinner chaos I thought was normal. Thank you.
My parents and I share a house. My family has NEVER meal planned. EVER. And I’m in my 40s!
Two weeks ago while out grocery shopping I planned an entire week of dinners based on what I bought , and listed them for my dad to choose from the list , my mom to make when they got hungry, and I would know there would be leftovers when I got home from work.
BREEZIEST WEEK OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. My dad didn’t pester my mom for food as much, my dad bought less fast food and my mom wasn’t stress.
Except the work going into planning which is so new to me. I was so busy that weekend I immediately reverted back to doing whatever. Immediate chaos ensued!
Your video was SO SPOT ON on how our lives normally work. I’m constantly bitter and overwhelmed at home and I think about a third of that is about lack of meal planning!
You just convinced me to spend that 2 hours a week planning and shopping. Really not a huge investment for all that time and money savings and my parents actually consuming veggies.
I have no idea why you popped up on my feed but so thankful you did.
This is the most motivating meal planning video I have ever seen. You make me want to try something that I have been avoiding but need to do.
Nope, no meal planning until a couple of days ahead - I keep proteins in freezer, buy a week’s worth of veg (things that look good/on sale). I usually have potatoes on hand, pasta, rice, tortillas if I remembered to buy them. I have flour, oil, butter, sugar, milk, half & half, frozen berries, frozen peas & spinach, plan yogurt, eggs…a good aged cheese, good sausages of some sort in freezer. Aromatic veg, ginger, good canned tomatoes, assorted spices, chiles, and condiments. I make a pot of dried beans or chick peas most weeks, too. We rarely throw anything out and we eat quite well. I did more meal planning with small children at home, as they were less flexible!
I have an intermediate way of meal planning: I plan as many dinners as I know we'll eat at home that week (so if we're planning on visiting friends, I'll plan only six meals). Then during the week, I pick one of the meals that sound appealing to me. There are always easier and more time-consuming meals, so I can choose which fits the day. Gives me a feeling of freedom and allows for flexibility, whilst still having the benefits of meal planning.
We do a hybridized version. I think about the meals that we like to cook and try to have things on hand, or take meat out of the freezer on the night before, but I couldn’t tell you what specific meals we will eat in the coming week, but I always have options.
I didn’t even realise that some people DONT meal plan until now. I can’t imagine life without meal planning- It prevents decision fatigue creates and mental energy for me!
I'm planning the day before - but I'm living on countryside. I have a pantry, two freezers, a vegetables and fruit garden and a gardening neighbour. Too much planning causes lack of flexibility if your neighbour rings the bell and gives you 8 cucumbers or a bucket of tomatoes, or if your pear tree donates you 100 pounds of pears in 4 days. It depends on your situation if a plan for a week helps or not so much.
Meal planning seems super great if you have already learned how to do it and have a bank of meals you're already comfortable preparing! If it's new to you, it probably has all the benefits *except" saving time. I think the learning phase is tough for a lot of people (myself included) since it takes a lot of discipline and trial and error for a while. Fortunately, I don't have the full mental load for feeding the family as my husband is a pretty good chef!
I can never get past the first week or so. I'll make a list and then find myself improvising anyway after the first few days.😮 for no reason, I just can't seem to follow through on it.
You're totally right, the learning process does take a while. My first meal plan took me like 5 hours just to plan. Getting my list of meals took a while too. But once you get there, the benefits are so worth it!
@cadylynn3487yes! I typically only plan 2-4 meals a week. It helps that my husband is “in charge” of 2 meals a week, but expecting to ad-lib or change it up if I’m just too fatigued helps.
I also don’t pick days. On my days to cook I just think about which of the 2-4 meals I have the spoons to tackle.
@BriannePitt … I started my bank of meals by taking about a month w/out meal planning & just writing a list of the meals we’d cooked & liked. I then asked my husband if there was anything he wanted added to the list.
If you don’t cook much at home now, don’t try to start cooking all meals at home right away … ease into it & good luck!
Everything you said is true. I spent the first year of my sons life experimenting with recipes and figuring out what everyone liked. Now meal planning is a breeze, but the beginning phase can be a trial
I’m also an over 60 year old follower. Love your content ❤
I find that if I plan out meal it does save money, time and most importantly stress.
I eat the same breakfast M-F usually oats, yogurt & fruit. Weekends are eggs brunch stuff. Lunches tend to be salad kits with beans or other protein . I plan out 3-4 dinners - eating leftovers on another day. One dinner is either takeout or clean the fridge out. 😊
I look thru the ads and the internet to decide what dinners might be. I keep a couple of frozen pizzas/entrees for those nights when it’s just not gonna happen. 🫤
Sitting down to meal plan now... thanks for the inspiration! And I laughed out loud when you asked your husband what's for dinner! The look on his face! You make an awesome pair! 😂
Once I started meal planning, I noticed how hard it was to function without it.
It costs me time, money, and health when I don’t do it.
If I don’t have time to plan the whole week, I at least plan the next 2-3 days.
Another great video. Love the idea of using one meal for multiple meals! Two other meal plan ideas I like are: Lena Patterson Plans has a video called meal plan with me monthly and weekly planning where she mentions theme meals for the days of the week like pizza on Fridays and The Secret Slob video Meal Plan Day 19, where she writes a list of meals for the week but do not assign a specific day to allow for flexibility.
this is perfect! I appreciate this take on it. I have to meal plan. I have 4 kids and my grocery bill is outrageous when I don't meal plan. I use a two week meal rotation, with one night a week planned for leftovers- which I do on garbage night in case I end up tossing the leftovers we forgot about from two weeks ago that no one liked. every few months I tweak the menu based on what meals the kids liked and what's in season.
I struggle with meal planning, but I'm so much calmer when I do it. Decision fatigue is huge in the later afternoon, so having to figure out what to make for supper can be really stressful. Meal planning takes all decisions away - you already figured that out.
My meal plans are very “loose” in that I don’t try and assign a certain meal to a day of the week. Because it never fails that we won’t be in the mood for whatever I wrote on that day. Instead, I list 4-5 meals that I have all the ingredients for and make whatever we’re feeling like that day from my list. We also have hodgepodge nights to use up leftovers and that can include a bowl of cereal or can of soup if we want. Frozen pizza with salad is also a life saver to avoid takeout.
I started meal-planning after watching your videos and it's made such a positive change in our home! Thank you so much! 🤗
By far, and I mean FAR, the best meal planning video on RUclips!!!! 😂 Im in. I'm getting the index cards right now to plan the meals this week! Thank you!
I have seen you planing before and said meh! Planning is not for me. I seize the day. However after watching this video I saw my life and decided meal planning. Commenting after a week. A week with no shopping or cooking struggle. Was soo easy and stress free.
I am going to continue to plan. Sometimes you need to see bad sides to appreciate good. Thanks for making this video 😂
This comment makes me so happy!!
That cucumber salad looked amazing. Thanks for this video. It got the point across very well by sharing your experiences.
My husband was always against meal planning until he started being the main cook lol ! I *hated* being the one who had to decide what I was cooking each day. Now we sit down once a week and discuss what we are going to eat - I have 3 teenagers and they all pitch in. It also helps to look at our nutrition on a weekly basis - are we eating too much red meat, what veg are we going to have etc. It also means that you can easily switch up the days if something happens and yet you still have all the necessary ingredients. And it means anyone can start dinner if need be.
We've meal planned for over 20 years. That being said we are childless so it's just me and my husband and we LOVE leftovers. One of us picks seven recipes and dinner is always lunch the next day. It cut way down on waste and we eat much better. I print out recipes that we might like and if we make it, and we like it, the recipe gets taped into a scribbler. We have four dinner scribblers and many Post It notes marking favourite recipes in cookbooks. It's much easier to go shopping too and these days groceries are SO expensive it's good to know we are not wasting money in spoiled food. It's a bit clunky getting started but once you get into the habit it's really great. You can also save menu plans from week to week!
Wow. You're basically describing my life here in those 30 days. I really need to start mealplanning again. It's hard because there isn't much that all four of us like to eat for various reasons. It's still better than chaos and stress though!!
First, as I tell my husband, "what's for dinner" is not a conversation!! He stopped saying it when I kept saying, I don't know what are YOU making. Second, I LOVE you. You are so cute and funny and enjoyable. I'm in my 60s. Past the stage of raising children and working an upper management job for a Fortune 500 company. I did not do take out. I rushed home, kicked off my shoes, and put an apron over my "power suite" to put a healthy meal on the table for my family. Then I helped with homework. After "bedtime"routine, I got back to my the job that paid the bills. Endless Exhaustion. Not that I wish that on ANYONE, but watching your videos on figuring this out makes me smile. Keep them coming. THANK YOU.
I started meal planning several months ago after watching your meal planning videos and it's seriously one of the best things! You made it so simple compared to all the complicated ways I've seen people do it in the past and it takes me less than 10 minutes to meal plan each week. We save a ton on groceries and takeout and I still have flexibility!
Thats amazing!!!!!
Very good quick video to encourage us to meal plan! My newest version is a two week (10 meals) rotation. So having the same thing every other Monday, etc. So far it’s working pretty well for taking a lot of the stress out of planning! (I’m homeschooling three kids 😬).
I think about this video all the time. I think about it when I'm going to the grocery store at 6am. Or whipping up a meal at whitching hour. My family really needs me and I'm good at this! Thanks!
Being organized and disciplined and structured takes a lot of work and isn't fun, but not being organized and disciplined and structured is not only more difficult, it's a lifestyle that comes with own unique set of additional miseries.
I've been a casual meal planner off and on. The days where I'm not prepared are definitely chaos or simple box meals. My home situation leaves some chaos that I can't control but having a direction and plan for the week definitely helps!
Okay, you’ve convinced me. I’ll try it. The problems you pointed out specifically are my daily life. Also - New filming corner looks fantastic. 🤗 Feels fresh, modern, cozy, authentic to you. Hope you are enjoying your new bedroom! ❤
I don't formally plan meals, but I always have ingredients on hand for a variety of easy meals (the only kind I make - easy). We can decide what we want when my husband gets home from work. Sometimes he wants the same thing three nights in row. That's ok with me. We almost never get take-out, and we eat out only a couple of times a year.
Okay! What are your easy meals?
This is how my mom always did it! I love that method, but unfortunately I’m a little too extra when it comes to trying new recipes for this to work consistently for me… 🫣
Thank you for your sacrifice!!! I always thought I had meals and grocery shopping under control but the truth is, I experienced all of the negative things you experienced, stress, spending too much, hungry husband and kids, etc.....
Love the new filming spot. The makeover video with Emily was great!
This was a description of my life! And after checking out your videos on meal planning, yours is the first system I've ever encountered that didn't look like MORE trouble and MORE work. Your system is easy to understand and easy to implement. Told my sister about it, and we're BOTH starting it! Thank you!
Yay!!
Thank you for being you, I think you’re great. Also though we only see y’all in small spurts you and Jordan are my couple inspiration, silly and happy
I have been working on improving things in my life and this is one area I have failed in. Thank you for the reminder and the encouragement to make this a priority. 😊
Would love to see a video about doing freezer meals! Crock pot , sheet pan, casserole type dishes!
Ok fiiiiiine! I will start meal planning. I too have watched all the other RUclipsrs and none had me convinced except you.
What a great video, Ariel! My kids are in their 20s now, but I still try to meal plan to save time, effort and money. Do I always do it? No 😆 The great part is when your kids are a bit older they can contribute to dinner ideas so you don't have to dream it up by yourself every week. My go-to meal for when I'm working from home or on a weekend - roast a chicken with some roasted veggies. It sounds fancy but is super easy.
You are so right, even planning something simple like chicken nuggets in the oven helps me stick to it if I have a plan instead of ordering out. You inspired me, I have a 7 day meal plan and I’m going to do the same meals for the next 4 weeks. I make things to complicated sometimes!
You’ve convinced me to create a more formal plan for this week. My goal is to avoid going back to the store until next week. I feel like even though I have a general idea I keep stopping every 2-3 days to grab something. It’s frustrating.
I love watching pro home cook he makes his meals on the fly. It gives me a lot of inspiration and creativity.
I used to meal plan and I just let it go. Thanks for the motivation to start again.
I have always meal planned, it was a large money saver. I love meal planning and looking for variety in protiens, starches and vegtables. It was amaizing when I needed to walk in the door from work and start cooking. I posted the menu on the fridge and then my kids could see what was for dinner.
If you are just starting. Meal planning is SUPER easy using E-meals pairing it with Wal-mart is a very easy route remember to shop your pantry and fridge before sending your sending your list to the store. I sometimes paired it with Wal-mart but mostly took screen shots of the list and hit Aldi up first then picknsave then Walmart
During the busy week...crockpot and soups are your friend! Plan a few of those and first thing in the morning put them in and focus on anything else you want all day!
Make a list of ten meals...at least a third of them go into the crockpot. Make one meal for the crockpot and one for the freezer....one mess equals two meals each time...then your second half of the month is all that easier😁
I love the thought of one mess equals two meals! Sometimes it's just a mindset for me!
Yessssss crock pot or instant pot meals for the win!!!❤❤
Coming over from Jen Chapin’s channel and I must say - you are adorable and hilarious! Really enjoyed your honest and thoughtful video. Very entertaining. Thank you!
Funny story my stepmom when asked what was for dinner she’d respond “food”. What type of food? “Edible food”, lol. She learned quickly to meal plan and put the list on the fridge so no more hearing 12 kids ask what’s for dinner, lol. Great video that holds a lot of truth about meal planning.
Your new bedroom backdrop looks so pretty!
I think so too!!
I never meal plan but I pre-plan if that makes sense. I use the roughly same structure for all my meals and have different pre-prepared ingredients to switch between. I pre-cut and freeze the meat and vegetables in one-meal portion, I have different sorts of spices and sauces and cheese etc. and different sorts of carbs to switch between (pasta, noodles, rice, lentils, bread...) so I just pick one portion of each category and throw it all in a pot or a pan or sometimes in the oven, and hope for the best.
I love these videos of yours!!!!!!!! I’ve been hesitant to meal plan every week thinking “it’s fine. I’ll Walmart delivery every couple days if I need to.” But you’re proving that I’m spending more money and time. Keep ‘em comin!!!
I agree, having a hard time getting back to meal planning, just the kick I needed!
Thank you! I messed up and stopped meal planning for 2 weeks and omg the stress, waste of money etc u stated.....the worst was a hungry husband sick of take out or box meals, I felt icky too, my body was screaming for home cooked nutrition
I used to feel overwhelmed by meal planning because trying to come up with a whole weeks worth of meals at one time was overwhelming for my brain. So what I do now is grocery shop twice a week. I plan for 3-4 days of meals at a time. During those 3-4 days I have time to think of what I will have the days after that. It seems more economical to me, because I will use up everything I have and my produce will be more fresh.
It also saves time because I wil,l for example, roast a chicken on Monday and have that with veggies and potatoes or whatever. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday, I use the leftovers to make a quick meal.
Very insightful video! I have a full time job and a part time job and I don’t know what I would do without meal kits. I’ve been using Hungry Root for several months now and the convenience justifies the cost for me. I still have to shop for household things, but it’s nice having the peace of mind that comes with knowing my full meal is waiting for me to prep in the fridge and all I have to do is review the next week’s menu on my phone. I’m usually just planning for me and my boyfriend but I order 4 servings instead of 2 so we have leftovers for lunch the next day and the meals are so simple even he can cook them. I own my own business and I’m the only employee currently and I don’t have the opportunity to leave for lunch most days, so this helps me make sure I’m eating healthy food even when I’m pressed for time. I also like to do soup or salad jars for quick meals when I just want something different. I’m considering keeping a food chopper at my studio so I can make quick salads at work.
My deal with planning meals is I don't know what will be on sale at the grocery store. I do plan in a way, but in the form of buying the food I need to make dinner for a few days, as well as the basic supplies we need for breakfast and lunch. I can cook pretty creatively with what I have on hand, and I don't rely very much on recipes. We never do take-out or delivery, and eat out moderately according to regular family schedule and not necessity. Anything that causes you to buy super-costly pre-made food is going to be out of budget for the vast majority. That money has ten other places you could invest or spend it better.
I just learned to make good tortillas, which promises to be a great money saver.
Yes someone who sort of plans like I do. Walking through the grocery store is a what meats are at an affordable price. Some week none. Thanks for the preplanning in the freezer. Other groceries are like you the basic supplies that are always there. Grocery store shopping is only once a week. The closest one is 15 minutes away and the other ones are 25 minutes. Take out does not happen due to the same time thing and also no one will deliver where I live. By the time we get home who wants to drive 15 minutes minimum in, wait for food and 15 minutes back. My stomach will not do that to say even more for my wallet. Basic cupboard stocking is the best grocery solution for both time and prices. To say nothing about only once a week and thinking first. I'm with you.
That’s why I like to reverse meal plan. I’ve stocked up when items on are sale so I can just shop my freezer and pantry for most of my meal plan. Then I just have a few missing ingredients that I have to buy each week. When something’s on sale I buy enough to last three to six months so I don’t have to pay full price for a while.
Shopping sales & choosing fresh produce is a big one for me too … For my grocery list I like to add non-specific line items like “fish meal” and “herbs for chicken” or “vegetable for pork chops”
I’ve always been overwhelmed with meal planning & had a general idea of what’s for dinner, but in the last 2 months I’ve finally buckled down to give it a serious go. This video is awesome- to see the difference between planning and doing things on the fly. Thank you!
Another great video. Really helpful. I am living a no meal plan life for 8 years now and it's exactly how you described it
Getting ready to do our October meal plan. We do the same. We do one big trip at the beginning of the month for the basics (shelf-staples) and then once a week for fresh foods. Been doing it for the better part of 20 years. We stopped for a few months a couple of years ago and yes, it did cause problems.
I've done meal prep, bulk cooking when my kids were little. Saved money and time. But it was a day or two of torture! I finally figured out to meal plan for the week, with doubling or tripling the dinner on one or two nights. Eat one of the meals and freeze the rest. It was way easier and didn't take that much extra effort. Plus I could focus on what was on sale that week (usually the protein component).
Tip fot meal planning. Start planning with what you already have.. Them go to the store and get what you actually need plus the usual staples.. We shop twive a month. We do buy most of our meat in bulk and local.. We get takeout about 4 times a year..
I hate meal planning with a passion, but you’ve inspired me to try!
I started using the list you mentioned on your other meal plan video and I love it! we have a few staples and then I save new recipes to try here and there. I also started writing the "menu" on our whiteboard but my husband does not look at it hahaha
I have done it both ways. In myvyounger days, it was a help. Now, older in our late 70's, flexibility is easy. I know what we eat, I can keep track of what I have on hand and fix meals accordingly. I guess with age comes a certain ease with familiarity, if that makes sense?
I am pretty good at winging it but i keep a stocked kitchen and pick up a box of veggies at a Co op every week. However when i plan i usually use emeals to get ideas. You should make a video about that, the emeals plan
YES!! To save even more time I created meal plans for tree weeks that I rotate. I pre-wrote the shopping list for each. On Mondays my google calendar will automatically remind me of the right list for this week and also tell me each day what to cook. It took me maybe 3 hours to plan and put everything into the calendar (as reoccurring events) and now I never have to think about it again! 🎉😅 (maybe now for fall I will switch some meals according to the season as I live in Germany and we have loads of pumpkins)
I have heard of this type of system before, but for some reason your comment just hit home in a different way and so I have also just gone and done the same thing (finally). Thank you!
@@hollydingman7455and here I was, proudly thinking I invented it 😂
Very good 👍🏽 I hope it helps you as much as it helped me! To be honest though, from time to time there is a week where I forget and then I just cook from what I still have in my pantry, but the good thing is that next week I can fall into the routine easily again because it is already planned 😊
All the best for you :) You got this!
You're so funny! This is a great video showing the true cost of not planning. Your remodeled room looks very nice in the desk footage.🌺
I love your new back drop! I also love your new room transformation
yes, bbq or marinara meat balls are always on my meal prep rotation!
Congratulations on hitting one hundred thousand subscribers! 🥳👏👏👏 I’ve been meal planning for years, and highly recommend it. My husband and I started before we even had kids, because we found it saved time only shopping once a week. WITH kids, it’s vital. It also saves food waste and money!
Great idea for a video! I’ve gotten out of the habit of meal planning and yes we’ve been grabbing take out way more. Thanks for the inspiration!
I need to get back to this! Thanks for the reminder!
I always shop with a plan but only follow it half way through the week. Budgets getting tighter though so it's time to crack down. One tip I'll offer those who haven't been in the practice; keep a note book of your meal plans. After several weeks of doing it, it will be super easy to look back and plan for the up coming week.
I never meal-plan, we've tried in the past, but whenever I made food, my husband would eat cereal instead, so I stopped. And my kids are snackers, so sit-down meals don't really work. The trick, I've found, is to keep yourself stocked up so that you have everything you need. The vegetables are harder, but I've gotten in the habit of throwing them in to whatever I'm making. I also know what foods I'll lean towards eating and making, so I can keep those at the ready.
The idea of meal planning is too stressful for me, especially when no one would eat what I made. If I made a big meal, my oldest would just ask for eggs or cottage cheese and my twins don't like being fed food, they only want what they can grab with their hands. I've done it enough over the years, I know how to utilize what I have and to keep my pantry stocked with ingredients and what vegetables we'll use or won't use so we don't waste that. We also don't eat out pretty much at all because we have all the foods we need. I think both ways work, just for different families.