Weekly Meal Planning Made Easy

Every day. Three meals a day. Snacks. Drinks. Extras. Feeding yourself and a family is a huge amount of work — especially when fussy eaters are involved. The good news is, weekly meal planning doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore. When made easy, it can be something to look forward to. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more satisfying than sharing a delicious, healthy meal with those that matter most.

In this post we will share our top tips on making weekly meal planning easier, healthier, and cheaper. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t involve leaving the house.

Sound good? Excellent. Let’s get started.

Preparation is key

Every successful meal plan starts with one crucial step: preparation. If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. It’s a cliché for a reason.

So, what does meal planning prep involve?

Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Stick with tried-and-true family favourites. Unless you have the time, energy, and motivation, you certainly do not need to be trying a new recipe every day of the week. When writing up your meal plan, be sure to include a few classics you know and love. Not only do these dishes put a smile on everyone’s faces, but they are also super quick and easy to prepare.
• Know what’s in season. Eating seasonally has so many benefits: It’s cheaper, the produce tastes better, and it encourages you to experiment and try new recipes when you have the time. The best way to get your hands on top-quality, in-season fruits and vegetables is to invest in fruit and veg delivery. Melbourne residents can order online and get super fresh produce delivered to their doorstep. Easy.
• Allow for some flexibility. Life happens, and plans change. Your meal plan is not set in stone, so feel free to shuffle dishes around. You can eat tacos on a Monday. We promise.
• Decide how many nights you’ll be cooking. Depending on your family, you might like to cook just five nights a week and get takeaway on the remaining two nights. Or, you might choose to have home-cooked meals every night. Either way, be sure to factor that into your meal plan.

Once you’ve decided on your weekly meals, write them down and stick the list on the fridge. Stick it front and centre, so everyone can see it! This way, when asked, what’s for dinner, who can say go look at the fridge.

The next step is writing a list of all the ingredients you need. Be sure to check your pantry and fridge to avoid doubling up.

Save time and opt for online grocery ordering

The pandemic aside, there are plenty of reasons to boycott the supermarket and opt for fruit and veg delivery instead:

• No one leaves the supermarket without something that wasn’t on their list — those checkout impulse buys are hard to resist and can add up. What’s more, they are usually treats packed full of sugar. That’s why shopping for groceries online is often cheaper and healthier for the whole family.
• Reclaim your Saturday mornings. Why spend your cherished weekend in line at the grocery store? You can order your groceries for delivery in a matter of minutes, giving you more time to kick back and relax. 
• Enjoy higher-quality produce. Fruit and veg delivery in Melbourne gives you access to farm-fresh, in-season produce full of incredible flavour. You could even include a few meat-free meals each week if you do not already — quality veggies are tasty enough to stand on their own.
• Future reordering is super easy these days – With most online grocery ordering websites now offering one-click reorder, one can easily load up the shopping cart with the items from a previous order as a starting point.

So, grab your list and place your order online. (here are some great local fruit and veg stores to start with) Your groceries will show up at your door, and you are one step closer to a successful week of healthy, tasty meals.

Plus, when you order groceries online, you don’t have to worry about lugging your bags from the store to your car, and from your car to your kitchen. It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for yourself or a family of six — home delivery makes life a whole lot easier!

Cook once, eat twice

You’ve got your list of fool-proof meals. You’ve got your high-quality fruits and veggies. Now, it’s time to get cooking.

One way to save time without sacrificing the quality of your meals is to adopt the cook once, eat twice method. The concept is simple: Make double, freeze half, for another day. Or eat the rest in for lunches over the next few days.

This is a fantastic opportunity to cut down on cooking time and make the most of your fresh and healthy produce.

Meal planning doesn’t have to be hard

With the right approach, meal planning will ensure you and your family enjoy healthy, home-cooked meals throughout the week. Now that you’ve got a few tricks up your sleeve — fruit and veg delivery is your secret weapon — you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing what you love.

The best bit? You don’t have to miss out on amazing food. And let’s be honest, food is something we all look forward to.