Overcomplicating Meal Planning? Debunk Five Common Myths to Simplify Meal Planning

I once went to a friend’s house and saw her meal plan on the refrigerator. She listed each night of the week and what the menu was.

I was amazed to learn that their family did not change their meals each week. Basically, every Monday was hamburgers, Tuesdays were tacos, and so forth. They had streamlined their system so much that essentially their grocery list was the same each week.

I'm still impressed with how simple they made it.

What do you think about this for simplicity?

The reality is we can all simplify our meal planning process, but often we have roadblocks preventing us from doing so.

Take a listen to this week's podcast episode, and I'll bust some of those myths that are getting in the way of creating a streamlined meal plan.

Transcript of the Episode

Hi friends, it's Andrea here with another episode of adventures and feeding my fam. I remember I once went to a friend's house and saw her meal plan on the refrigerator was on a magnet underneath a magnet on the side of the refrigerator. She's listed each night of the week and what the menu plan was. So I was amazed to learn that her family did not change their meals each week. So every Monday was hamburgers, Tuesdays were tacos and so forth. They had streamlined their systems so much that essentially, their grocery list was the same each week. Many of us make meal planning super difficult than complicated, and it really does not have to be. In this episode, I'm going to debunk several common meal planning myths in order to help you get the process rolling in a simple and efficient way.

Adventures In Feeding My Fam is a weekly podcast discussing the challenges and fun around feeding your family healthy meals. I'm Andrea Heyman, and I've been a registered dietician for over 25 years. So I know the importance of good nutrition. But I'm also a mom of three so I understand the challenges and humor that comes along with trying to make this happen. In this podcast, I'll share my tips, tricks and menus, but also share the stories and food prep failures that come along the way to interview guests. We'll discuss family food traditions, how to strengthen bonds around the family table, as well as their favorite family recipes. There isn't one right way to feed your family. But there are countless stories, you can take bits and pieces and learn from all of them.

While you don't have to simplify things to the level I described with my friend, there are ways to make it super easy. Many of us think it's hard or has to be time-consuming. But really doesn't have to be though, let's look at the five common myths, inaccurate beliefs that I see when it comes to meal planning. So here's the first myth, you must make a new recipe each night of the week. No way, I do not do this at all. First of all, I will use leftovers and call them planned overs, you can go back and listen to episode nine with Jennifer stringer, where she describes a really nice system that their family uses where over the weekend, they will make a bunch of staples. So whether it be rosby for chicken or fish, and then they have those proteins. And in the week, they will combine it either with tortillas and salad fixings and a variety of things in order to make meals that will work that are very, very simple to assemble throughout the week. To be honest, I don't make new recipes each night of the week, I make a new recipe maybe once, maybe twice in a week. And the rest of the nights of the week, I'm doing things that I have made over and over again. And that's perfectly fine, making new recipes all the time. First of all, it takes so much longer on a new recipe because you don't know the steps to take. So I suggest I debunk that myth and say you do not have to make a new recipe every night. And once you find a winner, like something that your family really enjoys, you can make that over and over and really keep it in your family's rotation. Myth number two meal plans are complicated and take hours to create. I am a perfect example that this is not the case. So like my friend I described at the beginning of this episode shows us You don't have to create new meal plans every single week. Obviously, they used one meal plan over and over and over. I suggest having two or three week cycle menu and you just roll through those over and over and over over time. Which means that as time goes on, the process gets even more streamlined and less time consuming. Often we have a core group of dishes that we create that the family loves. And of course those are always going to go into your weekly meal plan or monthly meal plan. And once those are established, you really just need to fill in the gaps with a few remaining ideas. Myth number three, grocery shopping has to be overwhelming and time consuming. This couldn't be further from the truth. The reality is is once you make your meal plan, it is super efficient to generate a grocery list from that. And then once you have your grocery list, you can absolutely whizzed through the store in no time flat. I suggest going to the same store week after week so that you are nice and familiar with where the various ingredients and items are that you're Family uses often, when you're shopping, don't waste your time going down unnecessary aisles. This can just cut down your grocery shopping time as well and simplify the process. Myth number four, meal planning has to be a dreaded chore. So some folks really don't like meal planning, and I get it, it just might not be your thing. I personally think it's really fun. If you don't enjoy it, then I suggest hopping on one of those discovery calls with me. I'm happy to work with you and create a lasting meal plan for you and your family. But as far as thinking that meal planning has to be a dreaded chore, keep in mind this task is like all others. If you tell yourself it's a dreaded chore, then it will be a dreaded chore. Changing your mindset can ease the process and get you over that initial hump. Just like anything else, it gets easier over time. Admit Myth number five, you must plan seven meals each week. I can definitely say I do not plan seven meals each week. And you don't have to either. I plan six and really the seventh night is kind of a fend for yourself night or just eat leftovers kind of night. Sometimes we'll even order out because if I'm going to be honest, there are times that I don't feel like making what I have planned to make. So there are those nights that we'll order out or even go to a restaurant, although that is less frequent. Now that we are in the pandemic. We haven't been going out that much in the past year but we will order carry out and that makes it simple as that. So I really hope you enjoyed this episode. Please share it with a friend rate and review the podcast. And that's really how we get the word out so that we can share our mission and help others make meal planning meal preparation and healthy eating simple for you and for your family. Until next time, take care