MSU Extension Nutrition

Meal planning is a habit that can make the entire week less stressful and feel smoother. While it may take some trial and error, a little planning up front can save time, cut down on food costs, and support healthier eating. Meal planning helps stretch your food budget by using ingredients you already have, shopping for only what you need, and reducing food waste. Planning also gives you more control over the ingredients that go into your meals, allowing you to tailor them to personal nutrition needs and taste preferences.

Try a variety of these meal planning techniques to find what works best for you!

Choose Meals to Prepare

Knowing what’s for dinner starts with planning ahead. You can narrow down meal options by considering these questions:

• What meals fit within your food budget?
• What seasonal foods are currently available?
• What food preparation equipment do you have?
• What foods are preferred by you and your family?
• Are there any dietary restrictions or allergies to consider?
• Are there cultural ingredients or dishes significant to you?
• What new foods might your household be open to trying?
• How can all five MyPlate food groups be included in the menu?
• Do seasonal food benefits need to be used before they expire?
• If applicable, what meals can be made using food from charitable organizations?
• What types of meals fit your family’s schedule, seated family-style meals or quick grab-and-go options?

Based on the answers to these questions, you can select recipes or meals to build into a meal schedule.

Recipe Resources to Try: Explore healthy, cost-effective recipes through MyPlate Kitchen Recipes or the Budget-Friendly Recipes section of the Shop Simple with MyPlate app. Both tools allow recipes to be searched by specific food items!

Build a Meal Schedule

Creating a meal schedule includes deciding which meals will be prepared on specific days or at specific times. Be sure to include breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners that will be prepared at home. Additionally, plan for special food occasions, such as holidays, birthdays, or other celebrations.

Meal Scheduling Calendars: Print, then sketch out a meal schedule using the MSU Extension Food Planning Calendar.

Plan Servings and Portion Sizes

Planning for how much food to prepare helps ensure everyone in the household has enough to eat and reduces food waste. Planning for servings means thinking about who will be eating each dish, while planning for portion sizes means considering how much food is appropriate for each family member. These amounts can then guide both the meal plan and grocery list. It may also be helpful to plan for extra servings, for example, to have leftovers for lunch the next day or to freeze additional portions for quick meals later in the week or month.

Tool for Estimating Food Amounts: The MyPlate Plan calculator provides a personalized plan for each family member based on age, sex, height, weight and physical activity level.

Check Foods on Hand

To make the most of your food budget, consider your pantry, refrigerator and freezer as a personal grocery inventory. “Shopping” from these areas first, helps stretch food dollars by using items that have already been purchased. Taking note of ingredients on hand can guide meal planning for the week and help avoid unnecessary purchases at the store.

Food Storage Resource: Use the FoodKeeper App to learn how to properly store food and beverage items, and to see how soon they should be consumed.

Make a Grocery List

Create a grocery list based on the meals you plan to prepare, omitting any ingredients already on hand. Having this list eliminates guesswork and impulse purchases. You can organize the list by grocery store sections or by food group, such as fruits, grains, dairy, vegetables, protein foods and others.

Grocery List Tools: Print and use the Create a Grocery Game Plan Grocery List, or try a reusable digital list. The Notes app on a smartphone, for example, allows checkboxes to be added next to grocery items for easy tracking while shopping.

Make Meal Planning Manageable

Effective meal planning techniques are those that consider time and budget limits, result in more nutritious eating, and minimize stress.

Additional tips that make planning ahead more manageable include:

• Start with just one or two planned meals, then gradually add more as it becomes easier.
• Choose recipes that are simple, nutritious and budget-friendly, like those listed in the “Choose Meals to Prepare” section above.
• Keep meals uncomplicated by pairing quick-prep foods with more involved recipes. For example, serve bagged salad alongside a homemade casserole.
• Prep during less busy times, like weekends or quieter days when there is more time to chop ingredients or cook batches for weeknight meals.
• Try one-dish meals, like casseroles, soups, stews and grain bowls to simplify cooking while providing a variety of nutrients in a single dish.
• Use affordable convenience foods, such as canned beans and chicken, frozen pre-chopped vegetables, instant potatoes and quick-cook rice to speed up meal preparation. Be sure to choose options with lower added salt and sugar.

While there are many possible steps to meal planning, including creating a meal schedule, choosing what meals to make and how much, taking inventory of foods on hand and creating a shopping list, there is no right way or right order in which to do them!

It’s important to figure out what works best for you. Be encouraged, planning gets easier the more you practice!