Tips for Sticking to a Meal Plan

Each weekend I make fabulous meal plans. I hit the store buy what I need for the week. However, one simple thing seems to come in my way. Time! I run out of time, and my grand meal plan goes out the window. By the time dinner comes around everyone is hungry and I’m scrambling to get something on the table. Some days it’s a mad dash home from Little Dude’s afternoon activities, and by that time, take- out is the best option.

I’m usually good at following a meal plan for a day or two; then life happens, and I’m completely derailed from my plan. After weeks and months of tossing out food that had gone wrong, I’ve decided to tackle this issue once and for all.

I started cooking a few meals on Sundays and freezing them. I prepped what I could ahead of time and stored ingredients together in the refrigerator. When it was time for me to cook meals during the week, veggies were washed, cut, and were prepped. All I had to do was a little assembling to cook them. Just that little prep work ahead of time help me successfully stick to my meal plan. It doesn’t matter how fabulous the meal plan was on paper; if I didn’t have to time to plan, shop, prep, and cook, it meant nothing.

Tips for Sticking to Meal Plan

1. Look at your calendar; see what your week looks like. Ask yourself a few simple questions: What activities you have that week? Will everyone be home for dinner? What days do I have more time? What days do I have less time? Seems simple right. Very important step. In my case, this was the one thing I was missing each week, and it would derail my week.
2. Schedule your meals and create a shopping list. After you looked at your week, plan meals. Pick easy crockpot meals or meals you can cook ahead of time on the days you are out at later activities. Save the meals that take longer or require more prep time for the days you don’t have activities. This was a game changer for me.
3. After you shop, store items you need for each meal together in the refrigerator.
4. Prep & freeze. This is a huge saver for me. As soon as I get home from the store of course, if time permits, prep some meals.
5. Cook ahead of time. If I have time to cook meals I will. If not just assembling them is a huge time saver (marinating, chopping veggies, etc.).
6. Make extra for lunches or another dinner.

How do you stick to a meal plan?

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