In today’s digital age, you can practically find a recipe for any ingredient that can fit within any budget… so why is meal planning still extremely hard for most people?
Personally, I think it is because there is an over abundance of information on the internet, in cookbooks, and social media. There is opinion after opinion and recipe after recipe thrown at your whether you are on TikTok or searching on Google. Too many choices can lead to decision fatigue and overwhelm. This is why meal planning can feel so difficult.
The key point that most people miss about meal planning is finding “meals” that you personally enjoy, use your favorite staple ingredients, and fit within your budget. Many recipes and meal plans that are found on the internet don’t take into consideration your preferences. Meal planning is not a one size fits all strategy.
Meal planning takes time and practice. You can’t expect to be perfect at meal planning, grocery shopping, and/or meal prepping within week 1 of starting on your health journey. It will take a lot of trail and error, experimentation, and research to figure out a meal plan that will work best for your nutritional needs. This is what a dietitian can help you with!
One thing I hear over and over again from my clients and community as a dietitian is that people need meal planning help and recipe ideas. I personally don’t just give my clients a meal plan to follow because I don’t think that helps them build enough skills to establish sustainable healthy eating habits. I like to encourage my clients to build their own meal plans.
That is why I have listed some of my favorite resources below to help you find recipes you will love that will help you meal plan and meet your nutritional needs!
These different resources can help improve your meal planning and prepping skills to take you from overwhelmed to confident in the kitchen!
Resource #1: CookBook Manager
The CookBook Manager app is a tool that I use personally in my household to help me keep up with my favorite recipes and meal plan every single week. My household has different taste preferences which makes it difficult to meal plan.
Since I have started using the CookBook Manager app, my family members are able to also access the meal plan and recipes so we can do this task together. This makes meal planning and grocery shopping less stressful!
Bonus: There is a FREE version of the app so you can test it out to see if it would work for your household!
Link to CookBook Manager website: https://cookbookmanager.com/
Resource #2: Nourished By Nic
Some of my favorite recipes come from this website! These recipes were created by a fellow Registered Dietitian which is a plus in my book!
I think you will love her website, especially if you have a hard time planning out your meal prep schedule. She has weekly meal prep tips and how-to guides broken down by each recipe like this example.
And because she is a dietitian she knows the importance of eating your macronutrients (carbs, fats, and protein), incorporating protein at meals, and prioritizing fruits and vegetables in recipes!
Link to Nourished By Nic website: https://nourishedbynic.com/
Resource #3: Well Plated By erin
Although not a dietitian, Erin has some very nutritious recipes that are affordable and super easy to make! I love using her recipes when I need something quick and easy to make for dinner.
She focuses on recipes that use whole ingredients that you can definitely find in any grocery store.
Straight from her website Erin said she “specializes in easy, healthy dinners, especially one-pan meals and 30-minute meals, along with slow cooker recipes.”
Like I said, this is one of my go to websites when I need recipe and meal plan ideas because I know they will be easy to throw together, usually include ingredients I already have in my house, and are tasty enough so that my family enjoys eating nutritious meals!
Link to Well Plated by Erin website: https://www.wellplated.com/
Resource #4: Tastes Better From Scratch
Just like Well Plated by Erin, Tastes Better From Scratch has become one of my go to resources when I need recipe ideas that I know my family will love.
These recipes were created by a team of busy moms and working professionals with the mission to help people find JOY in cooking again! (How awesome is that because sometimes cooking doesn’t feel fun.)
Their website has a TON of free meal plans that also include grocery lists with budget information. They even have an option where you can create your own meal plan based on their recipes.
They also categorize their recipes based on ingredient or cooking process which makes it very easy to follow.
Link to Tastes Better From Scratch website: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/
Resource #5: FastFoodNutrition.Org
Let’s face it… life gets busy and sometimes you might find yourself in the drive through. Or, you may be tired of cooking dinner one night and want to have someone else cook for you instead so you go to a restaurant to enjoy your food.
That is fine, but I want you to be aware of the nutritional value of the menu items you are choosing when you are eating out. This is a great resource to help keep you informed about what you are eating and how to practice appropriate portion control when eating out.
This resource has all of the major fast food and chain restaurant menu options so you can plan what you will eat before getting there and figure out how it can fit in your nutrition habits according to your health goals.
Link to FastFoodNutrition.org: https://fastfoodnutrition.org/
Resource #6: JOW
If creating a grocery list and meal planning stresses you out, then this will be a great resource for you! You can use the website version or download the app for FREE!
You can create weekly meal plans using the recipes in JOW or by adding your own personal recipes. After you have created your meal plan, a grocery list will be created for you. You will then pick the grocery store that you shop at locally and it will tell you how much to budget for that week’s groceries.
Link to JOW: https://jow.com/
NEED HELP Creating a Personalized meal plan that is filled with your food preferences, helps you manage your chronic conditions, and fits within your budget?
Are you still feeling overwhelmed with the meal planning process and don’t know where to start? Work with Samantha the Dietitian to help you figure out different meal planning strategies that will work best for your lifestyle needs. Registered dietitians (like Samantha!) can help make improving your health less overwhelming!
