Take the Guesswork Out of Meal Planning

Co-written and developed by Bambu Allgaier and Kathryn Dickens, RDN

Have you ever felt that deciding what to cook for dinner is often more difficult than actually preparing the meal itself? Let Good Foods Co-Op bear some of the mental load of meal planning for you this week! We have developed a plant-based meal plan with 21 easy meal suggestions, complete with a grocery list and instructions to help save you some time and effort.

This meal plan can be followed exactly or approached in whatever way makes sense to your preferences and needs. And if you’re the crafty type, you can also make this DIY reusable meal planning guide. I promise, it’s easier than you might think!

This meal planning DIY project is easy, customizable, cheap, reusable, cute and eco-friendly (I’m trying to see just how many adjectives I can fit in). Also, no more hunting down random scrap pieces of paper to write a grocery list on. Or is that just me? First up, you’ll need a picture frame, preferably with a glass insert. Save yourself some moolah, and head over to ReStore for a frame. I snagged one for $1!

Next, decide how you would like to decorate it. You could leave the frame as is, of course, but then you’ll miss out on the cool DIY factor! Give your frame a base coat, then start on your design.  It can be simple swirls, or more time-consuming winter squash, or even a variety of buttons glued on… whatever you want! Finish it off with a layer or two of Modge Podge to help protect the paint, and prevent scratches. Then print out the blank meal planning template of choice (vertical or horizontal), pop it in your frame and you are ready to go. A permanent or dry erase marker will work on a glass frame. The permanent marker can be wiped away with some cleaner, and is less likely to smudge. Voila, you’re done!

Good Foods Tip: Don’t want to take up precious counter space? Glue some magnets on the back of the frame, and keep it on the fridge.

Now it’s time to do the shopping for the week. We have the shopping list broken down by department so that you can just wander and grab. The full-week meal planner shopping list might look a bit daunting at first glance, but remember, this is for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you may already have several of the pantry items in stock at home. Need help shopping for your list? Pop in on a Wednesday and Kathryn will show you the way. Reach her at 278-1813 ext. 232 to set up a time.

Click here for recipes and a shopping list from Good Foods Co-Op.