Simplest Meal Planning Yet!!! Minimalist Meal Planning System with Free Worksheet

Meal planning doesn’t have to be difficult! This simple meal planning system is created to solve these common problems with groceries and cooking:

1. Easy: Meal plan AND compile your grocery list in 5 minutes per week.

2. Maintain a smaller inventory: Having cupboards stuffed with food is STRESSFUL. Learn how to get just what you need and keep less on hand.

3. Waste LESS: With these simple ideas, you can virtually eliminate wasted food.

4. Stick with it: This system is designed for busy people. If that’s you, keep reading!!

THE BASICS OF THIS MEAL PLANNING SYSTEM

This system is EASY, but you’ll need to spend a few extra minutes on the front end setting everything up. Here is what you’ll need:

1. Grocery Inventory: I’m including links to the spreadsheet that I use, but of course you can make your own!

Free Downloads:
>> Blank PDF Meal Planning Worksheet (unfortunately, this is not a version that can be edited)

And for those interested in my filled-in sheet, you can see that here:
>> Dawn’s Grocery Inventory & Meal Plan

“IP” means Instant Pot
“Ck” means chicken
This worksheet is a couple of years old now, see links to our most common recipes below.

2. Fill in the Worksheet: Roughly fill in your grocery inventory and a set of meals that you know you can stick to (it doesn’t have to be perfect, you can revise it as you go!!).

3. Marker Board: I created sections for “Use Up”, “Leftovers” and our meals for the week (mine was from the Dollar Tree!).

VIDEO MEAL PLANNING INSTRUCTIONS HERE:

Or watch this video on YouTube here.

OUR MEALS:

And if you’re curious what I have for meals, you can see it here:

“IP” means that it is a meal that I make in our Instant Pot. I’ve really come to appreciate my Instant Pot, especially in the summer when I don’t want to heat up the whole kitchen! But year round, I love that it creates minimal dishes.

Check out our favorite Instant Pot meals here
Check out our favorite chicken meals here

But overall, the key is keeping your meal rotation simple. Once you have the habit of cooking at home in place, then it’s fun to try new recipes occasionally.

Here’s to successful meal planning!