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Simplify dinnertime with a Capsule Pantry

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Capsule Pantry, Meal Planning · March 23, 2018

How to figure out the best meal planning method for you

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Meal planning can sometimes feel like you’re throwing spaghetti on a wall, hoping it sticks, right? Did you know there are many different ways and methods? We’re going to talk about the three most popular meal planning methods and which one is best for you.

Don’t have time to read the whole thing? Pin it for later.

(This post probably contains affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is quite boring, but you can read it here if you’d like!)

I have been meal planning for years.

I have tried all of the methods.

These are the top three ways and you’re going to see how meal planning can really save you some time and money.

I’m also going to share with you the one secret that I have that will work for any of these ways.

1 Weekly Meal Planning

This is by far the most popular! Almost everybody I talk to that meal plans, meal plans weekly.

I also personally think this one uses the most time and also the most money, and I’ll tell you why.

So when you’re weekly meal planning you’re gathering all of your stuff that you need, right? You’re sitting down with your meal planner, your calendar, and your recipe ideas or meal ideas. Maybe even the flyers for that week if you coupon plus your coupons. That’s a lot of “stuff” to get before you even sit down to meal plan, right?

So if you meal plan weekly, you’re doing all this pre-planning work 4 times per month! And you haven’t even planned a single thing yet. That’s a lot of wasted time. Sorry, I know you didn’t want to hear that!

I think there are better ways, like I said.

But I get that this does really work for some people and I understand why – it’s easy! You can get into a routine with doing it every Sunday, or maybe Saturday morning if you’re going to grocery shop that day.

It also works for people that have a schedule that changes very often – if you don’t have the same schedule at work every week or maybe your kids do something different every every week or your husband’s schedule changes, then weekly might work for you.

How to meal plan weekly:

1 gather all of the “things” – planner, calendar, meal ideas, flyers, coupons, etc.

2 look at your calendar and say okay, you know this night. I am going to be home late on Monday, so let’s have a crockpot meal that night. We have soccer practice Tuesday, so it’s just going to be sandwiches for dinner that night, etc.

3 write it down

4 make your grocery list

So that works for most people because it’s the way that they’re used to. And it’s simple! But I’m going to challenge you to think about other ways.

So before you go grabbing some weekly meal planners in my freebie library, keep reading to see if another method might work better for you.

Weekly meal planning is for you if you…

  • are a commitment-phobe
  • have a constantly changing schedule
  • are completely new to meal planning

Related Post: 42+ Amazing Theme Night Meal Ideas (plus a free list and worksheet)

2 Monthly Meal Planning

Okay, so the second second way to meal plan is monthly. I personally love love love love LOVE monthly meal planning!

Don’t be a commitment-phobe when it comes to meal planning – it’s not set in stone!

Your meal plan is simply that – a plan! Things change, things WILL go wrong – somebody will eat something you needed, you’ll decide to go out for dinner, somebody will cancel plans, whatever things go wrong sometimes.

Still. Monthly meal planning is a great way to have a good overall strategy for the month. And I personally think this is the one that will take up the least amount of time for you!

Why do I think that?

Because you’re only sitting down with all the “things” ONCE instead of FOUR times in a month.

That in itself will save you time, but I also think that most people have schedule that does not change all that often.

Monthly Meal planning is for you if you…

  • want to spend very little time meal planning
  • don’t have a constantly changing schedule
  • want a ton of variety all the time

3 Capsule Pantry meal planning method

The third way is my Capsule Pantry way of meal planning which is basically still monthly, but you’re using a master meal plan that rotates every season. It’s like a mix and match meal plan!

Easy peasy.

It’s based on the foods and meals your family loves and it takes a more intentional way of taking your meal plan up a notch. Also, if you live in a place that has various seasons, you can create this around seasonal ingredients and cooking methods. Which will save you time and money!

The Capsule Pantry method uses minimal ingredients, and that’s what I love about it. It’s a simple way to cook, plan your meals, and keep your kitchen and pantry under control.

Just think how much this will save your grocery shopping! and it’s all based on the things that you love so it’s taking your monthly meal plan and putting it up a notch basically.

There are quite a few instructional articles on the Capsule Pantry, and I even have a course on it that goes way more in depth on how to do it.

If you want to simplify your grocery shopping and your kitchen in general, then the Capsule Pantry will be your best friend.

Oooh, and the Capsule Pantry is excellent for picky eaters since you’re creating that plan around what they already eat and love! Then you just add in some new foods and variety here and there!

The Capsule Pantry is for you if you…

  • both love planning and hate planning (type A AND type B!)
  • want the quickest method possible
  • practice minimalism or zero waste

SECRET WEAPON

So I have this secret weapon that I use that works with every type of meal planning. Using this simple secret weapon will transform your meal planning, no matter what kind you do.

✔︎ fly by the seat of your pants

✔︎ weekly

✔︎ monthly

✔︎ Capsule Pantry

Can you guess what it is??? it’s Theme Nights, of course!

Theme Nights will make your life so much easier and most people use them based on what they’re eating (like the ever popular Taco Tuesday!) and I like to start off with how I’m making it. So instead of having Taco Tuesday and Waffle Wednesday you would have Slow Cooker Saturday or Sheet Pan Sunday.

Plus, I think that will work with your schedule much better so anyway. You can grab a list of over 42 ideas here.

GET STARTED

If you’d like to get started with the Capsule Pantry, you can grab the free checklist right here. And don’t forget to check out the Capsule Pantry Blueprint e-course, it only opens once per quarter so be sure to get on the waiting list to get a notification!

There you have it. Now go grab your monthly meal planner and start meal planning LESS!

In: Capsule Pantry, Meal Planning

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The best, true, good love. Nothing can separate us The best, true, good love. Nothing can separate us from it. 
❤️ Happy Valentine’s Day!
Fun fact: I have ZERO poker face. Like none. I’m Fun fact: I have ZERO poker face. Like none. I’m a thinker and have  always lived in my head. It’s the Enneagram 5 in me. 
Bonus: it’s allowed me to be able to talk my way out of any situation. (Except that one time in social studies in 10th grade when a girl was bullying me and I had to fight back. Let’s just say she left me alone after that!😂).
Anyhoo. A friend recently said to me “it makes sense that your face betrays you because you’re so in control of your tongue”. 
My face betrays me 😂 
She’s right, I can hold my tongue pretty well unless it’s something that really gets my goat. 
🐐Fun fact #2: “gets my goat” is one of my favorite phrases ever!
🤢 Fun fact #3: I am not a picky eater and will eat just about anything but don’t you dare make me eat a sandwich with the cheese and Mayo touching!! 
Tell me: are you a thinker too?!? What are some fun facts about you?
One of the most common misconceptions I hear about One of the most common misconceptions I hear about planning for more than one week is that it takes so much time...

But the reason this is such a big misconception is because if you think it take a lot of time to make a seasonal meal plan, think about how much time it takes you to meal plan from a blank slate every week. 
Let's look at it over the course of a year.
1. weekly meal planning 1 hour x 52 weeks = 52 hours
2. monthly meal planning 1 hour x 12 months = 12 hours
3. seasonal meal planning 2 hours x 4 seasons = 8 hours 

And we're not even talking about how much time you're losing by following a weekly meal plan and subsequently grocery shopping. 

Think about how much you're missing out on with your family by spending so much time planning and shopping so often. An hour meal planning + 2 hours grocery shopping every single week is 3 hours a week you could have back to do fun things with them!

I mean, I get it...you NEED to feed your family every day, right? (kinda something we hafta do...).
But you can  do 👏🏼 it 👏🏼 differently 👏🏼
A seasonal meal plan with not only help you spend less time in planning-mode, but also help with your grocery shopping so that you can go to the grocery store less, and stop making emergency trips to the store because you forgot something.

And while you're here, let me tell ya this: avoiding a seasonal meal plan because you don't have TIME is HOGWASH... because I have lots of short cuts and tricks to show you that will maximize your time. 

PS. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post - I'm sharing my newest meal planning formula calendar... It's only around for a few days...see ya tomorrow!

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Meet Karyn. She had amazing results as a customer Meet Karyn. She had amazing results as a customer of ours and I need to share her with you.
 
She bought the Daily Dinner Blueprint calendar, dug right in, and told me she was so excited because she got these results:

📆 her meals are planned until SPRING (and she said it was painless!)!
🛒 a streamlined grocery shopping list!
🥣 an ingredient-based plan that doesn't limit what her family is eating!

She also said how every month "will be even quicker and easier"!

Here’s what she had to say about our business in her own words...
"My husband and I just did our first plan using your system and I wanted to drop you a line to say THANK YOU! Once you wrap your head around the process, and you start using it, it's easy to see how it will streamline grocery shopping without limiting what you are eating!

WOW! I would have to say this was pretty painless! Another benefit is I can see a clear way to categorize my recipes for future use! Each successive month will be even quicker and easier!

Back in the day, Emeril would've said "BAM, kick it up a notch!" I love that my meals are planned UNTIL SPRING! 🙌."

Thank you Karyn for being a customer! 💜
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#mealplanningideas #weeklymealplanning #budgetmealplanning #mealplanningonabudget #mealplanningmadeeasy #easydinner #recipesharing #mealideas #quickmeals #mealplanning #simplemeals #mealprepsunday #mealplanner #mealplans #mealplanapproved #mealplan #planningmom #whatsfordinner #minimalistkitchen #organizedpantry #livewithless #simpledinner #minimalistlifestyle #simpleliving #seeksimplicity #familymealplanning #mealplanningmommies #mealplanningmom #mealplanningblueprints #dailydinnerblueprints
One of the most common mistakes I see people make One of the most common mistakes I see people make when it comes to meal planning ​is doing it backwards.
BACKWARDS = planning your meals THEN doing your grocery shopping. 
Honestly, I used to teach it this way. 
But I found this doesn't work because:
🕳 you buy single, hard-to-find ingredients that end up in a black hole after you use it for just one recipe (oyster sauce in the back of the fridge, I'm looking at you...)
💰 you overbuy ingredients thinking this is the week your toddler finally eats broccoli, or this is the week you're totally going to cook every night...but end up eating the same thing over and over anyway.
🤷🏻‍♀️ you have too many options and if your plan gets interrupted (which it WILL), you're left staring at a full pantry or fridge wondering "what can I make???" And then end up ordering takeout!

Don't worry, I've got ideas for you. Check out my stories for 3 things you can do instead of backwards planning!
I could tell you so many things about this girl... I could tell you so many things about this girl... 
...my BFF Cara @apurposedrivenmom 
...but I want to focus on how she KILLS it at going after her goals. And loves teaching other busy mamas to do the same. 
She helped me map out an action plan for my goals on Saturday and wow, guys. Just wow. 
So I asked her if she would help my audience with their goal setting for the new year...
...and she agreed! 
Join both of us this Thursday (LIVE!) for “How to Take MASSIVE ACTION on your Goals (without burnout or overwhelm)”.
Sound like something you want to chat about with us?!? Link is in my bio (just click this picture of Cara and I!).
Who else hates throwing away lots of un-eaten prod Who else hates throwing away lots of un-eaten produce at the end of the week as much as I do? 
Focus on an ingredient-based meal plan instead of the other way around. That's what the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar does. Here's this week's meal plan...
🍕🌮 🍔 
‣‣‣Monday: Dinner Blueprint # 51 (A4+B1+C3)
Homemade Pizza Dough & Pizza Sauce (two recipes)
‣‣‣Tuesday: Dinner Blueprint # 33 (A3+B1+C1)
Blackened Tilapia Tacos
‣‣‣Wednesday: Dinner Blueprint # 10 (A1+B3+C2)
Crispy Lemon Chicken & Veggies
‣‣‣Thursday: Dinner Blueprint # 5 (A1+B2+C1)
Santa Fe Double Chicken
‣‣‣Friday: Dinner Blueprint # 40 (A3+B2+C4)
Baked Fish Sticks (+ leftover veggies or salad)
‣‣‣Saturday: Dinner Blueprint # 13 (A1+B4+C1)
Santa Fe Double Chicken Soup (just add a carton of chicken broth to leftovers to make soup)
‣‣‣Sunday: Dinner Blueprint # 3 (A1+B1+C3)
Chicken Parmesan w/Pasta
🍕 
If you're following along on the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, these are the same Dinner Blueprint #’s for each day. You can use the blueprint to come up with your own dinner idea, or use the linked example recipe.
🌮 
If you don’t own the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, you can purchase it by clicking my link in bio or if you're seeing this on Facebook, click here:
https://mpb.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1065589/?action=signup
🍉🥬Tell me... what fruit or veggie do you always end up throwing away? (watermelon and fresh spinach here!)
I don't know about you, but I can waste time like I don't know about you, but I can waste time like a CHAMP. Like re-drying the same load of laundry 3 times or scrolling IG like a zombie in bed.
Anyone else?
But I don't like it. 
And I definitely try to be more intentional on the things that give me more time back than what I spent on it. 
Meal planning is one of those things. Spend ONE hour a month meal planning, and you'll gain so many more hours each day (and *bonus* - it's during that dreaded pre-dinner time when the kids are maniacs!)

P.S. Please stop weekly meal planning. That doesn't actually save you time. (you can watch the ✨free training✨ in my link in bio if you want to know how often I suggest!)
Tell me...what would you do with an extra 30 mins each day?
New Month...new meal plan! Take an hour and make a New Month...new meal plan!
Take an hour and make an easy, monthly meal plan that focuses on the ingredients you eat and love - not one that tells you what to make (and then you have to go grocery shopping to get everything!) 
That's a backwards-based meal plan, friend.
Here's a sneak peek at my method:
Make a quick grid of 3 rows and 4 columns.
3 rows: A, B, C
A - main ingredient
B - side dish
C - flavor profile
4 columns: 1, 2, 3,4
Assign each space an ingredient and then mix and match... 
Here is each "formula of the day" for the rest of the week (since Jan 1st lands mid-week). Straight outta the January meal plan from the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar... 
🍕🌮 🍔 
‣‣‣Friday: Dinner Blueprint # 36 (A3+B1+C4)
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia w/butter pasta
‣‣‣Saturday: Dinner Blueprint # 14 (A1+B4+C2)
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
‣‣‣Sunday: Dinner Blueprint # 23 (A2+B2+C4)
Italian Stuffed Peppers
🍕 
If you're following along on the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, these are the same Dinner Blueprint #’s for each day. You can use the blueprint to come up with your own dinner idea, or use the linked example recipe.
🌮 
If you don’t own the 2021 Annual Meal Planning Calendar, you can purchase it by clicking my link in bio or if you're seeing this on Facebook, click here:
https://mpb.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1065589/?action=signup
🍔 Tell me... what's on your meal plan this week?
The 9-gazillion chicken recipes on Pinterest overw The 9-gazillion chicken recipes on Pinterest overwhelms me.
You too?
One of the many reasons I love chicken is because it's just so versatile. I mean, it cooks quick and there's sooooo many options out there. Just search "chicken recipes" and you'll come up with tens of thousands. 
(I'm looking at you again, Pinterest...). 
These are way too many options for me, so I created a simple mix and match method to come up with new dinner ideas.
✔️ limited ingredients means I'm not overwhelmed 
✔️ starts with flavors my family already loves to eat
✔️ less options means I can get dinner on the table quicker instead of staring into the fridge hoping dinner will just jump out at me!
Here's a few of these ideas on my meal plan (right outta my Annual Meal Planning calendar...).
What's your family's favorite chicken recipe?
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