The Busy Mama’s Guide to Meal Planning

A little weekend prep can help reduce the stress.

Bon Appétit - Find yourself staring into the refrigerator every day after work wishing it would magically prepare a meal for your family? Or are you frequently reaching for your phone to order after a busy day? We’ve all been there. But a little weekend prep can help reduce the stress of turning out fab meals every day. Read on for your guide to easy meal planning. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel  (Photo: Portra Images / Getty Images)

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Bon Appétit - Find yourself staring into the refrigerator every day after work wishing it would magically prepare a meal for your family? Or are you frequently reaching for your phone to order after a busy day? We’ve all been there. But a little weekend prep can help reduce the stress of turning out fab meals every day. Read on for your guide to easy meal planning. By Kenrya Rankin Naasel (Photo: Portra Images / Getty Images)

Take Stock - First, see what you already have on hand in the fridge, freezer and cabinets. Those will be the building blocks for your meals for the next week or two, however far in advance you want to plan. While you're at it, take note of anything that's running low.   (Photo: Stigur Karlsson / Getty Images)

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Take Stock - First, see what you already have on hand in the fridge, freezer and cabinets. Those will be the building blocks for your meals for the next week or two, however far in advance you want to plan. While you're at it, take note of anything that's running low. (Photo: Stigur Karlsson / Getty Images)

Make a Signature Meal (and Make It Well) - No, you don’t have to cook like Granny or prepare a four-course Mediterranean dinner, but you should have a few really tasty, (preferably) healthy dishes in your cooking repertoire. You cannot live off of sad frozen chicken dinners and takeout for the rest of your life. Also, get your signature cocktail together, too. You need to know what you like to drink. That’s grown woman.  (Photo: JGI / Jamie Grill / Getty Images)

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Check Your Recipes - Create a list of all the things you currently know how to cook and keep it on your phone. These are your go-to meals. Then use a recipe site like Yummly.com or Epicurious.com to add to your repertoire. We also love Supercook.com; just tell it what you already have on hand and it will suggest meals you can make from those ingredients. (Photo: JGI / Jamie Grill / Getty Images)

Write Down Your Plan - Now look at your list of go-to and new recipes and figure out what you want to cook for the next week, keeping in mind what you already have in your fridge. You can plan just dinners or map out every meal, which is especially helpful if you have to pack lunches. It can be useful to pick a type of entrée to serve each day of the week, for example, vegetarian Mondays, chicken on Tuesdays, etc. Be sure to dedicate at least one day a week to trying new recipes. If they turn out great, you’ll have another meal to add to your rotation. Tools like the ones on Pepperplate.com and the Paprika app make it easy to keep track.   (Photo: Pepperplate)

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Write Down Your Plan - Now look at your list of go-to and new recipes and figure out what you want to cook for the next week, keeping in mind what you already have in your fridge. You can plan just dinners or map out every meal, which is especially helpful if you have to pack lunches. It can be useful to pick a type of entrée to serve each day of the week, for example, vegetarian Mondays, chicken on Tuesdays, etc. Be sure to dedicate at least one day a week to trying new recipes. If they turn out great, you’ll have another meal to add to your rotation. Tools like the ones on Pepperplate.com and the Paprika app make it easy to keep track.  (Photo: Pepperplate)

Make a Grocery List - Now that you know what you’re making, create a grocery list that includes all the ingredients you need that aren’t already lurking in your kitchen. If you use one of the apps we mentioned, they can generate a grocery list for you based on the meals you choose to make.   (Photo: Yuri / Getty Images)

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Make a Grocery List - Now that you know what you’re making, create a grocery list that includes all the ingredients you need that aren’t already lurking in your kitchen. If you use one of the apps we mentioned, they can generate a grocery list for you based on the meals you choose to make. (Photo: Yuri / Getty Images)

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Hit the Store - Go shopping for the ingredients you need to fill in and complete meals. Also, use this trip to restock your staples, like eggs, drinks, butter and bread.   (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Hit the Store - Go shopping for the ingredients you need to fill in and complete meals. Also, use this trip to restock your staples, like eggs, drinks, butter and bread. (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Prep - The key is to do as much preliminary work as possible, so that you can zip through the stressful moments of trying to get a meal on the table. Cut up and freeze veggies as soon as you get them home so they are ready to use for meals (the precut ones in the store are more expensive). If you make breakfast smoothies, chop and freeze the ingredients in bags for the week so you can dump them into the blender and go. If you’re planning to make chicken for dinner tomorrow, put it in the fridge to defrost before bed.  (Photo: Jose R. Aguirre/Cover/Getty Images)

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Prep - The key is to do as much preliminary work as possible, so that you can zip through the stressful moments of trying to get a meal on the table. Cut up and freeze veggies as soon as you get them home so they are ready to use for meals (the precut ones in the store are more expensive). If you make breakfast smoothies, chop and freeze the ingredients in bags for the week so you can dump them into the blender and go. If you’re planning to make chicken for dinner tomorrow, put it in the fridge to defrost before bed. (Photo: Jose R. Aguirre/Cover/Getty Images)

Double Up - Make your meals go further by making double portions so you can eat leftovers for dinner and lunch later in the week. And things like soups and pasta sauces can be frozen and thawed later in the month for a no-fuss meal — plus you can make them in a slow cooker while you sleep or work.  (Photo: Eric Raptosh Photography / Getty Images)

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Double Up - Make your meals go further by making double portions so you can eat leftovers for dinner and lunch later in the week. And things like soups and pasta sauces can be frozen and thawed later in the month for a no-fuss meal — plus you can make them in a slow cooker while you sleep or work. (Photo: Eric Raptosh Photography / Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Eric Raptosh Photography / Getty Images

Get Help - Still worried you don’t have the time to plan your meals? Paid services like Cooksmarts and Weelicious Menus will do it for you and supply grocery lists and step-by-step recipe tutorials, too.   (Photo: Cook Smarts)

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Get Help - Still worried you don’t have the time to plan your meals? Paid services like Cooksmarts and Weelicious Menus will do it for you and supply grocery lists and step-by-step recipe tutorials, too. (Photo: Cook Smarts)