Year Ahead Series 2017 | Resolve to Meal Plan

It should come as no surprise that I firmly believe in the power and necessity of a good meal plan.

Before I was this version of me, I always just cooked what sounded good. I shopped accordingly, making multiple trips to the store every week, if necessary, depending on what I was making that night. I didn't have a grocery budget, either. I would just wander around the store, almost aimlessly, tossing stuff into my cart. Knowing my way around a cookbook, Food Network, and Pinterest recipes made it even trickier to choose. What was masked as "freedom to cook whatever I wanted" actually left me more frazzled than anything. And don't even get me started on how this took a toll on our modest budget.

A year into our marriage, we moved to a tiny town (population 1200) that didn't have a full-fledged grocery store, meaning any real shopping trip to a store 45 minutes away would require some planning -- a meal plan. That first year or so was wrought with frustration as I felt the growing pains of learning how to plan for meals ahead of time.

"Well, it would only make sense if some ingredients could be used more than once." So I took note of that and tried to incorporate the idea as much as possible.

Then, too much of the same food over and over had me feeling like,

"It would be nice if there were some variety but not so much that I have to buy a million things."

At that time I was also learning a ton about whole foods and even more about what we didn't want to be we didn't want to be putting in our bodies. So paying more attention to labeling and ingredients than ever had to fit its way in, too.

I didn't realize it at the time, but working through this process was actually the beginnings of a meal planning system that would change our lives and become a major passion of mine.

I didn't realize this at the time either, but those early obstacles would just be the first of many that I would face in wrapping my head around the task of feeding people. Two little girls (and an energy sector crisis) later, and it was a whole 'nother story. Being in the oil industry and having a large portion of our income dependent upon energy prices meant that our grocery budget had to be significantly cut when oil prices plummeted, at the same time as having more mouths to feed, all with different palettes and needs. As someone who loves on others by feeding them (like an Italian grandmother), the amount of failure I felt about not having this part of our lives together would actually bring me to tears. I would freeze in the grocery store. I would stop and stare at a wall with babies screaming in the cart.

If you're still with me, you're probably nodding at this point, as you know that I was simply discovering the same obstacles that you face when it comes to putting food on the table. Time constraints, money management, health, picky eaters...

The question is, how can it all possibly work together without making you crazy?

Through years of trial and error and wondering the same thing, I have worked relentlessly to develop a system that has become invaluable to my family. I truly feel I have come up with the best way to effectively stay on budget, ease dinner stress, and cook real food. And it all boils down to about an hour a week spent planning (less, once you get the hang of it).

I NEVER want to add to the long list of pressures that we, as women, feel. I'm not here asking you to do one more thing because I think I've got it all figured out and you don't. I know how many tasks and people are begging of your time and attention as a wife, mother, friend, business owner, multiple-hat-wearer. I am simply here to share something that I know will be monumentally helpful to you, if you choose to adopt a weekly habit of it.

The first step is to download these FREE meal planning pages right now to get started. I designed them as the first step to the meal planning process.

The key to getting the absolute most use out of the meal planning pages is understanding the process in its entirety, and then making it your own. That's why I'm so excited to announce that in March, I'll be launching MEAL PLANNING BOOTCAMP, the course that will teach you the skills to become the kitchen superhero your family needs. We'll cover content like

Creating a grocery budget

Planning meals according to your schedule

Shopping ONCE for a whole week

Sourcing & creating recipes using what's on hand

Developing a style of cooking that works for YOUR family

Eating more healthfully and eliminating processed foods

And so much more.

This course will be delivered as a PDF with accompanying video downloads and will include exclusive access to the Meal Planning Bootcamp Facebook group, where we'll interact as a community, building each other up and sharing what we learn. There will also be scheduled Facebook Live Q&A sessions just for Bootcamp participants. For the first 10 people to sign up, I'll also give 10 minutes of one-on-one video chat time to cover a specific area of friction you face in your own cooking or meal planning.

The course will have limited access to keep conversation intimate, so be sure to reserve your spot as soon as we launch.

Enrollment in the course is $50. For less than a week of Blue Apron meals, you will be empowered to not only cook great food for the people you love, but do it on budget and with the health and wellness of your family in mind. I am so so so excited to get to share all of this with you, so sign up today and let's get cooking!

This spring, I'll also be rolling out a new section of the website where you will be able to download weekly meal plans straight out of my personal notebook for $5 with recipes and a shopping list included!

If you're not on the mailing list already, sign up now for updates as we get closer to Launch Day! Until then, stay tuned here on the blog for more recipes and tips along the way.