Many people struggle with meal planning, and most of the advice out there is geared toward people who just aren’t sure where to start. However, the big problem for a lot of us who are already familiar with the ins and outs of meal planning is finding the motivation to get it done!

What can you do when working on a meal plan is the last thing you feel like doing? Check out these 8 tips!

1. Make it a family affair

Have you ever tried to convince your children that tidying up is somehow fun? I know I’m definitely more eager to clean up when we’re playing the Cleanup Dash, and sometimes getting your kids to join in on meal planning is just the push you need. Ask them what they feel like eating next week, and try to get them as involved as possible in the process depending on their age. This is especially helpful if you have picky eaters as they’ll feel like they have more control over what’s on the menu!

2. Come up with just one meal

Sometimes you just need a little direction to get into meal planning. For example, if you know you’re batch cooking chicken on Monday and having the leftovers on Wednesday, pasta seems like an obvious choice for Tuesday. If you can just come up with one meal, the rest often falls into place.

3. Think of a theme for the whole week

If you’re getting tired of making the same meals over and over, commit to a theme to shake things up. Maybe you’ll devote this week to making different meals from the same country or geographic region, or you could try making it a week of finger foods or favourites that your grandmother or mum made when you were young.

4. Make it a math game

Get out last week’s grocery receipt and see if you can make this week’s meals work out to be cheaper, even if it’s just by a few cents. Meal planning is a great money saver no matter how you look at it, but for some of us, the idea of getting the numbers right can make it more exciting.

5. Use-it-up challenge

Clearing out space in your pantry can be so satisfying, so why not go through your kitchen and look for items that are about to expire? Set everything on the counter that is approaching its best-by date and then find ways to use it up in your meal plan. This is also a great way to minimise food waste! 

6. Commit to trying something new

When I’m planning to try a new recipe, I’m usually more eager to make dinner that night to see how it turns out. So why not find a few new recipes to fill up next week’s meal plan? Head to your favourite recipe blog and give yourself 5 minutes on a timer to find 3 new recipes to try, or type a few ingredients into Google and challenge yourself to try one of the recipes that appears on the first page of results. Remember to keep it simple! Do not choose recipes that have a long list of ingredients to prep, and a complicated method.

7. Change your environment

If you work in front of a computer all day, it’s completely understandable if you have no desire whatsoever to sit down at your desk and work on a meal plan in your free time. Head outdoors with your tablet or a pen and pencil, and work on it while enjoying nature or watching your kids play outside for a much-needed change of scenery.

8. Set a timer

Setting a timer can boost productivity, so if you find yourself procrastinating and scrolling through social media when you should be meal planning, use this to your advantage. Set a timer for 15 minutes and do your best to get the whole job done before it goes off – and make sure you have a nice reward waiting for you at the end, whether it’s a cup of your favourite tea or a few minutes reading that novel you can’t seem to put down.

If you’re a member of The Dinner Plan the hard work has been done for you! You’ll go from feeling unmotivated and uninspired to feeling prepared with plenty of ideas right in your inbox. Meal planning is easy: we do the hard work for you. Your meal plan is practically ready: all you have to do is tweak it to fit your needs and family’s tastes. We open doors again on JULY 18TH! Mark your calendars, because joining our membership is just what you need to make meal planning easy ✅