One simple thing that can have the biggest impact on your goals this year is making a meal plan. Whether you’re trying to eat healthier, eat more as a family, let less food go to waste, eat out less, save money, etc, all these goals are definitely made simpler when meal planning.

I’ve talked before about tips to help with meal planning- but let’s talk about some mistakes you might be making that can make a big difference in your meal planning process!

Mistake 1: You forget to plan breakfast and lunch (and snacks!). You may have the perfect dinner plan lined up- but if you haven’t spent time thinking about breakfast and lunch, your meal plan definitely won’t feel as efficient.

Mistake 2: You’re trying to plan specific breakfasts and lunches in addition to dinners. This just gets to be too overwhelming! You don’t need to make yourself crazy by planning specific meals for each breakfast and lunch- pick one or two staples (like yogurt or eggs and toast) and buy enough for the week. You can rotate those 2 meals for breakfast all week, and you’ve just saved yourself a lot of planning time. You can save new recipes or more intense recipes for the weekends- which means you’re only planning one or two specific breakfasts/lunches, instead of doing 7! You can also switch it up week to week so you don’t get sick of the same thing. One week do Cheerios and toast and eggs for breakfast, the next week do yogurt parfaits and breakfast sandwiches.

Mistake 3: You forget about sides/dessert. This may seem silly, but if you know you like to make a fancy dessert on Sunday nights, you want to make sure you have the ingredients on hand! Similar to the breakfast and lunch concept, you can make things much easier for yourself by picking one or two sides and sticking with that (think a simple green salad and a side of cinnamon apples!). This is also where Cook’n can be a big help! Have a specific cookbook for side dishes, and week to week you can just type in the fruits/veggies that are in season and you’ll be able to quickly find recipes to fit your needs!

Mistake 4: You’re ignoring your pantry/fridge. When meal planning, always start by looking at what you already have! Have some spinach that’s getting a little wilty? Looks like spinach tortellini is on the menu! Some canned beans about to expire? Make a casserole! You can save a lot of money simply by making sure you’re using what you have before it goes bad! And again, Cook’n is SO helpful- type in the ingredients you need to use and easily find recipes to fit the bill!

Mistake 5: You’re ignoring the ads. Once you know what you have on hand, don’t skip the weekly grocery ads! If you have spinach going bad, and you know peppers are on sale, breakfast burritos would be a great way to utilize both! Ads really can save you so much money when meal planning.

Mistake 6: You’re Including too many meals. Monday- a big roast dinner. Tuesday- Grandma’s famous soup and rolls. Wednesday- A big hearty casserole. By Thursday, you may find a fridge full of leftovers, with no time to eat them! If you know you won’t get through a whole recipe with the people in your house, make sure to eat leftovers for lunch or designate a specific night to tackle all the leftovers. Waste not!

Mistake 7: You’re not actually scheduling days. It’s not good enough to just have a list of meals that you can make that week. Write down which specific meal you’ll make each day. So when you’re feeling tired and unmotivated on Wednesday night, you’re not having to think about what’s for dinner- it’s already written down and planned for you- which is half the battle, right?

Mistake 8: You’re not being flexible. Almost in direct contradiction, you also need to be flexible! Maybe you have a big fancy meal planned for Friday night, but unexpected company stops by. It’s ok to switch things around! Have the sandwiches you planned for Saturday night, and save the big fancy meal for Saturday. Don’t hesitate to switch things around if needed- let the meal plan work for you!

What obstacles do you find when meal planning? I’d love to hear your thoughts!