(Mostly) Vegan Weekly Meal Planning — Tips & Tricks

Every week, I plan and shop for what we are eating for each meal the entire week. After 3 years of meal planning on the reg, here are a few tips to help make this a lifestyle:

• Use an app
• Calendar forecast
• Weather forecast
• What’s in season?
• Stick to the plan
• Bonus tips

Use an app: Consistently using AnyList allows me to easily import a recipe from the web, manage and organize all my recipes in one place, and divide and conquer the grocery store [with my significant other].

In my daily social media perusing, I follow enough food related things that I often see recipes I’d like to try to make. With AnyList, I can easily important the recipe ingredients and method and refer back to it when I’m meal planning next.

I build an entire Meal Plan within the app and easily add items to my Grocery List from my imported recipes with a single tap. I fly through the grocery store with a custom, organized list that crosses items off in real time.

Calendar forecast: I rely on my work calendar to make it through the week. When meal planning, I look at the week ahead to see if I won’t be home for dinner one night or if I’m working from home (earlier/more prep time) and then I plan accordingly.

I try to make big batch items over the weekend. Think: roasting beets, those suckers take FOREVER, and then letting them rest in balsamic vinegar all week in the fridge. Cooking lentils, so versatile! Making my own (not fried) falafels, packed with protein and deliciousness.

Weather forecast: With an unseasonably warm fall, I’ve been checking the weather each week to make sure I won’t be miserable eating a stew in 85 degree weather. Think about what you like eating in the warmer months vs colder months. In the fall and winter, I always plan on making a soup or stew in the beginning of the week to be enjoyed on those nights I won’t be home in time to make a fresh meal.

What’s in season: I look forward to eating produce at it’s freshest. Therefore, I try to buy seasonally. However, in the Midwest, I know come winter, this can be tough to do. Being mindful of when produce is in season is key to eating the best tasting fruits and veggies. You can use this website to find what’s seasonal in your state. I also loved the book, Eating on the Wild Side, if you want to learn more about in-depth about the evolution of fruits and vegetables, how to buy produce, and the best varietals to look for.

Added bonus, with produce being in season, it’s usually on sale because of the abundance and it tastes better!

Stick to the plan: I understand come Wednesday and your week has been nothing but stressful and you want to order pizza. I’m challenging you to stick to your meal plan, even if you’re feeling tired and not energized to make yourself a meal, it will always be worth it! Added bonus: leftovers!

Bonus tips (aka more in-depth articles to come):

• Invest in a good, sharp knife & cutting board
• Get in the habit of mise en place
• Read the recipe twice
• Bring your lunch to work / utilize leftovers
• Eat meals at the same time everyday
• Determine your pantry staples
• Don’t be afraid of salt
• Chopped Friday’s
• Watch cooking shows