Mindset Shifts Around Meal Planning

I’ve been talking about meal planning for the past two weeks, gearing up for our Meal Planning Bliss Challenge starting on Monday, and I KNOW meal planning can feel daunting- especially when it comes to eating intuitively.⁠

But here’s the thing: diet culture doesn’t own meal planning. You don’t only need to have a plan if you’re trying to lose weight, or ‘eat healthy’. Eating healthfully can be a positive side effect of taking the time to plan out meals that are both nourishing and satisfying. But what’s important is our mindset around meal planning- if we approach meal planning as something to control our eating, we’ll set ourselves up for failure- the all-or-nothing mentality. When we look at meal planning from a place of bringing flexibility and ease into mealtime, meal planning can support our goals in a sustainable way that is adaptable for your life and season. Start by asking yourself: are you meal planning for control, or meal planning for ease?

Diet culture doesn’t own meal planning. You don’t only need to have a plan if you’re trying to lose weight, or ‘eat healthy’. Eating healthfully can be a positive side effect of taking the time to plan out meals that are both nourishing and satisfying.

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So let’s talk about some mindset shifts you can make to create more ease and flexibility around meal planning:⁠

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1. Meal planning is boring ???? Meal planning can be as flexible as I want it to be!

You don’t need to stick to the exact plan if it doesn’t feel good that day- stay flexible!⁠ I recommend just planning for five days- allow for two “flex days” for switching around meals, calling for a pizza, grabbing takeout or an impromptu date night. By not assigning your meals specific days unless you need to prepare ahead for an event, you can remain flexible and lean in to what you actually want to eat, and your energy levels, that day.

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2. Meal planning is so hard ???? Meal planning can be easy if I let it be.

There are SO many strategies you can implement to SIMPLIFY meal planning- let it be easy!⁠ I share two of my favorite simplified meal planning strategies in this podcast episode, because meal planning truly doesn’t need to take hours or feel hard. When you utilize simply tools like a family favorites list to take the guesswork out of, “What’s for dinner?”, meal planning just feels like another routine for your week.

3. Meal planning takes SO much time ???? Meal planning takes me 10-20 minutes a week, and it can be that simple for you- too.

But the important part? Meal planning SAVES you time during the week, if you carve it out now.⁠No more staring at the fridge going, “What’s for dinner?”No more agonizing over “Am I choosing the RIGHT meal?”. Meal planning gives you flexible OPTIONS for meals that you can make based on your schedule, your preferences and your family’s.

Meal planning can support both your health goals AND intuitive eating by giving you variety and choice throughout your week. So let’s do this, mama! Join us in Meal Planning Bliss so meal planning feels easy- dare I say even blissful?

More posts on meal planning:

• My simple meal planning + prep strategy
• 5 ways to simplify meal planning
• How Creating a Family Favorites List Helps Simplify Mealtime
• 5 ways to make the most of your meal plan