When I first started eating plant-based back in 2009, I felt completely lost about meal planning. Every day seemed to end with me staring into the fridge, wondering what to make for dinner. I knew I wanted to eat well, waste less food, and feel organized — but every plan I found online felt too rigid or complicated.
So, I came up with my own simple method. It’s flexible, realistic, and once you’ve done it a couple of times, it becomes second nature. I used it for two years straight and still come back to it when I want to reset my kitchen routine. Let’s walk through it together — step by step. 🌿
🕐 When to Do Your Meal Planning
If your grocery day is Saturday, try to plan your meals on Friday evening. Set aside 30 minutes, grab a cup of tea, and make it a fun ritual. That way, you’ll head into the weekend ready to shop with confidence — and no last-minute panic runs to the store.
📝 Set Up Your Template
You don’t need fancy apps for meal planning — just a piece of paper (or our printable template coming soon). Draw three sections:
- Left: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for each day.
- Right: Shopping list space.
- Middle: Notes for recipes and ingredients.
Now gather your cookbooks or open your saved Pinterest recipes. Use a pencil so you can easily swap things around as you go.
🛒 Check What’s Running Out
Before planning, take a quick look in your pantry. Are you low on rice, olive oil, or spices? Add them to your shopping list.
💡 Pro tip: Keep a small whiteboard or notepad on your fridge for jotting down items as you run out — it makes next week’s meal planning even easier.
🥕 Prevent Food Waste
Check your fridge for anything that needs to be used soon. A half block of tofu? A bunch of cilantro wilting away? Find recipes that use them up — search “vegan tofu recipes” or flip through your favorite cookbook.
Once you’ve picked a dish, add missing ingredients to your shopping list and write the cookbook name and page number next to the recipe. It’s a small detail that saves time later!
👩👩👧 Think About Household Size
Cooking for one? Or feeding a family? If most recipes serve four, decide if you want leftovers. Leftovers can be great for easy lunches or busy evenings.
If you love variety, halve the recipe. If you love convenience, cook the full batch and enjoy it twice.
📅 Add Special Plans to Your Week
Got a dinner date on Wednesday? Lunch with friends Friday? Add those notes so you don’t buy extra food. This also helps keep your meal planning realistic and flexible — life happens, after all!
🍳 Start with Breakfast
Pick a few go-to breakfast ideas you love. Maybe oatmeal with fruit, a green smoothie, or vegan burritos. Write the names of the recipes and their sources in your plan, then add missing ingredients to your list.
💚 Little hack: Make overnight oats for two or three days — they’re quick, filling, and great for busy mornings.
🍝 Move On to Lunch and Dinner
Now the fun part! Choose a mix of comfort foods and lighter meals. Look for recipes that share ingredients — like lentils, grains, or sauces — to make shopping simpler.
As you go, tally up ingredient quantities (for example, if three recipes need garlic, make sure to buy enough). Bookmark online recipes or keep them in a folder labeled “This Week’s Meals.”
🧁 Don’t Forget Snacks
Snacks matter — especially if you’re transitioning to a vegan lifestyle. Plan ahead so you don’t grab random things. Maybe energy balls, muffins, or fruit with nut butter.
Write them in your “snacks” section and add the ingredients to your list.
🔪 Plan for Prep and Cooking Ahead
Once your plan is set, look at your recipes and see if any prep can be done early.
Cooking rice two nights in a row? Make double the first time. Need cooked lentils for Tuesday’s dish? Cook them Monday and store them in the fridge.
Add small reminders to your plan like “cook lentils tonight” — future you will thank you!
🛍️ Go Shopping!
Now that your meal planning sheet is complete, take it to the store or farmer’s market. Cross items off your list as you go, and enjoy knowing you’re organized and efficient.
🧺 Unpack and Prep Smart
When you get home, store your groceries in a way that keeps them fresh longer. Wash and chop veggies for snacks, store them in glass jars, and keep your herbs in a cup of water in the fridge. Small prep moments like this make weekday cooking so much smoother.
🌟 Enjoy the Week Ahead
With your meal plan ready, your week will feel calmer, your meals tastier, and your food waste minimal. This flexible meal planning strategy makes cooking feel less like a chore and more like a joyful ritual.
You’ll save time, eat well, and maybe even discover a few new favorite recipes along the way.
💬 Let’s Discuss!
Do you have your own meal planning tricks or go-to recipes? Share them in the comments below — we’d love to hear how you stay inspired in the kitchen!
