If you’ve ever made an elaborate two-week meal plan only to watch it completely unravel by Wednesday, this one’s for you.
I like to keep meal planning easy, realistic, and flexible. For my sanity, I only plan one week at a time. That’s enough to feel organized, but not so much that I’m locked into eating chili on the exact Tuesday I suddenly decide I don’t want chili. I also don’t do a ton of prep ahead of time because, honestly, I know myself. The chances of me chopping seventeen vegetables on Sunday “for the week” are slim. Instead, I stick to a few tried-and-true tools, a couple of trusted recipe sources, and just enough structure to get dinner on the table without feeling like a chore.
And my cooking North Star? I want my family to actually eat what I make.
Here’s how I keep our weekly meal planning simple, doable, and adaptable.
1. My Weekly Meal Planning Notepad
Nothing fancy here. This is a nice, clean notepad without a ton of distracting elements. I jot down our dinners for the week (plus any activities or things that might affect meals) and hang it on the fridge. If a baseball game moves to Thursday or someone suddenly wants breakfast for dinner, I can swap things around. Easy peasy.
2. My Go-To Cookbooks
What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking | What’s Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy
These two live in my kitchen and get used all the time. The recipes are crowd-pleasers without being complicated. One of our absolute favorites is the Saucy Eggs recipe from Caroline Chambers. It’s the kind of meal everyone loves with things you likely already have, and it takes around 15 minutes. Can’t beat that.
3. Favorite Recipe Resources
When I’m feeling stuck or want something I know will turn out, I open the NYTimes Cooking app. I’ve never had a dud from there. And, not going to lie, TikTok has brought some unexpected winners into our rotation. (Hello, homemade flour tortillas!)
4. Slow Cooker Magic
When I’m aiming for minimal prep and maximum payoff, a slow cooker is my G.O.A.T. Toss in ingredients in the morning and have a hot meal ready with almost no extra work. It’s perfect for soups, shredded meats, and cozy winter dinners.
5. Sheet Pans for Everything
I love the quarter sheet size. We use them for roasting veggies, sheet-pan dinners, baking cookies, and, when they’re clean, as Lego sorting trays. They’re easy to wash, durable, and endlessly useful.
6. Air Fryer Obsession
This is the kitchen tool that convinced me weeknight cooking doesn’t have to be a project. I use it on the daily for everything from chicken nuggets to roasted vegetables to reheating leftovers so they taste like new again.
How I Keep It All Flexible
- Plan, but not too far ahead – Just one week at a time.
- Leave room for changing plans – Sometimes we just want to eat out or someone makes a special request.
- Minimal prep, maximum return – I’d rather spend my Sunday relaxing than batch cooking for hours.
- Repeat what works – When a recipe gets rave reviews, I put it in the regular rotation.
Essential Tip:
If you want your meal planning to actually stick, make it easy for you. Use a notepad you like looking at, pick recipes you’re excited to eat, and let go of the idea that every week has to be totally new. Sometimes the simplest meals, like tacos, sheet-pan chicken, and breakfast for dinner, are the best bet. No one like an uneaten meal.
Your turn: Are you a one-week planner like me or do you brave the two-week (or longer) meal plan? Let me know in the comments!
Affiliate Note: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no cost to you. As always, I only share what I actually use and love.
Curated, Kinda 
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