My Weekly Mom Hack: Mastering Meal Planning with Ease

Published over 2 years ago • 1 min read

Hello Reader,

I hope this message finds you well! I'm excited to share one of my favorite weekly rituals with you—a simple yet effective meal-planning strategy that keeps our family dinners running smoothly. Despite not being my favorite task, I've found some fantastic tools that make it much more manageable.

Though skipping this step can lead to a chaotic week, with last-minute grocery runs and unplanned meals, sticking to it makes every evening so much more relaxed. It reminds me of a wise saying from James Clear in "Atomic Habits":

"The costs of your good habits are in the present. The costs of your bad habits are in the future."

This perspective encourages me to stay on track.

Here’s my streamlined approach:

Select Meals: I begin by using the Dinnerly App (website) to plan our meals two weeks ahead.
Check for Staples: I then check our upcoming meals and add any needed staples (like veggies, fruit, or starches) to my grocery app. This is also a good time for me to add snacks and lunch items for the kids.
Extra Meals: If additional meals are needed, I consult my handy Dinner Ideas List. (Grab the free list of printable meal ideas.)

Believe it or not, this entire process takes just 10-15 minutes, and it's a game changer every week!

If you're ever in need of meal inspiration or looking for ways to simplify dinner prep in your household, I'd love to share how these tools can help make your meal planning a breeze.

Enjoy your weekend and happy planning!
XO - Ashley

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