Meal Planning?

holly55555

Are there any really helpful apps/websites for meal planning? My problem is that I don't really cook and make meals for one, so I tend to get lazy and eat out or eat the same things all the time.

I want to expand my horizons a bit. I also tend to grocery shop and buy a bunch of things that go bad before I can eat them. I feel like planning out my weekly meals will make sure I only buy what I'll use.

What do you guys use to plan out healthy meals?

Shelly916

I am having the same problem. I have seen some recipes that look good but I don't want to run out and spend a ton of money on things that I don't have on hand. What to do, what to do, lol!

LexiMelo

I've been cooking for one for the past few weeks since my husband is away - it's a little tough to get used to. One thing i've done is buy frozen meats & veggies, and precooked rice at trader joe's. I also have plenty of quinoa, whole wheat pasta corn tortillas and sweet potatoes on hand. So tonight I got home, stuck a frozen chicken tenderloin (4 oz) on a pan with a TB of pesto on it and stuck it in the oven for 35 mins per package instructions. (you could also zap it with some oil spray and sprinkle seasoning of your choice on top. I put a separate pan in the oven with some frozen asparagus and peppers. Then you can simply make the grainy side, and throw it all on the plate and voila! (or throw it in the tortillas, or in the sweet potato). You can do it with frozen fish and also meatballs. You can also throw in some beans instead if you want, those are so easy to heat up. So basically, you do minimal work, but get a perfect serving for one, and minimal mess. p.s. sweet potatoes are easy to cook in the microwave. you basically stick it with a fork, wrap it in a paper towel and press the potato setting on the microwave.

feel free to check out my diary for ideas

notnikkisixx

I've been cooking for one for basically forever! I'd recommend scouring pinterest and marking all the recipes you find interesting. Plan your meals for the week and try to pick things that have ingredients in common so you can narrow down your shopping list. I generally find myself cooking the same things every week so grocery shopping has gotten easier because I know what I usually go for.

My general shopping list consists of:

black beans
quinoa
spinach
sweet peppers
tomatoes
eggs
frozen chicken tenderloins


With just these few things I can usually feed myself all week and not eat the same thing every night. Obviously I occasionally get other groceries to fill in the gaps or to make something special....but if I have these basic things on hand, I can come up with lots of healthy things to feed myself.

fortunate1204

I've been cooking for one for basically forever! I'd recommend scouring pinterest and marking all the recipes you find interesting. Plan your meals for the week and try to pick things that have ingredients in common so you can narrow down your shopping list. I generally find myself cooking the same things every week so grocery shopping has gotten easier because I know what I usually go for.

My general shopping list consists of:

black beans
quinoa
spinach
sweet peppers
tomatoes
eggs
frozen chicken tenderloins


With just these few things I can usually feed myself all week and not eat the same thing every night. Obviously I occasionally get other groceries to fill in the gaps or to make something special....but if I have these basic things on hand, I can come up with lots of healthy things to feed myself.

This is almost my shopping list as well. I usually add the following (for 1):

salmon (or your preferred fish)
tuna to-go packets
avocado
sweet potatoes
greek yogurt & honey
cottage cheese & pineapples

I keep everything pretty simple. If I get REALLY bored, I'll add sauces to the meat/fish - teriyaki, bbq, lemon pepper, etc. And at work, I ALWAYS have healthy snacks so I don't go crazy.

sweetage123

I've used an app in the past called mealboard where you can like import or input recipes and it will auto-generate a shopping list for you, and I think it can sync to specific items from different grocery stores, as well as keep track of what you have at home. I didn't get much into it as I also just cook for myself but it's a good idea in theory. They definitely have it for iOS, not sure about android.

What I usually do is play around on pinterest whenever I'm procrastinating on something and pin a bunch of recipes to my "nom nom nom" board (yes, that's actually its title :P ). Then before I grocery shop, I'll pick a recipe or two for the week, and buy accordingly. It does get a bit monotonous as you eat pretty much the same few meals each week, but it makes it super easy to track on MFP!

leopardjunkie

I use the menu planner app. It has both App for IOS and website . You can enter your recipes, nutrition info serivings etc. and store a pic of the meals for those visual people. Then you add your recieps to the menu for the week and it will add the ingreedients to your shopping list. It takes some set up, but I love it.

iAmErikaP

My shopping list as of late is pretty much:
Tilapia
Sweet potatoes
Salmon
Eggs
Sliced deli meat
Romaine lettuce
Greek yogurt
Fresh fruits and veggies.

Sometimes I make pre planned meals for about 3 days at a time or I make my protein, veggies and carbs seperate and mix and match depending on my mood.

Instead of "cooking for 1" you can make a meal with 4 servings and freeze a few portions so its not monotonous and come back later. Cooking Light magazine has lots of yummy recipes as well.