Meal Planning?

holly55555
holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
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?

Replies

  • Shelly916
    Shelly916 Posts: 8
    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
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
    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
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    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
    fortunate1204 Posts: 22 Member
    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
    sweetage123 Posts: 100 Member
    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
    leopardjunkie Posts: 149
    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
    iAmErikaP Posts: 16 Member
    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.

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