How Meal Planning & Batch Cooking Saves Me 5 Hours a Week

Meal planning and batch cooking are two of my favorite ways to fuel my body so that I can write from a nourished place and spend less time thinking about food and making food.

Meal planning & batch cooking saves me 5 hours a week

More time for writing!

If you make dinner at home 5 nights a week, spending 20 minutes on planning can save you at least 5 hours a week. Meal planning takes a few minutes of thought and a little time in the kitchen. The results are well worth it, saving time, money, and energy.

Those five hours are much better spent growing my business, serving clients, and writing books and blogs.

here are 8 reasons why cooking once a week rules:

1. only have to clean bulky things like the food processor once a week

2. no roasting pans to wash midweek

3. little to no pots and pans to wash, only use them during the week for making pasta or reheating

4. less clean up — the cutting board is cleaner, and knives stay clean

5. leftovers are easily assembled for lunches

6. easy to customize all meals to each family member’s tastes or needs

7. the oven is only used once a week, which saves on electric and heating the kitchen up

8. less cooking splatters on your clothes means less laundry

The prep and cook usually takes 90 minutes to 2 hours. The satisfaction when I'm done and have a fridge full of ready-to-eat food is HUGE! So is walking into the kitchen after a day of calls feeling hungry and being able to assemble and heat dinner in 10 minutes.

I heat all my meals over the stove — NOT in a microwave.

Where to start your plant-based fast food kitchen

Inspiration for the weekly meals starts with fresh produce. Look to what’s local, in-season, and, importantly, what you’re trying to use up.

Take stock.
Survey the fridge and pantry for items you need to use or restock. Break out your cookbooks or Pinterest to pick your dinners for the week and make a list. I put together a loose plan for dinners, and the rest falls into place. Read on for a sample of a simple meal plan.

Shop once a week for food.
You may run out of things here and there throughout the week. If you have a food delivery service this can also help. Lately, I’ve been loving Misfit Market for organic produce delivery (here’s a code for $10 off — affiliate link).

Food prep.
This is where the fun begins. When you get home from the store (or when your produce box arrives), crank some tunes or put on a podcast, and get to work.

1. wash and dry leafy greens and herbs (a salad spinner is your best friend) and leave out to air dry, then wrap in towels

2. peel carrots, chop or shred them for easy use to throw into salads, stir-fries, sauces, or smoothies, and juices

3. freeze bananas (peel, break into chunks, put into a baggie, and freeze) for smoothies

4. leave the following alone until you're ready to use: beets, onions, tomatoes, fruit

Batch cook and store.

1. roast chopped carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, potatoes, root veggies

2. rice and/or quinoa - cook a big batch for the week (2-3 cups dry) - use for curries, rice bowls, soup, burritos, salads

3. soup - make a big batch of soup; squash, sweet potato, lentil, and tomato soup are all easy and keep well in the fridge

4. dips - bean dip, hummus

5. sauces - tomato sauce, pesto

Once these cooked and ready-to-go foods are in your fridge, your kitchen becomes a healthy fast-food restaurant. Mix and match all your prepped items - hummus goes on pasta, as a snack for chopped veggies, or in a sandwich or wrap. Rice can be a base for a quick stir fry or stirred into soups to make them more filling.

sample unfussy meal plan

Here’s a plant-based, super simple meal plan with plenty of ideas.

breakfast

A green smoothie a day keeps the writer’s block away.

• collard greens, blueberries, banana, chia, cinnamon, water, chocolate protein

• curly kale, cucumber, kiwi, mango, flax, water, strawberry protein

• spinach, broccoli stems, banana, apple, coconut oil, water, hemp seeds, vanilla protein

• romaine, pear, parsley, mango, flax oil, water

• chard, ginger, apple, coconut oil, chia, lemon juice water

• purple kale, blueberries, banana, raw beets, flax, chocolate protein

• butter lettuce, kiwi, pear, dates, water, hemp seeds, vanilla protein

DINNER

I realize dinner is listed before lunch. This is because I start with inspiration for dinner, cook more than I need and I always have a healthy, warm lunch in the middle of my workday.

• butternut squash and potato red curry over rice

• mushroom and tomato sauce over gluten-free pasta with sauteed chard

• rice bowl with sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, coconut aminos, tomato, cilantro, onion

• quinoa, beans, hummus, seeds, avocado, pesto

• veggie burgers with salad and sweet potato fries

• baked tofu burritos

• fajita salad - beans, greens, tomato, avocado, cilantro, lime, peppers, onions

• portobellos with roasted carrots and mashed potatoes

lunch

Leftovers rule — improvise leftovers from dinner to mix and match for lunch.

• curried squash over salad

• kale, pesto, chickpea, hemp seed salad

• salad with shredded carrots, beets, walnuts, avocado

• black bean and rice soup

• burgers, avocado, and tomato over mixed greens

• portobellos in lettuce or collard wraps

• pureed cauliflower or broccoli soup

Keep the productivity vibes going with these articles:

• Protecting Your Creative Introverted Energy

• The Unfussy and Intuitive Approach to Content Planning

• How I Run My Business in Under 30 Hours a Week

• what to do when your to-list makes you want to puke

• one simple thing to make more room for creativity