Meal Planning Myths Busted

If you’ve ever told yourself you don’t need a meal plan, or you’re too busy, too spontaneous, or too disorganized, you’re not alone. These are the most common meal planning myths I hear, and they’re the very reasons so many people stay stuck in the stressful dinnertime scramble.

Myth: I don’t need a meal plan.

Right, just like you don’t need a budget, but you run out of money every month.

Here’s the real story: you’re meal planning whether you realize it or not. The 5:30 pm scramble is a type of meal plan. The after-work drive-thru or takeout is a meal plan too. The problem with those meal plans is that you’re doing all the work at the moment when you need to eat, which leads to a stressful experience. 

When you create a meal plan for the week ahead, or even the next three days, you’re frontloading the work and relieving the stress and decision fatigue you feel at the end of a long day. 

Doesn’t it sound nice to be able to come home from work and already know what’s for dinner? 

Thinking you don’t need a plan is the biggest mistake I see people make when it comes to meal planning. It’s going to save you time, money, and, most importantly, a lot of mental gymnastics. 

Myth: My family won’t eat what I plan.

Here’s the counter question: Does your family currently eat the food you make? If so, then you have nothing to worry about! You already know a lot about your family’s food preferences and what they like to eat. If you’re worried they won’t be happy with your meal plan, then plan recipes and flavors they already enjoy. If it feels like you’re planning the same things on repeat, that’s okay, you’ll get the hang of it over time and be able to add more variety. 

If your family currently doesn’t eat the food you make, then this is a great time to troubleshoot what you’re buying and making. Maybe you’ve never asked your spouse or kids what they would like to eat for dinner this week. Or maybe you’ve never invited them into the kitchen to help cook. Now is a great time to get your family more involved!

Myth: Meal planning is boring.

I remember one of my middle school teachers saying the phrase, “you’re only as bored as you are boring,” and I think this idea applies to meal planning, too. Meal planning is only boring if you make it that way! When you create a meal plan, you’re in control of the variety, flavors, cuisines, and ingredients.

Meal planning doesn’t have to be the same five recipes every week or reheated leftovers on repeat. There are hundreds of thousands of recipes online that you could add to your meal plan; you could literally eat a different meal every night of your life! And if you don’t like leftovers, adjust your recipes so you only cook enough for one meal, or learn how to repurpose leftovers into another recipe. 

Moral of the story: meal planning can be whatever you want it to be. 

Myth: Meal planning is only for organized people.

Meal planning might be easier for people who are naturally more organized, but anyone can learn to be a meal planner! The first thing to do is just get started. Your first meal plan won’t be perfect and you’ll probably have to shift things around, but that doesn’t mean it’s a failure. 

Every habit we start is hard at first because we’re learning something new and getting used to a new way of doing things. It’s normal to feel like meal planning is a chore at first, but week-over-week, you learn and adjust, and eventually you don’t know how you ever survived without a meal plan at the start of the week. 

Myth: I’m spontaneous, I can’t meal plan. 

A common refrain with non-meal planners is, “I don’t know what I’ll want to eat on Thursday when I’m planning on Sunday!”

I have three objections to this claim:

1) No one knows what they’ll really be in the mood for five days from now, but we take a guess and usually it works out.

2) Most people find they gain more by planning ahead than by leaving meals up to last-minute decisions.

3) Your meal plan can be flexible. Just move your recipes around. 

Meal planning isn’t about rigid rules or taking the fun out of food; instead, it takes away stress and gives you more breathing room. Don’t let myths keep you stuck in the cycle of last-minute dinners. Try creating a meal plan this week and see how much better it feels.