How to Reverse Meal Plan

A couple weeks ago, I published a recipe for Turkey and Biscuit Pot Pie. In that recipe post, I talked about how I’ve had to change the way I meal plan based on availability of products in the stores and budgetary constraints. I promised to write a dedicated post on how I do this because I have been a proponent of meal planning for years and years. It’s something I teach to my coaching clients and really anyone who will listen.

Meal planning is vital if you want to take control of your health. If you wait until it’s 5:00 to make a plan for dinner, chances are you will not choose the best thing for your health.

What I consider “normal” meal planning involves looking at your calendar, figuring out which nights you have time to prepare what types of meals, deciding what you want to cook and then shopping accordingly.

Reverse meal planning (I do believe I have just made up that term) means going to the store with an idea of what you need to have your kitchen well-stocked: fruits, veggies, canned goods, meat, etc. and buying what is available and fits your budget.

That may sound very simple and not at all worthy of a blog post, but what I really want to share with you here are ideas for meals you can prepare that are healthy, taste amazing and can be made with simple ingredients. This will hopefully allow you to mix and match what you have on hand into a meal plan that works for your family.

Below you will see a blank meal plan worksheet that you are free to print out, use, and share. Below that will be a sample worksheet all filled out giving you ideal for meals you can put together yourself. This is really just intended to be a jumping off point and I would love it if you would share in the comments what your favorite, easy to throw together meals are.

For this sort of meal planning to work (or any cooking at home now that I think about it), you really need to have your paleo pantry basics covered:

• a variety of spices
• canned tomato products
• coconut aminos
• variety of vinegars
• variety of mustards
• good quality mayo or the ingredients to make it (avocado oil, egg, lemon, mustard, salt and pepper)
• cooking oil (avocado, palm, olive, coconut, grass-fed butter)
• almond flour
• arrowroot or tapioca

If you have something as simple as a pound of grass-fed ground beef and some vegetables, canned, frozen or fresh, plus a variety of spices, you can whip up an Italian, Mexican, or Asian dinner in no time flat. Not to mention something super basic like a hamburger patty and roasted veggies.

How to use the meal plan form

1. Print out a blank copy of the meal planning form for each week.
2. Inventory your fridge, freezer and pantry (you can’t make meals if you don’t know what you have available)
3. See where your pantry/fridge/freezer is lacking and add those things to your grocery list. Try to keep this generic like the basic categories I have on the form. You can also consult the sales ad from your local store. They are likely to have something in stock if they’re advertising it for sale.
4. Go shopping
5. Update your list of available foods
6. Consult your calendar to determine which nights you can cook at home and how long you’ll have to cook each night
7. Start mixing and matching your ingredients to come up with meals your family will enjoy!

Please leave a comment if you have questions or ideas to share. I have just barely scratched the surface here and I’m sure you have great ideas that would be super helpful to many other people just like you and me who are simply trying to get a decent meal on the table without sending anyone to the hospital or busting the family budget!