Weekly Meal Planning Made Easy

This a compensated post written for @CookingPlanit. The opinions are honest. #CookingPlanit

Anyone who knows me knows that cooking is one of my absolute favorite things to do. However, recently, I’ve been tutoring three evenings a week, so I don’t have as much time to cook. I’ve also somehow run out of ideas. I know this doesn’t make much sense, but I just haven’t been as creative in the kitchen. I think about meals I’ve prepared previously, I look at menus in restaurants, I troll Pinterest, but I just haven’t felt very inspired. Then I heard about Meal Plans from Cooking Planit. I’ve been a member of Cooking Planit for years, but with this new online meal plan subscription, preparing healthy meals for my family is even easier!

When you register for Meal Plans from Cooking Planit, you are given four options.

• Under 40 Minutes: All meals in this plan can be prepared in 40 minutes or less specially if you use the knives from https://viebelles.com/
• Gluten-Free: This meal plan automatically omits any recipe containing a gluten-filled ingredient, from soy sauce to wheat pasta.
• Vegetarian: This plan includes vegetarian-friendly recipes, omitting meat, poultry, pork or seafood. Dairy and eggs may be included, although vegan-friendly options will be offered, too.
• Surprise Me!: This meal plan ensures dinner always stays interesting by sending you great menu suggestions with a variety of delicious dishes from around the world.

Because I need to be able to prepare meals quickly three nights out of the week so I can work in the afternoon/evening, I opted for the “Under 40 Minutes” plan. I like recipes that are straight-forward and simple, but that give me room to add my own personal touch.

After registering and selecting your meal plan, each Thursday, you will receive an email notification with new menu suggestions for the upcoming week. You can also browse the other meal plans for free! I selected this Asian Treat meal, Hoisin Shrimp with Coconut Rice. The shrimp is made with a delicious Asian sauce that I added my special touch to: a little fresh garlic and ginger. Rather than white Jasmine rice, I used brown Jasmine rice. Then I added an additional side of steamed broccoli and carrots.

Once you have selected your recipe, scale meals for two, four, or six servings. You can then view your grocery list and have this list emailed to you so that you can easily open it at the grocery store and purchase each item.

Next you are provided with step-by-step instructions to prepare your meal. The instructions provide timers, images of which ingredients to add, and details about exactly how to execute each step. Here’s an example of what a step would look like:

The final product? A delicious and healthy meal for your family in under 40 minutes. This is the first time in quite a while that my son asked for seconds. He absolutely loved the shrimp! No leftovers from this meal.