Framework of creating versatile meal plan

Did she really put “framework” and “meal planning” in the same sentence? Yes, and you’re welcome!

Before we dive in, I want to preface this by saying that my partner and I are fortunate enough not to have any major dietary restrictions or health concerns that limit what we can and cannot eat. Because of that, my framework allows me to cook pretty much whatever I want. However, I hope this approach is flexible enough for you to customize it to your preferences. So… here we go.

When I think about what to eat during the week, I know my meals need to be nutritious (nutritious enough), quick, and delicious. As for the makeup of my plate (or bowl), it typically includes protein, vegetables, and sometimes carbohydrates.

To simplify meal planning for my household of two adults (my partner and me), I focus on the main character of each meal—what’s the star ingredient I want to center my meals around this week? Then, I build the rest of the meal around it.

Here’s an example: Roast chicken. Although roasting a chicken is quite simple, you can also opt for a store-bought rotisserie chicken if the process feels too time-consuming. For two people, we can usually finish a rotisserie chicken in about three meals—sometimes even four. Here’s how I would break it down:

Meal 1:

Chicken thighs with a  side of creamy mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts   

Meal 2:

Chicken ceasar salad with homemade croutons (for salad, usually one large chicken breast from the same rotisserie chicken should be enough)

Meal 3:

Chicken pot pie in a 7-inch cast iron

There’s a 4th meal in there believe it or not.  Using the chicken carcase/bones, we can make chicken stock with it.  From there, you can turn it into chicken noodle soup.

Another method I use is anchoring. I anchor my plan around one of the 3 food groups - protein, carbs OR fiber - and build it from there.  For example, if I want to meal plan around carbs, I’d start brainstorming all the foods I like to eat under the carbs category. Here’s an example:

Pasta

Bread

Noodles

Rice

If it’s up to me, I will not have any problems eating noodles everyday, but since my partner isn’t a huge fan of noodles, this is what I’ll come up with:

Meal 1: Garlic noodles with a side of veggies and maybe air-fried tofu

Meal 2: Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Meal 3: Avocado toast with a side of salad (this could be lunch for me or breakfast for dinner)

Meal 4: Kimchi fried rice (it means I’ll just cook more rice when I make the Thai curry dish and use save the leftover rice for this fried rice)

Meal 6: Chow Mien with homemade egg noodles

Meal 7: Thai curry stir fry over rice

What about you?  What’s your go-to method when it comes to meal planning?  Feel free to share in the comment box below.