How to Start Meal Planning: Fuel Your Week with Less Effort

Planning to eat healthy sounds great. Then life kicks in. 

Between packed schedules, last-minute cravings, and decision fatigue, even simple meals can feel like a big lift.

That’s where meal planning comes in. It helps you stay organized, cuts down on grocery stress, and gives you more control over what goes on your plate.

With just a little prep, you can create meals that match your health goals and actually taste good. Whether you're focusing on weight loss, energy, or just saving time during the week, a smart plan makes it easier.

How to Start Meal Planning

1. Assess Your Weekly Schedule and Dietary Needs

The first step in meal planning is thinking about your needs and goals. Ask yourself questions like:

• How many meals do you need to plan for yourself or your family?
• Are there any dietary restrictions or preferences you need to factor into your meal plan?
• How much time do you have to plan and prepare food in advance?
• Do you mind reheating frozen food?
• Do you need to plan food other than meals, like post-workout snacks? 

Decide how many meals you need to account for in your meal planning and go from there. And if your goal is weight loss, make sure you're still eating enough food to fuel your body. For example, adopting a 1,200 calorie meal plan is popular for losing weight, but it may not be enough food for you if you're looking to maintin your wieght.  

2. Create a Simple Meal Plan Template

Having a meal plan template will help you visualize your meals for the week. The template can be as simple as a chart with a row for each day of the week and columns for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — but customized as needed. 

For example, you might list roasted veggies and chicken with brown rice for dinner on Monday and Wednesday. Write down your meals in this template as you’re deciding what to cook. Then, you can use this plan to help form your grocery list and keep you on track throughout the week. 

3. Develop a Versatile Grocery List

A big part of planning and cooking healthy recipes is buying the right ingredients at the grocery store. You don’t want to get home from the store, try to start cooking delicious meals, and realize you’re missing a bunch of ingredients you need. At the same time, writing a brand new grocery list each week can be tedious. The solution is coming up with a versatile grocery list full of ingredients you can mix and match to turn into lots of different balanced meals. 

One popular method is the 5-4-3-2-1 method. In this method, you select five different vegetables, four fruits, three proteins, two sauces or spreads, and one grain. The great thing about an approach like this one is that it’s flexible. You have room to adjust based on what’s in season, what’s on sale, and what you feel like eating each week. The guidelines just make shopping a bit less overwhelming. 

Once you gain more experience with your meal planning technique, creating your shopping list will likely become easier. You’ll know what you like and what ingredients fit well in your go-to meals. 

4. Focus on Seasonal Produce and Plant-Based Proteins

Although many fresh ingredients are available year-round in large grocery stores, it’s best to focus on the produce that’s in season. For example, meals during spring could include seasonal produce like:

• Apricots
• Blackberries
• Lettuce
• Rhubarb
• Collard greens
• Kale
• Cabbage
• Radishes
• Swiss chard

Seasonal produce is often cheaper and tastier than fresh fruit and vegetables that are not in season, so be sure to check local seasonal guides. Try frozen fruit and veggies, too, since they lock in freshness. 

For protein, consider incorporating plant-based proteins, like tofu, edamame, and tempeh, even if you also eat meat. These sources of protein for vegans can make a great addition to anyone’s diet since they’re rich in essential nutrients and generally low in fat.

Chicken breasts, lean ground meat, and other lean meats can also help you hit your protein goals according to your macros/">macro guide</a>. Just make sure your entire meal also includes grains and produce like green beans or black beans so it’s well-rounded.  

5. Incorporate Whole Grains Into Your Meal Plan

Whole grains are a vital component of any healthy diet, so be sure to include them in your meal plan. Examples of whole grains include:

• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Barley
• Whole wheat bread or pasta
• Popcorn
• Corn
• Quinoa
• Farro
• Buckwheat
• Millet

Consider the meals you eat most often right now. There are probably some places where you can substitute whole grains for refined grains without changing your favorite meals much. For example, if you love spaghetti and meatballs, try switching your white pasta for whole wheat pasta to get more whole grains in your diet. 

One of the advantages of incorporating whole grains in your meal prepping is that they are great sources of dietary fiber. Fiber helps you feel full and offers health benefits, including improving blood cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Whole grains also provide valuable nutrients like B1, B2, iron, and magnesium. 

Try to include at least a few servings of whole grains each day as part of your healthy meals. 

6. Utilize Calendars and Meal Planning Apps

Keeping track of your meal plan in your head can be tricky. The good news is that you don’t have to. Today, there are many different meal planning apps and calendars designed to help you stay on top of your meal plan. 

For example, Lifesum — included with Wellhub — is a meal tracking app that helps you understand what you’re eating. With just a quick picture of your meal, Lifesum provides instant nutrition information. You can see your daily calorie intake as well as a breakdown of how many grams of carbs, proteins, and fats you’ve eaten each day. Paired with a macro calculator, Lifesum will help you stay on track with your weekly meal plan down to the last gram. 

BodyFast is another Wellhub partner and nutrition app specifically geared toward intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is when you allot a block of hours for eating each day and choose to fast during the remaining hours. For example, you might only eat from 12 pm to 8 pm each day and fast for the remaining 16 hours. Try BodyFast to track your eating, water consumption, and weight as you start using meal plans. 

7. Gather Appropriate Meal Storage Containers

Meal planning doesn’t necessarily involve cooking your meals in advance. However, many people pair meal planning with meal prepping to save time and effort during the week. If you’re going to meal prep, you need containers to store your extra portions. 

You can use any containers you have on hand. But you can also consider investing in new meal storage containers tailored to the types of healthy recipes you’re preparing. 

For example, if you plan to freeze some of your extra portions, make sure the food containers you choose are freezer-safe. Microwave-safe containers are also useful if you plan to reheat your meals in the microwave. That way, you don’t need a separate bowl or plate — you can eat right from the container. 

8. Engage Your Family in the Planning Process

If you live with other family members, it’s worthwhile to get them involved in the meal planning process, too. Choosing healthy recipes that everyone will enjoy will make it easier to stick with meal planning long term. 

Talk to your family about meal ideas for the upcoming week. Let them have some input on your shopping list and maybe get them involved in shopping or cooking the dishes in advance, depending on their ages. 

The Benefits of Meal Prep

When you plan meals ahead of time, you take the guesswork out of eating. You choose your meals for the week, shop with purpose, and prep in a way that saves time and reduces stress during busy days. Meal planning can help you:

• Eat more intentionally. Choose meals that support your goals — whether that’s more energy, better digestion, or balanced nutrition.
• Save money. Stick to a grocery list based on your plan and skip the impulse buys.
• Cut down on weeknight chaos. Prep once, and have meals ready to grab and go for lunch or reheat for dinner.
• Stay consistent. Build habits that support your health, without needing to make new decisions every day.

Set Goals for Healthy and Enjoyable Meals

Meal planning may seem intimidating at first, but with a few simple steps, you can make it part of your routine. Once you start planning and prepping meals in advance, it’ll be much easier to eat healthy and save time and money in the process. 

Using apps and online tools makes the meal planning process even more convenient. If you’re not sure where to start, try tracking your eating with tools like Lifesum and Bodyfast. You’ll learn more about nutrition and how to hit your health goals with meal planning. 

Both Lifesum and Bodyfast are available with your Wellhub membership. So, check if Wellhub is already included with your benefits — and enroll if so. If Wellhub isn’t part of your employee benefits, start a petition to bring Wellhub to your workplace!  

References

• American Heart Association. (2024, June 25). Get to know grains: Why you need them, and what to look for. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/whole-grains-refined-grains-and-dietary-fiber
• Cleveland Clinic. (2025, February 13). Is 1,200 Calories a Day Healthy? Advice and Sample Menus. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/eating-1200-calories-a-day