Dinnertime can be a hectic and stressful part of the day, especially after a long day at work, taking care of the kids, or driving to after-school activities. Meal planning for dinner and a few other tweaks to your routine can help simplify the process and make your evenings more enjoyable and less stressful. In this blog post, we will explore ten ways to make dinner easier through effective meal planning strategies. Let’s dive in!
1. Plan it Out Ahead of Time
We know…you hear this all the time. But amongst all the suggestions below, this tip holds the greatest potential for simplifying your dinner routine. Planning your meals in advance is one of the best ways to bring calm to your weeknights. It not only saves you time and energy but also helps you avoid the dreaded “what’s for dinner?” question and the last minute scramble to figure out what to cook. Create a meal plan, make a shopping list, and stick to it. A well thought out plan will also help you dodge those pesky last-minute grocery store runs (a major culprit for overspending on food and wasting time) and make your evenings run much more smoothly.
We say it all the time…the power of the plan is real!
Need some help with this crucial step? You can always get a free personalized plan from The Dinner Daily.
2. Prep Ingredients at Another Time of Day
Transform the dinner hour by prepping ingredients beforehand – and we don’t mean just 30 minutes before dinner. Instead, find a time outside of the dinner rush to make your evenings more relaxed. For example, consider early mornings when the house is peaceful and your energy is high, after lunch if you’re home, or even on weekends.
Taking care of a few simple tasks can make a world of difference in making dinner easier. Tackle tasks like chopping veggies, mixing marinades, batching your sides (check out tip #3), or even measuring the spices for that night’s meal. Store the prepped ingredients in air tight containers in your fridge and they will be ready when you are.
When done in isolation, all these small tasks take just a few minutes but can have a big impact on helping you get dinner on the table faster and with much less stress. Find a time that suits your schedule and give it a try!
3. Make Side Dishes in Bulk
Another effective strategy for making dinner easier is to make a variety of simple side dishes in bulk for the week ahead so you only need to concentrate on the main course each night. For example, consider making a large bowl of garden salad (sans dressing) that can be served with multiple meals, prepare a generous batch of versatile grains like rice or quinoa, or wash and chop veggies that can be quickly roasted or steamed. You could also pre-cook a selection of potatoes to have on hand- no more waiting for the potatoes to be soft!
4. Cook Dinner in Advance
For most of us, we logically start cooking dinner at dinnertime. However, what if dinner was cooked at another time of day? Preparing a few dinners in advance and storing them in your fridge or freezer can be a game-changer when this becomes part of your regular routine. When dinnertime arrives, all you have to do is reheat and serve. It’s such as great feeling to walk into the kitchen after a long day, knowing that a delicious meal is ready and waiting for you. No time at the stove top required! Plus, if you follow tip #3 above, you’ll also have a fresh garden salad or your favorite sides ready to go. Trust us, this will bring organizational bliss to your evenings every time.
One of our members shared that she prepares dinner early in the morning after sending her kids off to school and before starting her workday – genius!
5. Make Use of Your Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
These handy kitchen appliances can be a lifesaver when it comes to meal planning for dinner. Simply add your ingredients in the morning, set the timer, and come home to a delicious, ready-to-eat meal.
No time in the am to prep? Prepare the recipe by combining all ingredients in the cooker insert the night prior. Store it in the refrigerator overnight, and just place it in the cooker and switch it on the following morning. If you need an idea for a quick slow cooker recipe to try, check out this top member favorite for Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken
6. Be Prepared for the Unexpected
We all have those days when plans change, or grocery shopping hasn’t happened. To avoid resorting to takeout or settling for cereal for dinner, maintain a supply of non-perishable pantry staples like canned goods, pasta, pasta sauce, and rice, along with adaptable freezer items such as frozen vegetables, meats, and seafood. Keep a few recipes on hand that your family loves and that use these items so you can easily create a fulfilling and healthy meal, even when time is scarce or a trip to the store isn’t possible.
For example, at our home, Beef Udon Noodles is one of our go-to meals. I make sure to keep frozen ground beef in the freezer and almost always have the other basic ingredients needed for the recipe. My family loves it, it’s incredibly quick to prepare, and I can make it from memory. This trusty meal has saved us on numerous occasions from resorting to takeout or yet another night of breakfast for dinner.
7. Embrace One Dish Meals
One dish meals, like chicken stir fry, make ahead casseroles, and hearty soups and stews, are easy to prepare and make for minimal cleanup. Sheet pan dinners are another great way to simplify your evening meals. Arrange your protein and vegetables on a sheet pan, season them, and bake in the oven. This method requires minimal prep and cleanup, making it perfect for busy weeknights. We developed a whole series of one dish meals so our members have this meal type option. Check out this healthy recipe for One Dish Salmon Supper for some inspiration.
Tip for Dinner Daily members: you can search for “make ahead meals” right from your menu. Just use the Swap icon and type “make ahead” into the Search bar at the top of the screen. You can also search for “stir fry” or “sheet pan” to quickly pull some of these options into your plan.
8. Get the Kids Involved
When my kids were younger, I thought getting the kids to help with dinner and supervising what they were doing would be too exhausting. So I ignored this advice and did it all myself. However, dinner was way more hectic than I wanted it to be, so I finally got the kids involved and it truly did help. I created a simple task list and explained each job to the kids, showing them what to do and where to find the necessary items. All of these tasks were things I was mostly doing right before dinner, adding to the craziness.
I posted the weekly task list on the fridge, assigning each child a task they were responsible for. To make it easier, everyone had the same task for the whole week. Tasks included clearing clutter from the table, setting the table, filling water glasses, and placing the salad and dressing on the table. Of course, things didn’t always go perfectly, but the goal isn’t perfection. It’s about easing the mental load of dinner, one small task at a time.
In addition to lightening the load for the cook, it instills a sense of responsibility for the kids. It also gets them to put down their devices and engage in the valuable family tradition of preparing dinner as a team.
9. Have a Regular No Cook Night:
Sometimes you just don’t have the time, desire, or energy to cook dinner. We get it. To avoid the pressure of preparing a meal every single night, establish a regular No-Cook Night. This could take various forms, such as Sandwich Night, Leftover Night (ideal for later in the week), or Pot Luck Night, where anything goes. Growing up, my mom referred to this as a “Catch as Catch Can Dinner,” which essentially meant using any leftovers in the fridge. Consider making this a Wednesday tradition, giving the cook a well-deserved break while the whole family knows what to expect.
10. Seek Assistance for Tip #1: Meal Planning
Our final suggestion revolves around finding support for the crucial Tip #1. This could involve using a meal planning service or downloading a template to inspire and organize your efforts.
A significant benefit our members express when using The Dinner Daily is the relief from the tiring responsibility of planning dinner night after night. We also handle the time-consuming chore of creating an organized and comprehensive shopping list and pairing main dishes with appropriate side dishes in the right quantities. The fact that our plans helps reduce grocery costs by tailoring menus based on the weekly specials is just the cherry on top. You can try it out for a couple of weeks for free by clicking here.
Regardless of the method you choose, whether it’s on your own, with The Dinner Daily, or with another tool, we highly recommend incorporating meal planning for dinner into your routine. This will save you time, alleviate stress, and allow you to savor healthier, home-cooked meals more consistently and with less stress!
Meal planning for dinner doesn’t have to be a daunting task. By adopting just a few of these tactics (especially #1), you can simplify your evening meals and make dinnertime a more relaxing time of day for you and your family. Yes, it does require some effort to get a process in place and to make it a routine, but the rewards of health, more quality family time, and lower food costs are well worth the effort!
