[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;”] T[/dropcap]his topic might seem a little hypocritical, given that one of my most successful products is a meal planning service where I supply recipes and shopping lists each week.
But here’s the thing, while this detailed plan-in-advance approach is brilliant for some people, it doesn’t work for everyone.
I know because I’m one of those people.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve used my Soupstones meal plans many times and have really loved not having to ‘think’ about dinner.
But after a week or so, I start to get ‘itchy feet’, so to speak.
So if you’re like me, and the idea of committing to a meal plan makes you feel too constrained, then listen up because I have a treat for you!
But before we get to that, lets look at the reasons why you’re right to ditch conventional meal planning ‘wisdom’.
5 Reasons Meal Plans Don’t Work
1. It’s almost impossible to predict what you’ll feel like.
It could be your day ends up dragging on forever and the last thing you feel like when you get home is spending the time required to prepare the meal in your ‘plan’.
Or maybe the weather turns unpredictably cold and you feel like something warming and comforting rather than the light salad you had planned.
2. Your schedule is probably going to change.
Modern life can be unpredictable. It’s far more likely that something will come up. Given this variability, isn’t it a little bit too much to ask that we plan in advance when we know the plan is probably going to change anyway?
3. Planning in advance take a lot of time.
I know, because I used to spend a few hours every week, looking through my cookbooks and magazines and writing detailed lists. And then there was the time spent gathering my exotic ingredients.
4. It can lead to a lot of waste.
There are a few components to this. It could be your plans change so you don’t get to cook the ingredients you have and they go bad. Then there are the leftover bits of ingredients that were purchased for a specific recipe that are tricky to ‘use up’.
5. It stifles creativity.
This is the bit that I really find problematic! Traditional meal planning and shopping with a list limits your ability to choose your produce based on what looks best on the day. It also limits your options of what to cook, rather than having the fun of cooking something based on what you have in the fridge or pantry.
What if there was another way to approach meal planning?
Well the good news is there is!
You just need to learn how to ‘reverse’ the process.
It may sound scary, but in fact it’s a really liberating way of approaching meal planning.
Much quicker and easier than traditional meal planning.
Over the last few years, I’ve been teaching students in my Online Cooking School how to ‘reverse’ their meal planning with my 2-Minute Meal Plan System.
When I asked my students whether they have been able to achieve the results they were hoping for with this new meal plan system, the overwhelming majority answered ‘Yes!’.
So how does the 2-Minute Meal Plan work?
There are two key components…
2 Keys to the 2-Minute Meal Plan System:
1. A super simple ‘formula’ to help you figure out how much food you’ll need to buy.
The formula I’ve developed is really quick and easy to work out. If you can count, you’ll be able to do this in your head.
It tells you how many types of protein (or main events) and vegetables to buy. This gives you the freedom to shop for what looks best, rather than having a rigid list.
The formula helps get the quantity right so you don’t end up with more than you need. While still giving you flexibility.
If you’d prefer to have a few specific recipes in mind before you shop, the formula will help with that as well.
2. The collection of ‘template’ recipes.
These help you learn to cook based on the ingredients you have on hand. Freeing you from the constraints of traditional recipes.
It includes general ‘templates’ for how to make different classic dishes. For example a great stir fry, a quick soup or a fragrant curry. Each template comes with suggestions for variations so you’ll be able to adapt them to the ingredients on hand.
It’s a way to learn to cook more creatively, while still having a basic recipe to follow.
Ready to reverse YOUR meal planning process?
Well you’re in luck!
I’ve packaged up the 2-Minute Meal Plan System into a simple eCookbook.
For more details, go to:
www.thestonesoupshop.com/2mmp/
Big love,
Jules x
ps. Not sure if the ‘2-Minute Meal Plan’ can help YOU?
Here’s what Rellie and Juliana have said about it…
“Your book has changed my life! I LOVE it! I am the crappiest cook ever but my confidence has soared (as have the amount of meals my family actually eat!) It is so simple and easy to follow.”
Rellie, 2MMP owner
“Brilliant book. The title doesn’t quite do the book justice. I know how to cook, I know how to shop, I know how to plan…I didn’t really NEED your book, but I love it! There is something fresh about this book. The template recipes are us such a nice change from a regular cook book. Thank you and keep up the good work.”
Juliana, 2MMP owner
pps. Here’s the link again:
www.thestonesoupshop.com/2mmp/
Great article! Very honest advice.
Thanks Jackie!