The One-Foot-in-Front-of-the-Other Meal Planning Method - A simple guide to planning meals without stress, waste, or perfection

Meal planning can feel like a mountain. We imagine complicated charts, color-coded calendars, and endless new recipes we should try. But really? It only takes one small step at a time. This method is about moving forward steadily—one foot in front of the other—with what you already have, what your family actually eats, and what’s available to you.

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Step One: Find Something to Write On

Before you can plan, you need a place to capture your thoughts. Don’t overcomplicate this. Use whatever’s nearby:

• A notebook from your child’s backpack

• A scrap of paper, an envelope, or even a napkin

• Your phone’s Notes app, Cozi, or Google Keep

• A whiteboard on the fridge

The point isn’t where you write, but that you have a spot to record meals, lists, and ideas.

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Step Two: Make Your Reliable Meals List

Challenge yourself to list 30–45 meals that are:

• Already tested in your kitchen

• Eaten without complaint

• Realistic for your budget and schedule

Skip experiments or “someday” recipes. Stick to what works.

Once you’ve got your list, sort it two ways:

1. By protein or main course (chicken, beef, pork, seafood, vegetarian, breakfast-for-dinner)

2. By season (soups or chili in fall/winter, BLTs in summer, grilling in warmer months)

This list will become your meal planning backbone.

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Step Three: Keep a Running Record

As you plan and cook meals, jot them down. Over time, you’ll create a personal meal diary that shows what you actually cook and eat.

Add quick notes about what worked:

• “Taco meat stretched into nachos the next night.”

• “Soup came together fast because of leftover chicken.”

• “Fried rice was easy thanks to extra rice in the fridge.”

These notes highlight meals that lighten your load and how leftovers roll forward into the next day.

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Step Four: Don’t Waste It—Save It for Later

Food waste often happens when you open a can and don’t use it all. Instead of letting the rest sit in the fridge until it spoils, freeze it for later.

Some easy freezer saves:

• Tomato paste – freeze in tablespoons

• Coconut milk – freeze in ice cube trays

• Chipotle peppers in adobo – freeze individually

• Evaporated milk – freeze in cubes for baking

• Beans – freeze extras in portions

• Broth or stock – freeze in 1-cup containers

• Pineapple chunks – freeze straight from the can

Always label with what it is, the amount, and the date.

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Step Five: Prepare for Hard Days

Illness, stress, or exhaustion can make cooking impossible. Prepare ahead with the cook once, eat twice method.

• Double recipes like casseroles, soups, enchiladas, or pasta bakes.

• Eat one tonight, freeze the other.

• Label clearly with dish name, date, and reheating instructions (a black Sharpie on foil works great).

This small habit is a gift to your future self.

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Step Six: Stock Quick & Easy Meals

Some nights call for speed. Keep a short list of meals that take under 30 minutes and use common pantry/freezer items:

• Spaghetti with garlic & olive oil

• Quesadillas

• Egg fried rice

• Tuna patties

• Sheet pan sausage & veggies

• BLTs

• Chili mac

• Shrimp stir-fry

• Breakfast-for-dinner (eggs + toast + fruit)

• Chicken Caesar wraps

• Black bean soup

• Flatbread pizzas

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Step Seven: Create Your Own Quick-Meals List

Now it’s your turn. Write down 5–10 “lifesaver meals” your family actually eats and you can make in 30 minutes or less.

Tape your list somewhere handy:

• Inside a kitchen cabinet

• On the fridge

• In your phone notes

• In your meal planning binder

On the nights when you’re too tired to think, this list will do the thinking for you.

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Final Thought

Meal planning doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be Instagram-worthy. It just needs to work for your life, one small step at a time.

Start with something to write on. Build your list of reliable meals. Keep notes as you go. Save the extras. Prepare ahead when you can. And make sure you always have a few quick backups.

That’s the one-foot-in-front-of-the-other method. Simple, doable, real.