Welcome to the 7-Day Simple Meal Plans Kickstarter training!
I’m super excited to be taking you on a little journey over the next week.
This training will help you make the most of your Simple Meal Plans.
Meal planning is such a game-changing habit when it comes to eating well.
It will save you time and energy planning and shopping.
It’s also going to make it really simple and fun to nourish yourself with delicious, fresh real food on a daily basis.
Your future self is going to thank you!
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- What to expect over the next 7 days
- 5 tips to set yourself up for meal planning success.
What to Expect
Over the next 7 days I’m going to take your hand and walk you though everything you need to know and do to get the most out of your Simple Meal Plans.
Step-by-step.
I promise I’ll be gentle.
You might even have some fun!
The biggest thing you need to be aware of is you’re building a new habit.
Like all new things, it’s going to feel a bit clunky and awkward in the beginning.
This is totally normal.
If you feel yourself getting frustrated or annoyed, remember ‘nothing has gone wrong’.
It’s only going to get easier from here.
5 Tips to Set Yourself Up for Meal Planning Success
1. Decide.
The first step is to decide to develop your new meal planning habit.
Really commit to yourself that you’re going to make meal planning work for you.
No matter what.
2. Start small – make it as EASY as possible.
Forming or changing habits is HARD WORK to begin with.
The best way to guarantee success is to make it as small, manageable and easy as possible.
I recommend starting with only using 1-2 new recipes from the meal plan in the first week.
Then build up from there.
3. Expect changes to your schedule.
In modern life there are always things that come up that will interfere with your meal plan.
Rather than get upset by them, remember changes are normal.
Change is supposed to happen.
4. Use the ‘Waste Avoidance Strategy’.
When your schedule changes and you can’t cook something you had originally planned, you won’t be on your own!
Follow the instructions in the ‘Waste Avoidance Strategy’ on each recipe to ‘preserve’ your ingredients for another night.
Too easy.
5. Don’t expect to be ‘perfect’ from the first week.
When starting something new it’s normal for it to be hard in the beginning.
It’s going to take a bit more time when you’re getting started.
But like all good habits, the more you do it the quicker and easier it’s going to get.
I promise 🙂
ACTIVITY
STEP 1. Decide to commit to making meal planning work for you.
STEP 2. Leave a comment below sharing why you want to simplify meal planning.
Looking forward to hearing your ‘why’.
Tomorrow we’re going to be looking at when you’re going to fit this new habit into your schedule. And why scheduling time is so important.
In the mean time have some fun in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x
ps. If you need help with anything, leave a comment below.
I check them every day 🙂
———————————
Why try? Why not? – I ask myself! Looking forward to a new challenge and I will give it my best shot. I have to answer only to myself after all. Thank you Jules
C B
You’re welcome Carol!
I’d like to get back into meal planning so that we are only making one main meal for the family and not separate meals for the kids in the hope they are more willing to try new foods if they see us enjoying them
My kids are a work in progress too Sharee 🙂
I started planning my weekly meals mid-2020, then stopped. Hoping this will kickstart the habit! Love the simplicity, nutrition and flavor of your meals.
Curious why you stopped Ken?
Im a little confused. I saw a reboot which is appropriate for me
this looks like the initial training. Is that right?
Yes that’s right – it’s the 7-Day Kickstarter training from Simple Meal Plans Ellen.
Hi Jules,
Just trying another place to reach you today to say I definitely
want to continue with the eating coaching.
Thanks
Ellen
Excellent Ellen!
I have two whys for subscribing to Jule’s meal planning service.
1. I’ve actually done my own meal planning for years, but have grown increasingly frustrated by the amount of time it takes and the complete lack of appreciate from my family for that investment of my time and energy. So I’m giving myself a break!
2. I need to lower my cholesterol and I’m hopeful that a change to a healthier eating style will do the trick.
2 excellent reasons Joanna – you do deserve a break 🙂
I don’t enjoy cooking and one of the main reasons is that I hate deciding what to cook on the day, so I think planning ahead of time will at least help me avoid feeling overwhelmed. Now I only need to find a way to get myself to focus while cooking because I’m known for burning my food because I get side tracked easily.
You need simple 6-ingredient recipes then Chrissie!
i am seeking a peaceful relationship with food…..one where food is just food and not a million other things.
It’s possible Joan 🙂
I already plan all my meals (including breakfast & lunch), but would like to simplify more because my husband is doing all the grocery shopping for us during the pandemic. When he shops for my time cooking it takes him 3 hours, and last time I got 14 phone calls (literally) on things he needed clarification for. I really like doing simpler meals because the days when I enjoyed spending hours cooking are long gone…
oh he is very good Susan. You are lucky 🙂
Good morning! I’ve done short term meal planning before and the result was better eating, less takeaway and less waste. I would like to plan (and see those benefits!) more regularly. Thanks Jules!
You’re welcome Laura!
Thank you so much for making this available! I am trying to eat better, get healthier and maybe even lose some weight (lol). I believe that planning my meals will go a long way towards helping with all my goals.
I’ve tried SO many times, going the other way around (lose weight, get healthy, eat better) and it has never worked. I believe your meal planning program will work for me!
Yes Anne! Focus on building the habit of eating healthy first and the weight loss will happen 🙂
Living in the Caribbean I have tended to work round what is available when I shop and not to have much of a plan. Finding recipes can send me down the rabbit hole and have me thinking about food way too much. Now I have lost weight and want to continue to do so I need a bit more discipline. I plan to upload my recipes from the plan into MyFitnessPal and daily food diary and use them but will still allow for some planned flexibility e.g using up leftovers from Christmas and the New Year. This will simplify things a lot. One planning session a week and just a few moments each day to record what I’ve done.
Lucky you living in the Caribbean Linda 🙂
I started eating in a way that isn’t the best for me during pandemic and I know that meal planning and following Simple Meal Plans recipes during the week will get me back on track!
Nice one Marjorie 🙂
Meal planning seems to be a good way to reduce stress. If I have a plan, it is out of my head so I don’t spend all day trying to figure out what we are eating that night. Just need to be more consistent with it.
The more you do it the easier it is Karen 🙂
Getting dinner can seem overwhelming when I don’t know what to fix. And I frequently find I’m missing an ingredient. Planning meals ahead of time gives me the assurance that I’ll be making something healthy & I’ll have what I need to make it.
Excellent Diane!
I love to cook and search ideas/recipes, but would like to have the majority of the meals mapped out. I think it will limit the times I get overwhelmed and stressed. It will also limit the “oh, never mind, I’ll eat popcorn.” Issue!
Yes to less popcorn Jessica!
I’m so excited to make meal planning a proper habit this year! I usually have to cook 3 different meals each dinner time as my son, husband and myself have quite different requirements and tastes (and my husband and son are just plane fussy!).
I don’t mind cooking 3 different meals but i do get more confused as to what I’m supposed to be making for each of us. It’s particularly hard maintaining sensible meal portion sizes and ensuring that I don’t waste food (or money) with all the different left overs.
You’re very good to be doing all that Sarah-Louise. Planning will definitely help with the waste and keeping track 🙂
I struggle with deciding what to eat nearly every day and hope the meal planning habit will reduce my food anxiety and stop me from resorting to toast or takeaway when it all gets too much.
Yes Kerryn. It will definitively help with that!
Working from home has changed our routine for the better but I snack more and eat comfort foods. I’ve put on nearly two stones in a year and need to get back into a healthy routine. Hopefully this programme will help me plan meals in advance and therefore make my shopping more structured. Luckily we’re a couple of pescatarians who love vegetables.
You’re in the right place Kirsten 🙂
I can no longer just shop daily with the COVID restrictions in the UK. So I order online and have a weekly delivery. Somehow it is harder to workout exactly what I need as I have not decided on definite meals – a bit haphazard and I waste some things.
Meal planning is PERFECT for your situation Jenny 🙂
I have been meal planning my lunches and dinners for a while and know the benefits. Over Christmas I have stopped doing this so I am using this learning to help me get back on track and to learn some new low carb options to add to my plans.
Excellent Kath!
I do plan some meals but feel that I could be a bit better organised on week nights without being actually locked in to a rigid schedule.
Make sure you check out the lesson later in the week on m=’Meal Planning insurance’ – it really helps with being more organized yet still flexible Amanda
I spend WAY too much time thinking about what
to cook for dinner. Meal planning would give me more head space and lessen the mental load.
Yes Yes Yes Redmacrose!
It is time I started to eat a heathy diet. It is time!
It’s great that it’s time Vicki! Also think about why you want to change the way you eat 🙂
Some days, the mental energy required to prepare healthy meals is simply too much. I have recently discovered my body prefers life without gluten and I can no longer rely on toast to get by when I’m hungry. Maybe actually following your program will help, instead of just tuning in occasionally, as I have for several years. As I am only preparing meals for myself, I find I often have ingredients left over that get wasted.
I am less tempted to hit Ubereats if there are ingrediants available and a plan on how to use them.
YES Julie! This make it easier to cook than order Ubereats 🙂
I make a loose meals plan and shopping list every week before I go shopping.I try to eat low carb, but my hubby doesnt, and at the last minute always has other suggestions. Your tip for doing at least one meal a week is good, because so many of my plans fall down!
It’s a common problem Gilliam – we’ll talk about meal planning ‘insurance’ more later in the week. It is possible to get the benefits of planning even if you have last minute suggestions to contend with 🙂
Hi, I do meal plan from time to time but I find meal planning helps me stick more to the lower carb eating. I want to be as healthy as I can and want to lower my risks of becoming diabetic (by losing some excess weight). Hoping that meal planning tips will help me with this.
You’re totally in the right place Sue – and eating low carb will definitely help with reducing diabetes risk 🙂
I already meal plan but thought it might be useful to get a few tips and tricks to make the process even easier. We love the meals Jules, thank you!
Excellent Nicole – this will really help because it’s all about the HABIT of planning
I go to the food bank on thursdays and want to meal plan then so as not to waste precious food and eat really well
Good plan Lindy!
I like to cook and actually meal plan quite a bit. I do have a tendency to fall down the rabbit hole of possibilities, i.e. which of the six hummus recipes I have shall I prepare? I’d like to simplify and develop a more regular rotation of meals with room to explore when the mood strikes.
I’m the same Chapple! The possibilities!
Having a good list of simple go-to recipes is a great place to start. Or you could just focus on choosing recipes from the current meal plan – if you really want to keep it simple 🙂
I’m trying to take better care of myself and currently, meal prep is not a priority (although I love to eat)! I’m hoping to make meal prep as painless & delicious ? as possible!
If you want to take better care of yourself Molly – I’d really question the thought that meal prep is not a priority – if you love food – why don’t you make prepping and cooking an important part of your life – you deserve it!
I cook for one and rarely meal plan except to batch cook in quantity, making portioned meals for the freezer. Most frequently I have soups to take to work for lunch and steel cut oats for breakfast. For supper I seldom cook, having a smoothie, cheese, a salad, whatever is at hand. This is the habit I would like to change with these quick, easy meals. Establishing a meal planning habit will be the first step.
Excellent Mikel – great that you have a clear vision of where you want to get to.
Fractured my ankle in December. Husband in charge of everything to do with food and cooking. He panicked. I joined SMP for him. Haven’t seen a bad recipe from you yet, Jules – so thank you.
oh wow Susie! You are lucky to have your husband take over for you. I hope your ankle is healing well.
I know very little about meal planning, but I understand how it can be very beneficial. I’m eager to learn & develop healthier eating habits.
You’re in the right place Ruby 🙂
I was really good at this when I was raising my girls – as a single mom, I had to plan everything! I’ve gotten out of the habit these last few years, now that the girls are grown.
I know it saves time, money and calories 🙂 to meal plan so I want to get back in the habit.
It’s great you have that experience to draw on April – remember you are worth it!
Hi Jules,
I’d like to be proactive in my simplicity journey for 2021 and I truly believe that meal planning habit is a necessary step for me. Thanks so much for the 7-day meal plan kick starter. I just joined your membership program in December so I definitely need this.
Happy New Year to you and your family,
Ann
Yes Ann! Meal planning is a necessary habit.
Happy new year to you as well 🙂
First, Jules, you could be the most practical, helpful person on earth. During this terrible pandemic, I have learned who and what I love and what is most important to me. I have been inching and backsliding on this road for years. There is simply nothing before health. I think you have, in your life’s work, developed a sane and sensible way to get this done. Your care for us is palpable. And I am grandmother-I know stuff. Hahahaha.So happy to have met you.
Oh Ellen! Thank you for your super kind words. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.
I’m looking forward to the day I get to say ‘I am a grandmother – I know stuff’
Jx
I have to bring my stress (and my weight!) down. I usually cook for the kids and then keep running around, which means they eat in front of the tv. I want 30 minutes of just food and sitting at the table with them.
Yes Michelle!
i love this goal. It’s simple clear and doable. You won’t regret investing those 30 minutes with your family every day 🙂
I want to simplify meal planning so that I can stop trying to decide what’s for dinner when it’s already dinner time.
Excellent Mary!
You’re in the right place 🙂
Just remember to start small.
We eat healthily. My intention with the program is to spend less time thinking about what to cook and being too tired to cook by the time that dinner time arrives.
Thank you, Jules.
Wonderful Lauren!
You’re totally in the right place for both of those.
Look forward to hearing what you cook first
Jx
Hi Jules. Too much time spent in shut down, while we come to terms with Covid19, has left me overweight and underfit.
I have made arrangements with a friend who is a personal trainer to help me lose the extra kilos and regain the fitness lost. However, i realise that exercise alone is not the answer, and healthy eating is also required, so this has come at just the right time. Thank you. Had the Spinach and Feta Burgers last night – Delicious and a Terrific start – Thank you.
Sounds like you have a solid plan StJohn!
You know the saying you can’t out run a bad diet. It’s true.
Glad you enjoyed the burgers – I’m having them on Wed.
Remember to take it slow and the results will come.
I want to lose weight – I have high blood pressure & my middle aged knees are getting wonky so I feel being fat is starting to compromise what I can do. I plan my meals very carefully – I spend way too much times & the meals are a bit hit & miss & always too much fuss. I want to eat well but keep things simple. I don’t want to ‘diet’ I want to learn to eat healthy. Louise Parker’s recipes & method is effective & tasty but waaaaaay too much effort to sustain & while not a diet – is too strict to not be a diet. I’m trying to be realistic & just do a few good things & take it slow this time.
You’re totally in the right place Emma!
My approach is low carb which will help with both blood pressure and the weight – but it’s not a diet – if you feel like having carbs do.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/blood-pressure
But you’ll find the more you eat my way the less you’ll feel like a big bowl of pasta.
And if you’re struggling with keeping it simple and low effort – that’s what Simple Meal PLans is all about. So excited for you!
What are your thoughts on pumpkin and sweet potato? I know you go for a light touch with all this but I wondered if I should think twice (i.e. do I really fancy some pumpkin) or wade in as if were broccoli/baby spinach? Thank you, this is very valuable for me.
Great question Emma!
They’re both quite carby Emma so I personally don’t eat either of them. I’d rather a big bowl of cabbage or cauliflower any day (even if they were all equal from a carb perspective).
But if you love them go for it. Just keep your portions as small as they need to be to still leave you satisfied. And use them more as an occasional thing rather than every day.
Does that help?
Jx
Thanks, that’s good to know. I don’t mind cabbage or cauliflower – particularly if we’re allowed to use a bit of fat so it tastes nices.
Fat’s important for lots of things Emma – definitely taste but also it helps your body absorb and use some vitamins and polyphenols. Plus if you’re not eating as many carbs we need fat to supply the bulk of our energy! So fun!
I could write a loooong essay about my complicated relationship with food, but the gist of it is that eating has always been a burden for me. I don’t enjoy it, and I don’t enjoy cooking (unless it’s for someone else). I get anxious about calories, costs, nutritional balance…
Typing this I’m realizing that it’s actually harder to explain than I thought it would be. There’s just something about needing to eat that makes me feel uncomfortable, and that gets amplified by constantly being overwhelmed trying to decide WHAT I should be eating, and how much, and how often. I grew up in a household that was always trying new diets and being rather obsessed with food/weight, my parents both being unhealthily overweight because of emotional eating. I’ve tried meal planning before, but I quickly realized that when I’m left in charge of deciding what to eat, I will underfeed myself, or simply eat the same meal every single day.
I started a journal to record my venture into these meal plans with you, and on the first page I’ve written that my goal is to get as excited about food as my cat (she really, REALLY likes to eat, hahaha). Perhaps that is a bit too ambitious of a goal, but at the very least I’d like to stop dreading mealtimes.
Thanks for reading what turned out to be an essay after all!
Thanks for your honesty Noa!
It’s great that you can be so open about this. And I LOVE that you’re journalling about your venture. Self awareness is the first step to any change.
And I LOVE that you have that goal of being as excited as your cat. It’s actually a wonderful, concrete target to have.
Have you come across Darya Rose? Her story is similar to yours and she is now a huge advocate of not dieting and focusing on healthy habits instead. I think her book foodist will be really helpful for you. You can read her story over here.
You can do this Noa – as Darya proves it is possible to find peace and enjoyment with food no matter how complicated that relationship has been in the past.
Keep taking it slowly. Cooking one meal at a time. And trusting that you will get there.
What are your thoughts?
Jx
Thank you for that suggestion – I was able to find Darya’s book on my reading app, so I am currently listening to it.
I’ve read my share of food-related science/self-help online, but I tend to avoid books since weight loss is not my goal, and that is what most of the books seem aimed at. I am hopeful about the approach of this one, though, as the focus seems to be on food as a part of life, rather than weight as a part of life, if that makes sense.
I’d say my biggest concern at the moment is grocery shopping. In my head I am already scolding myself for not being able to buy all of my produce at a market, afford quality protein or even being able to tell if a tomato is good or bad. I don’t think I need to worry about those things yet. For now, I’m just going to keep cooking with the ingredients I have access to.
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement!
Glad you found the book Noa!
It’s really different from most food related books.
Darya does go on a lot about the farmers market though. And great that you’re noticing your self scolding. Just cooking for yourself using real ingredients is a massive advantage. When you can (and if you want to) look to add in market shopping and buying more expensive ingredients. But for now just starting with what’s available (and affordable) is key!
And trust your instincts when it comes to telling if produce is good or bad. Don’t over think it. If it makes you want to buy it then it’s probably good. I believe even if we haven’t been taught these things we have a natural instinct for knowing. And as you cook more, you’ll naturally learn.
You have such a fun journey ahead of you 🙂
I’m bored with my food, making same things all the time.
Let’s get on with it.
This is wonderful Geri!
Just make sure you start small.
Focus on these 3 simple steps.
Your Next Steps
1. Cook Your First Meal
See this weeks meal plan. Choose 1-2 recipes from the current plan. Buy those ingredients. Start having some fun in the kitchen!
2. Leave a comment
Anywhere here on the website and let me know what you cooked.
So fun!
My husband and I completed the Whole 30 program and want to continue with our new healthy habits and not fall back into our old bad habits. Meal planning seems to be a good way to stay focused.
Sharon
Wonderful Sharon
And you’re right – meal planning is the best way to stay focused on your new habits.
Keep up the excellent work!
Jx
Decision fatigue and simplicity. I’m a cook myself but when it comes to feeding my family and myself dinner after some very long days I just feel exhausted! I make decisions concerning food all day long so come the evening I’m at a blank! I love the simplicity of your dishes and I really appreciated the different adaptations you offer as I have a few picky eaters at home it helps a lot!
You’re totally in the right place Sarah!
Simple Meal PLans is perfect for helping overcome decision fatigue (and helping you make better decisions).
Looking forward to hearing how you get on 🙂
I have a tendency of deciding to make something that, allthough it is tasty and nurishing, it is also too complicated and too long. So we end up eating really late, I’m exhausted, the kids are fussy and my “frenchman” doesn’t understand why I made things so complicated!
Oh Sarah
I used to be exactly the same. Even though I’ve been writing simple 6-ingredient recipes for over 10 years I can still take on too much.
A few years ago I decided to only use my own simple recipes for midweek meals and save the complicated recipes for the weekends.
It’s made life so much easier. Now even though my boys are fussy and I usually cook and extra carb (rice / potatoes / pasta / tortillas) for them, I mostly get dinner ready in 30 minutes and everyone is happy!
But even with all this experience, I still find myself questioning my own recipes from time to time. And I am never disappointed when I keep it simple.
You can do it!
And love that you have a ‘frenchman’!
Have been trying hard for the past few months to adopt low-carb eating and have only partially succeded in changing. I know that meal planning will make a major difference to my attitude and motivation. Am very organised in many other aspects of my life so why can’t I get my act together over food? I live in the U.K. and am shielding at home for at least another month so cannot simply go out to get what I want – am dependant on a once a week supermarket delivery so I need to be super organised in knowing what to order, having a pantry stocked with all that I need and developing the right habits to get on top of it all. This programme offers many of the answers – all I’ve got to do is get on an do it! Looking forward to a change in direction – good luck everyone.
Yes you;re in the right place Emine!
Just follow the steps in the 7 day kickstarter and you will get there.
And when your brain tells you ‘I don’t feel like it’.. remember this is normal.
The more you tell yourself I’m just going to do it even when I don’t feel like it, the easier everything will become.
Jx
Also Emine a question for you…
Why do you think you’ve only partially succeeded in changing to low carb?
My doctor suggested that I try low-carb as a way of getting better control of my blood sugars. So far, it’s been working really well for me, but I need to be more organized in my meal planning, so that there’s always a satisfying low-carb meal available at home. I need to learn to be more flexible in my meal planning and learn how to substitute ingredients appropriately — your website, plans and recipes look ideal for this!
They totally are Jordan!
And I’m here to help you – I check the comments every day – so just ask if you need anything.
You won’t regret doing this work. Low Carb is the best and easiest way to get your blood sugar under control..
Really excited for you!
Jx
My husband and I have been making much healthier food choices for the past couple of years. It has been a challenge to come up with good recipes for healthy eating. That’s how I found your website and began receiving your newsletters, and finally decided to take the plunge and get the meal plans. We are both excited to learn and do more healthy cooking.
It’s great that you’ve already been making healthier choices Sherrill.
Excited for you to use that momentum to do even more!
So fun 🙂