How to Have A Flexible Meal Plan

Having a flexible meal plan is the ONLY way that I’m able to keep a meal plan. I went years without any structure, and there’s nothing like the dread that would fall on my heart when I realized it was 4pm and I had no clue what was for dinner. It became imperative for me to have some sort of plan.

But I know myself! I’ve never been able to stick to regular meal plans. You know the ones… they come with a handy shopping list and have all these “simple” (yet adventurous!) meals. They always end up calling for something we don’t eat, and require our fridge to be stocked with foods that are not staples in our house. There is a time and a place for those recipes, for sure! But for a weekly meal plan, it needs to be far more simple than that.

It’s All in the Rhythm

The solution that has worked for us is a meal rhythm, rather than a locked in plan. A rhythm works, because if I’m inspired to be creative and go off the plan, we don’t have a fridge loaded with groceries that bank on that plan all 7 days. There will be no eggplant rotting in the drawer of our fridge if we skip a meal. But for the days when it hurts my brain to even think of a staple meal we love, this rhythm is there to guide me.

Even if you get stuck in a rut and realize you need some fresh inspiration, this plan supports that.

Yours, I’m sure, will differ from ours. However, I’m sharing what we do to give you some ideas to be able to create your own flexible meal plan!

The Solution: Assigned Cuisines for Each Day

By looking at the food that we already loved to eat regularly, we were able to come up with a rhythm.

Monday

Monday used to be our busiest day, so we made Monday our “curry” night. We could either start it in the crockpot earlier in the day, or I could use red lentils and make a super fast curry.

This is our all time favorite Thai dish— it’s my go-to for meal train meals and potlucks!

This is my very favorite Indian recipe. I think it’s the dried fenugreek that gets me! This is vegan, but I don’t follow it exactly, using whatever ingredients I have. I typically used chicken or garbanzo beans in place of the tofu, eliminating that baking step all together.

Here’s another quick Indian go-to staple in our home.

Tuesday and Thursday

Mexican is our favorite cuisine, and is so versatile, that we schedule it in twice a week! We can never get enough cilantro and lime. Beans are so easy to prepare in the instant pot, ground beef cooks fast, and homemade tortillas are a great way to get all the kids involved in dinner!

I love this beef barbacoa if I have a little more time, but if I’m in a hurry, ground beef, or even canned refried beans are still so satisfying! In Okinawa, tacos never really took off, but “taco rice” did! It’s basically what we call burrito bowls here. My kids request taco rice all the time, and I oblige them because it’s so simple. Chili flavored ground beef over rice with cilantro, lime, fresh tomatoes and a little sour cream. So delicious!

This picture is of enchiladas with our authentic enchilada sauce (you’ve got to give it a try!). I rarely make the time to make them, but Charlie has started making them like lasagna. That cuts down on so much time and effort!

Wednesday

Wednesday is Italian night. Charlie built a fun pizza oven using random scraps, (seriously: under $30 to make!) so we love getting to use that as much as possible.

The kids love spaghetti and lasagna for nights when Charlie isn’t home early enough to get the pizza oven fired up. We have this attachment to our mixer that makes making homemade sourdough noodles a breeze, and again, is a great way to get the kids involved.

Here is my go-to marinara sauce. It’s great with sausage, or even omitting the meat and keeping it vegetarian!

Friday

Friday is our big Sabbath dinner. Even if every other meal of the week was a bare-boned effort, we try to have a nice, full-course meal on Friday. When we lived in Okinawa and didn’t have access to quality meat, we would still have some kind of meat on Fridays. We’ll usually have a roast or whole chicken with roasted vegetables, a salad and potatoes and/or bread. It’s fun to have a special dinner that everyone looks forward to once a week! Knowing that it’s a special day for the family makes it fun to branch out and be creative!

The one meal that I came into my marriage with is a German staple we called Cabbage Bread (Kraut Bierocks). It was always a special meal when my grandma made it, and it’s a favorite Sabbath meal for my family!

Saturday

On Saturday, it’s either a clean-up of random leftovers, a one-pot-wonder kind of meal, or a snack meal! I usually have some sort of bread on hand, and we’ll eat it with cheese, olives, marinated artichokes, apple slices… like a charcuterie board!

Sunday

Nachos! Charlie and I serve at church, and after all the hullabaloo of the week before, we chill on Sundays. Nothing is easier than nachos!

Check Out These Other Posts with Tried and True Meals!

Quick and Simple Whole-Food Dinners
Tips To Elevate Your Home Cooking
Potluck Guide

Comment below and let me know if you prefer a rhythm like this, or do you follow a strict meal plan? Don’t forget to pin this post for easy inspiration!

Thank you for taking the time to read this today. I pray it brings some sort of peace to your week, if dinners have been a pain-point in your life!