Meal planning can help ensure that your family is eating healthy meals and makes the evenings way less stressful. Rather than worrying about what to cook, you are able to enjoy the process of cooking and eating with your family. Let this easy 5 day meal plan be your guide for what to eat this week.
Planning to eat has been one of the biggest challenges along my mama journey. I started focusing on eating healthier when I got pregnant with my first child 9 years ago. Since then I have learned so much about how to eat healthy when you have no time that I’ve created another clean eating meal plan just for busy Moms.
Check out all of our healthy recipes for moms while you are here!
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Why Busy Moms need Meal Planning?
Life is hectic whether you are busy chasing your dream, caring for kids all day or growing a precious little human inside you. At the end of the day, we all need a meal that nourishes our bodies and souls – something that tastes good, warms the spirit and unites loved ones around the table.
So often we feel like there is no time, or it’s just too hard, or too complicated. If you are like me, even though you know what to eat, it can still be a struggle to get dinner on the table, to eat balanced meals, and to truly enjoy the time we are granted with ourselves and our loved ones.
But what if it could be easier?
What if you didn’t have to stress thinking about what to eat for dinner?
How would your life be different?
Following a meal plan can help to reduce stress, feel more organized and ensure that your family is eating healthy meals. It is amazing how much calmer you feel throughout the day when you have a predetermined plan for your family’s meals.
At first meal planning can be so awkward and even rigid. What if you “feel” like eating something that not in the plan?
How can you plan to eat fish on Thursday if you don’t know if you will be in the mood for fish on Thursday?
The beauty of meal planning is that it’s your plan to get dinner on the table and simplify your life.
You can meal plan however you’d like – batch cook, freezer cook, plan for a month… it’s up to you! There are so many good meal planning ideas for families.
Give yourself flexibility to experiment and see if meal planning can help simplify your life. The meal plan in this post is meant to be an easy tool so that you don’t have to do anything but shop and cook.
I usually only plan 3 days of meals and sometimes up to 5, rather than the 7 or 14 suggested on some meal planning sites. But that’s what works for me.
In the past few weeks with all the excitement of having a new baby in the house, I have gotten away from meal planning. The first few weeks were fine because I had stocked my freezer with freezer meals. It was really a blessing. Once those ran out, now I can truly see the value of meal planning. I have had more frantic nights, nights where we eat late and nights where we eat less healthy options all because we lacked a plan.
Easy 5 Day Meal Plan and Grocery Shopping List
This easy meal plan will help make your week a little simpler and smoother. No more wasting time and energy worrying about what to eat. No more ordering take out and stressing about getting dinner on the table.
These are all recipes that come together quickly, yet are hearty and flavorful.
This meal plan includes dinner ideas for 5 days. You can start the plan on any day you choose. I use the slower cooker on 3 days to help make your evenings a little less hectic. This plan is also gluten free as long as you use hard shells for your tacos.
Steps to using this Easy Meal Plan:
- Read over the plan below.
- Click through to get each recipe.
- Print out the grocery list.
- Shop + gather ingredients
- Pre-chop veggies + season meats (optional)
- Cook from the plan throughout the week.
Day 1 – Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken with Salad –
I love a good rotisserie chicken, so much that I actually have a toaster oven like this one that cooks them! Its such an easy meal that can provide leftovers for lunch the next day. Many store bought rotisserie chickens contain undesirable additives that’s why I started making my own.
On days when I don’t have time to prep the rotisserie machine this recipe in the slow cooker is my favorite alternative. Plus it makes a great “gravy” starter for bone broth. This goes really nicely with a large green salad loaded with veggies.
Day 2 – Beef Tacos with Fixings and Marinated Cucumbers –
This is another of my go-to weekday meals. It comes together quickly and my kids really enjoy making their own tacos. Use either ground beef or turkey for the filing. Top with cheese, tomato, avocado, sour cream and mixed baby greens.
Prefer chicken? Check out this recipe for authentic taco chicken.
For the cucumbers, slice and layer in a bowl. Generously salt and squeeze lemon on each layer then mix and chill before serving.
Day 3- Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken with Rice and Steamed Broccoli –
This is actually one of my favorite meals, but not necessarily the healthiest dish. So, to make this recipe a little healthier avoid dressings with additives and high fructose corn syrup in the jelly.
Make your own french dressing with 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup split balsamic and white vinegar mixed with 1 jar of Polaner All Fruit apricot jelly.
I used boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts and 1 whole chopped onion.
Day 4- Ginger Lime Super Salmon with Coconut Rice and Asparagus-
The flavor combinations are fantastic in this quick and easy, healthy meal.
To make coconut rice simply use 1 can of full-fat coconut milk in place of water when preparing the rice. Add additional water as needed depending on how much rice you are preparing.
Day 5 – Super Simple Slow Cooker Fall Apart Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes and Peas –
I love coming home to this easy meal in the slow cooker. Get a big roast and you will have some delicious leftovers for sandwiches, tacos, soups, baked potatoes, pastas…
One of our goals here at Birth Eat Love is to make it as easy as possible for for you to get dinner on the table. Having a meal plan takes the worry and thinking out of eating.
Make sure to get you meal plan by clicking the link below. NO email required! Just a thank you for stopping by!
Download Your Free 5 Day Meal Plan and Grocery List Here!
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More Meal Planning Recipes
Chicken Tamale Casserole Recipe (with masa)
Sweet and Spicy Meatloaf (Gluten Free)
More Meal Planning Resources from Birth Eat Love
- 7 Steps to Planning Healthy Pregnancy Meals Using Pinterest
- The REAL reason Moms need meal planning
- 21 Time Saving Kitchen Tips for Pregnant and Busy Moms
- Breastfeeding Meal Plan for Increasing Milk Supply
Do you meal plan? What’s on your plan for this week? I’d love to hear what your think of this menu plan in the comments!
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