Between work, your kids’ sports practice, parent-teacher conferences (not that you’ve ever had to go to those), and so much more—it can feel like there’s just never enough TIME to cook on a weeknight, let alone gather meal planning recipes for a whole week. We get it, and we’re here with easy meal planning ideas to help. Check out our simple, step-by-step guide on how to meal plan like a pro using Google Calendar.
Step 1: Go to Google Calendar
Open your main Google Calendar and review your schedule for the week or month. Check how much time you’ll have available to cook each night.
Pro Tip:
Don’t have a Google Calendar yet? No problem. All you need to do is create a Gmail account.
Step 2: Create a New Calendar
This is where you’ll do your easy meal planning.
- Go to Other Calendars
- Select the plus icon
- Then, create a new calendar. We recommend naming it something like “Dinner Planning”
- Toggle “Dinner Planning” ON so it displays on your main Google Calendar
Step 3: Map out Your Meal Plan
Try to get a flavor for what meal planning recipes might work with your schedule—nothing too specific at this point. Think in broad categories like, “<30-Minute Dinner,” “Slow Cooker Meal,” or even “Dinner Out.” Add these categories to your new “Dinner Planning” calendar by creating events:
- Select the Create button
- Choose Event
For example, on Wednesdays, we’ve created an event called “<30-Minute Dinner.” On most Fridays, we’ve created one named “Dinner Out”—and so on and so forth. Color code everything if you’re feeling really organized.
Step 4: Add Delicious Recipes
Go to our website (ReadySetEat.com) and search for meal planning recipes that fit your daily categories. Then, plug in your favorites!
For instance, if you’re thinking of doing a “Slow Cooker Meal” on most Tuesdays, you might want to try something like our Slow Cooker Pork Burrito Bowls. In that case, simply copy the recipe link and paste it to the notes section for Tuesday’s event on your “Dinner Planning” calendar. Then, update the name of your event to the name of your selected recipe.
Pro Tip:
Take our quick and easy meal planning quiz! Answer four basic questions and we’ll serve up a tasty weekly meal plan based on who you’re cooking for and what you’re craving. Simply adjust your answers for different meal planning recipes each week.
Step 5: Share Your New Calendar
Is your partner your sous chef? Show them how to meal plan too! Simply share your calendar with friends and family to give a heads-up and get those collaborative and creative juices flowing.
Step 6: Make Edits on the Fly
Let’s be honest. Life happens and sometimes you don’t stick to the plan. That’s OK! The great part about using Google Calendar is that you can quickly and easily drag and drop meal planning recipes wherever you like and switch up your meal plan whenever and however you want.
Pro Tip:
Find a new fave recipe? Duplicate the event on your “Dinner Planning” calendar and move it to next month so you can enjoy it again. No more losing or forgetting recipes!
Step 7: Keep Track of Your Meal Plan
Lastly, decide how you’d like to keep track of your calendar throughout the week. Print it out, or pull it up on your smartphone. Your meal plan, your way—made easy.
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