Ever feel like meal planning is a never-ending chore?
I used to struggle with deciding what to make for dinner every single night—until I created my 30-Day Meal Plan Rotation.
It’s a total game-changer! While it takes a little effort upfront, once it’s done, you’ll never have to stress about meal planning again.
Now, before you think this sounds complicated, I promise it’s not.
It does take a little effort to set up, but once it’s done, you won’t have to stress about meal planning ever again.
No more staring at the fridge wondering what to make.
No more last-minute grocery store runs. No more cooking meals only to hear, “Ugh, this again?”
If you want to save time, cut down on food waste, and actually enjoy dinnertime again, keep reading.
What Is a 30-Day Meal Plan Rotation?
It’s exactly what it sounds like.
Basically you are going to come up with 30 meals that you know know your family loves and then you’ll follow that plan every month through the entire year.
That’s it.
Instead of making a new meal plan every single week, you create one solid plan that you can use over and over again.
By the time you reach the end of the month, everyone is excited to see those favorite meals return.
And the best part? Since you already know what’s coming, grocery shopping is faster, meal prep is easier, and dinner stress is a thing of the past.
I’ll walk you through the process so that it really isn’t nearly as daunting a task as it may sound.
How to Create Your Own 30-Day Meal Plan
- Print a blank meal planning calendar. You can use this printable template or a simple notebook.
- Fill in your family’s favorite meals first. Start with meals you already know and love.
- Find recipes for the empty spots. Browse Pinterest, cookbooks, or your favorite food blogs.
- Test new recipes & get feedback. If your family loves it, add it to the plan! If not, swap it out.
- Repeat the plan each month. By the time you finish one cycle, your family will be excited to eat those meals again!
When I first told my family we were doing this, they panicked. ‘What if we don’t like the meals?’
But once they realized they got to help pick and veto recipes, they were on board!
As you try out new recipes, ask your family if it should be added to your regular meals or if it should be tossed out completely.
I found that this makes it less of a punishment to try new things if my family knows it will never be made again unless the majority of us love it.
NOTE: It’s a good idea to add in new recipes throughout the month. I like to try 1-2 new recipes per week so as not to send my family into shock. If it’s something we love, I add it to my 30 day plan and take out one of the meals that maybe only the majority loved.
Once you have 30 recipes you will have 4 weeks worth of menu plans that can be reused over and over and over again!
Tips to Keep Things Fresh
Even with a 30-day rotation, I like to mix things up so we’re not eating the same exact meals forever.
Here’s what works for me:
- Try one or two new recipes a week to keep things interesting
- Swap out meals that aren’t as popular anymore
- Have theme nights like Taco Tuesday or Slow Cooker Sunday
- Plan for busy nights by including easy meals like sandwiches or freezer-friendly options
This simple system has saved me so much time and money.
Grocery shopping is easier because I know exactly what we need.
Meal prep is faster because I don’t have to think about what to cook.
And my family actually looks forward to dinner because they know they’ll be eating meals they love.
If you’re tired of the dinner struggle, give this a try. Start by writing down ten meals today.
Before you know it, you’ll have a stress-free meal plan that makes life so much easier.
This works great because once you get to the last week everyone will be happy to see the first weeks meals return!
No more same old dinners week after week with this plan.
Plus these are meals that you already know your family will love.
You might also like to read this post on how Menu Planning helps you save on your grocery budget.
Give it a try! Start by writing down 10 meals today.
Before you know it, you’ll have a stress-free meal plan that makes dinner a breeze.
Let me know in the comments—what are your go-to family meals?
