Meal Planning and Recipe Notes: Eat Better With Less Daily Stress

How to plan weekly meals, store recipes as searchable notes and generate shopping lists in minutes, saving money and the daily 'what's for dinner?' debate.

The question "what's for dinner?" wears people down. A little planning removes it, and a notes app can hold your meal plan, your recipes and your shopping list in one place.

Benefits of planning

Less daily stress. The decision is already made.
Less waste. You buy what you'll use.
Savings. Fewer takeaways and impulse purchases.
Better variety, since you can see what you've been eating.
Easier shopping, because the list comes from the plan.

Step one: a weekly meal note

Create a note each week, titled "Meals: week of 12 Oct":

Mon: Lentil soup and bread
Tue: Chicken stir-fry with rice
Wed: Leftovers
Thu: Pasta with roasted vegetables
Fri: Homemade pizza
Sat: Eating out or something easy
Sun: Roast or slow-cooked dish

Include breakfasts and lunches if you like.

Step two: plan with your life

Note evenings when you're busy, and plan quick meals.
Plan a "cook once, eat twice" dish for leftovers.
Include a flexible slot for spontaneity.
Consider what needs using up in the fridge.

Step three: check your stock

Before writing a shopping list, look in your fridge, freezer and cupboards. Note what you already have and what you need.

Step four: build the shopping list

Turn the ingredients into a checklist, grouped by section of the shop. Add only what you don't already have. See our note on shopping list habits for organising.

Store recipes as notes

Create a note for each recipe you like, and use rich text to make it easy to read:

Title: Lentil soup (family favourite) Tags: recipes, soup, vegetarian, quick

Ingredients (bullet list) Method (numbered steps) Notes: tweaks, serving suggestions, how long it keeps

Tags let you search: "vegetarian", "under 30 minutes", "for guests".

Collect recipes as you go

When you try a new recipe from a website, book or friend, write the essentials in a note straight away, including where it came from. Add a line about whether you'd make it again.

Build a "rotation" list

Keep a note of 10 to 15 dependable dinners that your household likes. When you're stuck, pick from the list.

Dietary needs and preferences

Note allergies, intolerances and preferences at the top of your meal-planning note, so everyone's needs are remembered. If someone has a medical dietary requirement, follow professional guidance.

Batch cooking and freezing

Add notes on what freezes well, and how long. Label containers with the date.

Involve the family

Ask each person for one request per week. It builds buy-in, and reduces complaints.

Use reminders

Set a weekly reminder to plan meals, and a daily one for anything that needs advance preparation, such as defrosting or soaking beans.

Common mistakes

Planning too ambitiously.
Not checking what you already have.
Never recording recipes that worked.
Ignoring leftovers.

Store recipes and plan meals with EasyNotes →