The question "what are we having tonight?" comes up every day, often at five o'clock, when everyone is tired and hungry. That's when whatever is quickest wins. Planning the week's meals moves seven decisions to a single moment, when you have time to think.
A French study of more than 40,000 adults found that just over half planned their meals at least occasionally. Those who planned ate more in line with dietary guidelines and with more variety, and obesity was less common among them. The study shows an association, not a cause, but it points the same way as everyday life: what's decided ahead of time is more likely to happen.
Choose your approach based on how you eat:
- Five dinners on Sunday if every evening turns into a new question.
- Set days if you'd rather not have to think about it every week.
- Cook once, eat twice if time is what you're short on.
- A rotating menu if you want to take it further.
A first step today: write down five dinners for next week, and shop for the first two.
The question "what are we having tonight?" comes up every day, often at five o'clock, when everyone is tired and hungry. That's when whatever is quickest wins, and whatever is quickest is rarely what you had in mind. Planning the week's meals moves seven decisions to a single moment, when you have time to think. This article looks at what research says about meal planning and offers four ways to set up a weekly menu.
The five o'clock decision
The hard part of everyday meals isn't the cooking. It's the decision. At five o'clock the fridge is half empty, nobody has an idea, and everyone is hungry. That's when the fastest option wins: something ready-made, takeout, the same pasta you had two days ago.
When the meals are decided in advance, that decision disappears. The ingredients are already at home, and the question isn't what, only when you start. It also saves money, because unplanned food is the most expensive kind. That side of things is covered in save money on food.
What 40,000 French adults showed
In 2017, Ducrot and colleagues looked at meal planning in a large French study in which 40,554 adults answered whether they usually planned what they would eat over the next few days. They also submitted several detailed records of what they had eaten.
Just over half planned their meals at least occasionally. Those who planned ate more in line with the French dietary guidelines and ate a more varied diet. Among women who planned, overweight and obesity were less common, and among men, obesity was.
- Planned Ate more in line with dietary guidelines and with more variety.
- Didn't plan Ate a more monotonous diet, and obesity was more common.
An association, not proof, but it points the same way as everyday life.
The study measured at a single point in time and shows an association, not a cause. It may be that people who care about food both plan and eat better. The differences were also small. But there's a reasonable explanation you can test for yourself: what's decided ahead of time is more likely to happen, and what's planned is more often something you chose with some thought.
Four ways to a weekly menu
Five dinners on Sunday. For you if every evening brings a new question. Sit down for fifteen minutes on Sunday and write down five dinners for the week. Leave two evenings open for leftovers, something spontaneous, or a meal out. Shop for all five at once. First step: write down five dinners for next week today.
Set days. For you if you'd rather not have to think about it every week. Give each day a type: Monday soup, Tuesday fish, Wednesday something vegetarian, Friday something quick. Half the decision is already made, and you only choose within the type. First step: decide the types for each day of the week.
Cook once, eat twice. For you if you're short on time during the week. Make a double batch when you're cooking anyway, and eat the rest another day or freeze it. Two evenings a week with a ready meal makes a big difference. First step: make a double batch of your next dinner and freeze half.
A rotating menu. For you if you want to take it further, and it's the most demanding approach, since it takes a few weeks to build up. Save every weekly menu you liked. After four weeks you'll have a rotation to draw from, and the shopping lists can be reused. First step: save this week's menu somewhere you'll find it again.
If several of you plan meals in your household, the menu can become part of a short weekly check-in, as in share the housework.
When food is about more than planning
For some people, food is hard for reasons other than time and decisions. Thoughts about food and weight that take up a lot of space, eating that feels out of control, or fear of eating are something other than a planning problem. If that's you, talk to a doctor or health professional. Help is available, and it works better the earlier it comes.
A first step today: write down five dinners for next week, and shop for the first two.
This is the understanding and a first step. Atlas is where it becomes a habit. If you add Home as its own area, you'll find This week's dinners, where the week's meals are decided all at once, one decision instead of seven, and Evening reset, five minutes before bed so your morning starts in order. Try Atlas free for 7 days, and cancel whenever you like.