Meal Planning: a lost art, one of the most badass things you can do for your health and your wallet

Somewhere between the industrial revolution and the surge of the feminist movement, we forgot how to cook in this country.  in 2015 I spent a year teaching English in a public school in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.  If you google that city, you will find gorgeous photos of Spanish Colonial architecture and vistas that look like a tropical oasis, but outside of that touristy city-center thousands of Colombians live near or below the poverty line.  I walked dirt roads to my school every morning outside the tourist area.  I watched my students roll up 3 kids deep, school uniforms, no helmets, on a motorcycle to get to school on time.  And every morning I watched the ladies in the school kitchen peeling carrots and plantains, chopping onions, preparing rice and meat.  All from scratch.  

It amazed me that, culturally, this had not been lost despite the economic challenges of the school.  Something that felt elite from my United states perspective - fresh homecooked meals for school lunch - was commonplace in the poorest of public schools in South America.  It was a sobering observation of how far our (United States) culture has gotten from this practice.  The practice of preparing our food from single ingredients.  The practice of cooking real food for ourselves and for our families.  I would like to rally us to return to it.  For the sake of our health.  For our families.  For our financial peace.

What if you are working multiple jobs?  What if you don't like to cook?   What if your family doesn't like what you make?  

There will always be obstacles to doing the healthier, often harder, thing.  I hope to provide some perspective, encouragement, and arguments in favor of meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking from home, because I do believe it has the power to usher in many positive things into your life.

1.  It will save you money.  A lot of money.

I am writing this in May of 2026.  Inflation is through the roof, and grocery prices have tripled over the last 5 years for various reasons.  Everything is more expensive, but if you think groceries are the worst of it, try eating out.  Just because groceries are more than they have been in years does not mean that cooking at home is the more expensive choice.  It has always been and will always be the cheaper option, especially if you have a plan.  My family and I recently tracked our spending on a budgeting app where we had to account for every single transaction.  We did this religiously for 3 months straight and it was eye opening.  We wound up budgeting more or less $600 for groceries and $250 for eating out.  For that $600 we were able to provide 86 of our meals along with treats and snacks for the month.  The $250 budgeted for eating out provided 4 meals on average. Don't fool yourself by telling yourself groceries are too expensive or eating healthy is too expensive.  Track your own spending, it will tell you the truth about what you spend on food.  

2.  It will improve your health

We are in a crisis of metabolic disease in the USA.  Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc. are suffocating our people and our healthcare system.  All these diseases are preventable and can be managed tremendously well with...diet and lifestyle.  Not pills.  Diet.  Nutrition is a complicated topic, so I'm not going to get into specifics here, but I will argue that if you are chopping vegetables, taking meat out of the freezer, using single ingredient foods to make meals at home, then you are on the RIGHT path.  Long-term, this will be tremendously impactful for your health:  energy levels, gut health, heart health, weight management. etc.  Of course, I am referring to the kind of grocery shopping that prioritizes single ingredients:  meat, fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, oats, dairy, quality breads and pastas, etc. And when I advocate for meal prepping, I advocate for using these single ingredient foods to create meals. Look out for a future blog where I give more suggestions for healthy meal prepping vs. unhealthy meal prepping.  

3. It will improve your mind

As technology has grown and consumed our lives over the last decade, our creativity and critical thinking have plummeted.  From teenagers all the way to grown adults in our 30's, 40's, and 50's, our brains are declining in their health and capacity because we are using them less.  The more we consume, the less we DO and CREATE.   Preparing meals requires tremendous creativity, patience, and presence.  It is mental, physical, and emotional.  It requires us to touch the food, wash it, cut it, think about the flavors, trial and error, taste.  It involves our senses.  It is an act of love for our bodies and our families.  It is a soul-enriching practice.  I am a mom, I work, I have side passions, I work out, I am the primary homemaker. I know that not every meal feels like a wonderful moment of sensory enlightenment and creativity.  I understand that sometimes the days are long and the last thing you want to deal with is a dirty kitchen.  But the pros far outweigh the cons with this particular topic and the more you cook, the easier it will be.  Grow up, get acquainted with your knife and cutting board, learn to make a few meals, and clean as you go so you're not left with a disaster.

4.  It will improve your self-esteem and decrease stress

Learning to cook is essentially developing a skill.  Developing skills builds self-confidence.  This is an adjacent point to point #3:  creativity, presence, using your mind and your senses, etc.  All of that contributes to positive mental health.  Additionally, if you are making healthier meals at home, using whole foods and not processed ingredients then you will build self-esteem by the fact that you are being disciplined and taking care of yourself.  And finally, if you are saving money by planning and cooking at home, the stress that comes from financial hardship will be lessened.  You may be able to save money, pay off debt, go on a vacation, the possibilities are endless. 

5.  For the parents:  You may be preventing a future of chronic disease for your children

Habits and nostalgia around food start when you are a child.  There are many books out there that discuss child development and the relationship children have with food across cultures.  From various books/blogs/social media accounts that address these themes there seems to be an overwhelming difference between children raised in the USA and children raised in Europe, Asia, and South America when it comes to food.  This is something I have observed with my own eyes.  Children outside of the USA, generally speaking, are provided home cooked meals more often, are not catered to with specialized meals while the adults eat differently, are not offered processed snacks to soothe emotions, are not given fast food on a weekly basis.  Because of this they are - by and large - less picky eaters, there are less tantrums around food, they are more open to try new things, and down the line there are less issues with obesity and other chronic diseases related to poor diet.  The results are in.  The example you set for your children when it comes to eating habits, and what you offer them on a consistent basis make a huge difference.  I'm not arguing that everyone needs to be a crunchy mom who boycotts Halloween, but this is a very important issue.  Let's raise a generation of mindful, healthy, curious eaters.

We all have to eat.  This isn't a hobby that only few select.  So, whether you enjoy cooking or not; whether eating is a chore or a pleasure, we all have a responsibility to nourish ourselves, and our families, well.  For the sake of our quality of life, for our loved ones, to decrease the burden on our healthcare system, and to enjoy the pleasure and ease of a balanced, healthy life. 

Your health is worth fighting for.

Never give up.

With love,

-Sarah

Here is my trusty dinner menu whiteboard.  Nothing fancy.  Just a reliable little weekly menu that serves as a board of communication and creativity for our family.  It also helps keep me organized throughout the week.  In addition to this, I have a running note on my iPhone to plan meals (including items for breakfast and lunch) and to write a grocery list so that I don't over-spend or feel overwhelmed at the grocery store.