Because many of my clients have a negative perception of meal planning, I love redefining meal prep. To me, meal prep conveys the feeling that you’re ready to feed yourself despite rigid control. There are a few tools I like to teach clients to support meal prep, but one of my favorites is a master menu.
What is the main menu?
The main menu is a list of all the different meals you know with confidence how to make, organized into categories that make sense to you and (if applicable) your family. Essentially, it’s a way to remember all the meals you find delicious and satisfying enough that you can put together without a serious headache.
Having a master menu can save a lot of time in meal planning. Instead of spending ages scrolling through pinterest or a cookbook for inspiration, or vice versa, doing the same thing over and over again because you can’t think of anything else, a master menu helps you more easily create a delicious plan to feed yourself. . For those who struggle with decision making (hello fellow ADHDers!), having a list of options is much easier than coming up with an idea on your own – think of the difference between taking a multiple choice test versus the short answer!
A master menu can be helpful in determining what foods you’re in the mood for. Sometimes it’s hard to know what sounds good, especially if you’re new to intuitive eating. When you’re looking at a list of foods (literally a menu!), you may find it easier to tap into what sounds delicious and filling.
Another thing I like about having a master menu is that it makes it easier to work around any obstacles to feeding yourself ahead of time. I’ll get more into that in a second, but because you can organize your main menu into different categories so you can pick and choose meals that meet any needs that come up.
How to create a main menu
First, consider where it makes sense to keep your main menu. You might want to go old school and write your list down, but personally, I’d suggest keeping it either in your phone’s notes app or somewhere on your computer that’s easily accessible and has the ability to add links if needed (perfect for people like me who still have to google “how to boil rice” every time!). If you want others in the household to have access, consider something like a shared Google Doc.
Then think about common obstacles that arise when it comes to feeding yourself, and then think about what type/category of meals might be helpful for you in those situations. Here are some examples:
For busy weeks, you may want to have a list of meals you can whip up in less than 15 minutes of prep, or meals you can put together using convenience or snack foods—think things like a frozen pizza and salad set or a grilled cheese sandwich with soup from a can (here’s a blog post with quick and easy meal inspiration). Another idea for busy weeks might be recipes that make a lot of leftovers, leftovers that you can reuse, or meal prep dishes.
If the number of people in the household changes from week to week (think kids spending time with separated parents, a partner traveling for work, etc.), you can create separate lists of meal ideas to accommodate different groups . For example, there might be a hearty casserole that you and your kids love, but when your ex has it for the week, you might not want to live off his leftovers for a week straight!
If you are in eating disorder recovery, your ability to eat fear foods may change from week to week. You could create a list of meals that feel “safer” (that still meet your needs!) for weeks that are emotionally difficult, and another list of meals that incorporate fear foods you work with for weeks that you feel more able to stretch.
If finances are a challenge, consider a list of budget-friendly meals for times when money is tight.
If you have a chronic condition where your ability to tolerate or your ability to prepare food varies, create a list for it. For example, I have a client with fibromyalgia who feels quite severe stiffness and pain in her arms when she flares up, so we have a list of meals that are easy to open and plate. Another client has IBS and we have a list of softer, more digestible foods for when his gut is especially tired.
One category I tell everyone to keep on the list is takeaways – meals that you can throw together with ingredients or staples that stay on the shelf/freezer/fridge (or at least have a long shelf life!). This allows flexibility, the space to be more intuitive with food, but be prepared with ingredients you need to feed yourself. I encourage clients to always have the ingredients for 3 meals on hand in the cupboards on hand so they can easily throw something together when they run out of fresh ingredients. I have some pantry meal ideas in this blog post about stocking a pantry for intuitive eating.
Finally, to create the master menu, list all your meal ideas, categorizing them as you go. You might feel a little paralyzed at first – I find people often freeze and can only think of one or two things. But when I start asking questions all kinds of ideas pop up. Here are some questions to get your brain flowing…
What meals have you prepared in the last month?
Take a mental walk through the grocery store – does it bring you any ideas?
Think about the meals you order when you eat out – are there dishes you can easily make at home?
What foods are in your fridge, freezer and pantry right now – does it remind you of meals you often make?
What are the meals you used to eat that you haven’t made in a long time?
It’s okay if it’s hard to come up with ideas. You regularly return to your main menu and add to it. That’s one reason why it’s useful to have the main menu on your phone, because you might think of an idea when you’re out and about.
