Sustainable patterns of eating do require some planning and preparation but typical approaches can be time consuming. How many times have you spent hours scrolling on Pintrest or Tik Tok only to feel more lost and overwhelmed than when you started? Most people don’t have the time or energy to spend precious days off planning, shopping and cooking. The key is to work smarter, not harder. This can be achieved with component cooking.

This method focuses on the components of a balanced meals; starches, protein, fruit or vegetable and fat. Prioritize having a few options from each of these categories available so you can pull together a quick meal when needed. Meals can look like a creative hodgepodge on the fly or a quick planned recipe that can be put together in 20 minutes. Your prep day is reserved for the items that take longer to prepare such as meats, whole grains, roasted items or a more elaborate recipe, but should not require hours cooking and cleaning.

Here is an example of a component cooking approach:

Friday: make your grocery list for the week

• Proteins: chicken breast, ground beef, canned black beans, eggs, frozen turkey breakfast sausage.

• Starches: rice, whole wheat bread, pasta, tortilla, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, frozen waffle

• Veggies: frozen spinach, cauliflower , lettuce, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrot

• Fruit: raisins, banana, pre-cut pineapple, blueberry lemon

• Fats: oil, peanut butter, almond butter, nuts/seeds, avocado, salad dressing, mayo

• Calcium rich foods: milk, yogurt, cheese

• Pantry items: salt, pepper, herbs/spices, honey, salsa, maple syrup, canned tomato paste

• Fun food: cookies

Saturday: Grocery shopping

Sunday: Cook for the week ahead

Seasoning Tip: keep it simple and versatile. This will allow you to add additional spices, herbs or condiments later when you are using these ingredients in your meals or snacks.

• Grill or roast chicken breast (season with salt, pepper, onion, and/or garlic)

• Roast cauliflower and sweet potato (season with salt and pepper)

• Prepare a baked oatmeal recipe for breakfast

Weekday meals:

• Breakfast:

  • Baked oatmeal with a dollop of vanilla yogurt

  • Scrambled egg on a tortilla topped with black beans and salsa

  • Frozen waffle with almond butter, blueberries, and maple syrup + 1 turkey sausage patty

• Lunch:

  • Leftovers

  • Sandwich with sliced chicken breast, cheese, lettuce, cucumber, mayo + cookie

  • Salad, roasted cauliflower, sweet potato, nuts, and, hard boiled egg

• Dinner:

  • Tacos with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomato, cheese and avocado

  • Shakshuka: tomato sauce made with peppers, onions, tomato, oil and spices. Top with egg and let simmer until fully cooked. Serve with pita bread or rice and optional sprinkle of feta.

  • Pasta with chicken, frozen spinach, lemon zest, olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

• Snacks:

  • Yogurt with pineapple

  • Whole grain toast with peanut butter and honey

  • Trail mix made with raisins, nuts, seeds and a sprinkle of chocolate chips

This approach allows for flexibility and a bit of creativity without the pressure of perfection. Moving forward I will use this framework when discussing meal planning and recipes. I will flag recipes as “Quick and Easy,” “Prep day,” or “Special Occasion” to indicate degree of time spent preparing. And, because budget is also a concern for most, I will include price per recipe and serving.

I hope this gives you a bit of hope when it comes to the task of meal planning. Together, we can give you back your weekends and a bit satisfaction with your meals.