The skeleton meal planning method is a simplified approach to meal planning that focuses on creating a basic structure for your meals without going into too much detail. Here’s how it typically works!
What is Skeleton Meal Planning?
Skeleton meal planning is a simplified method of meal planning that focuses on creating a framework for your meals rather than planning every single detail. Instead of specifying each recipe and ingredient, you outline the basic structure of your meals for the week, leaving room for flexibility and creativity. The idea is to have a basic plan in place that can be easily adapted depending on your schedule, preferences, and the ingredients you have on hand.
For each day of the week, you basically have this skeleton or format for meals:
Breakfast Skeleton: Protein + Fiber*
Lunch Skeleton: Protein + Fiber* + Healthy Fats
Dinner Skeleton: Protein + Fiber* + Healthy Fats
*Remember, fiber-rich foods are not just whole grains. Fiber is found in many fruits and veggies too.
Why do I like skeleton meal planning?
I need these prompts [even though I live and breathe this stuff]. I also find that writing down the basic structure of each meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) with key components (protein, vegetable, carbohydrate/fiber) actually helps me do just that: plate it all!
What are some of my favorite “healthy fat” options?
Avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish like salmon, nut butters, DARK CHOCOLATE, and full-fat dairy products like cottage cheese and milk.
What are some of my favorite carbs [fiber] choices?
Carbs provide our bodies with energy. REPEAT AFTER ME. Carbs provide our bodies with energy. I tend to choose whole grains like brown rice, oats, whole grain pasta. Legumes like black beans and kidney beans. And then fruit and veggies like apples, berries, bananas, pears, corn, potatoes, squash, and peas.
As for protein? You know I’m all for the meat, cheese, and eggs here! You can also choose vegetarian sources of protein like Legumes, including beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas, tofu, quinoa, nuts and seeds.
What does a day or two of skeleton meal planning look like? Here’s how I make it work for myself- note that for the kids with the ages and stages they are at [10, 9, 7, 5], I pretty much always make sure there’s protein, fiber, and a fruit OR vegetable at each meal. I’m honestly more worried about my own nutrition at this point, because I often forget to eat or end up eating a box of Chocolate Chex at 10pm.
In an ideal world… here’s how I would make a skeleton meal plan work for me!
Breakfast: Oatmeal + Peanut Butter + Chia Seeds + Hemp Seeds + Fruit [all mixed]
Lunch: Cottage Cheese + Crackers + Cucumbers and Peppers + Deli Meat [I like a good snack plate vs. a sandwich]
Dinner: Sirloin Steak + Greens + Brown Rice
Yep, really basic. But this “skeleton” also gets “jazzed” up or “doctored” up depending on what other spices or sauces I have on hand. So, dinner could turn into a stir-fry, a steak Caesar salad with quinoa or brown rice mixed in. Etc. etc. I think you get it!
Remember, the goal of skeleton meal planning is to simplify the meal planning process while still providing guidance and structure. It’s all about finding a balance between organization and flexibility to make your weeknight cooking more enjoyable and stress-free.
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