Why Meal Planning Feels Hard (And What Actually Works)

Meal planning is hard because even with the best intentions, 6pm arrives and so does everyone else — hungry, tired, and needing something from you. The plan you made on Sunday meets the reality of Tuesday, and it falls apart.

The fix isn’t a better spreadsheet. It’s reducing the number of decisions you have to make in the first place.

A few things that actually work:

• Shrink your rotation. Most families eat the same 8-10 meals on repeat. Write yours down, keep that list somewhere visible, and stop starting from scratch.

• Put some nights on autopilot. Taco Tuesday isn’t a cliché – it’s a decision you never have to make again. Assign a theme to a few nights of the week, and the menu plans itself.

• Batch cook when you can. Soups, stews, sauces and casseroles all freeze beautifully. Cook once, eat twice – or three times. Here’s our guide to what freezes well and how to reheat safely.

And if you want to take the whole thing off your plate entirely — that's what Easyfeast is for. A personal chef comes to your home weekly and fills your fridge with fresh, homemade, family-friendly meals. No planning, no scrambling, no 6pm panic. Just open the fridge and dinner is done.

Because the goal was never impressive meal planning. It was dinner, without the stress.