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Do you want to know how to make a meal planning binder so you can organize your recipes, and make an easy meal plan each week? In this post, I’m sharing how to make a simple DIY meal planning notebook.
Making a meal plan each week, or month, can help save you so much time and money. And having all of your meal planning papers organized can cut down on the time spent making a meal plan each week.
You can quickly and easily set up a DIY meal planning notebook to organize your recipes, favorite meal ideas, recipes you want to try, and your meal plan. Having everything you need to meal plan in one organized folder, notebook, or binder will save you so much time!
DIY Meal Planning Notebook: How to Make a Meal Planning Binder
You can put together your own DIY meal planning notebook in just a few minutes, and be set for years to come.
To make your own meal planning binder, you just need a few things.
Materials:
Binder or folder with pockets
Dividers with labels
Paper
3 hole punch
Optional: Page protectors
If you choose to use a binder, pick one with a clear front pocket so you can keep your current week’s meal plan there for easy viewing.
How to set up a DIY meal planning notebook:
Once you have collected your supplies, it’s time to put together your meal planning binder!
You will want to label your dividers so you can easily find what you are looking for.
Related Post: How to Start Meal Planning for Beginners
Things to include in your meal planning binder:
- Current week’s meal plan
- Blank meal planner pages (or blank pages) to write future meal plans
- List of your family’s favorite meals
- Recipes that you make often
- Recipes you want to try soon
You don’t want to fill up your meal planning binder with tons of recipes you aren’t ever going to make. Stick to the printed recipes and hand written recipes of meals you make often and need to refer back to, as well as a few recipes you want to try soon. Everything else can stay in the cookbooks.
How to set up your DIY meal planning notebook:
1. Add your current week’s meal plan to the front cover.
If you are using a binder, place your current’s week meal plan in the outer front pocket so you easily see your week’s menu. If you are using a folder, place the current meal plan in the front pocket.
Related Post: Easy Two Week Rotating Meal Plan
2. Place blank meal planner pages or blank paper in the front.
You will want to have plenty of paper to make the next meal plan in the front of your binder. You can use this weekly meal planner printable, or just blank pieces of paper.
3. Make a list of your family’s favorite meals.
Use a divider with a label to indicate your favorite meals section. Write down all of your family’s favorite meals categorized by meat or meal type.
When you make your meal plan for the week, you can easily check this list and add meals based on what meat you have already.
4. Add favorite recipes.
Use a divider to create a section of your favorite recipes. You can use just one divider if you don’t have many recipes, or use a divider for different types of recipes (breakfast, soups, dinner, desserts).
Only add recipes that you refer to often, so you binder does not get overwhelmingly full.
5. Add recipes you want to try soon.
Create a section for recipes you plan to try soon. Again, don’t add too many so that it gets packed full. Just add a few recipes that you want to try in the next month or two.
If your family enjoys the new recipe, you can move it to the favorite recipes section. If not, take it out of the binder.
Related Post: How to Get Organized for Dinner and Eat at Home More
How to use your meal planning binder:
Once you have your meal planning binder all set up, it is going to make meal planning so quick and easy!
Look in your fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what food you have on hand to make meals with, then add meals from your family’s favorite meals list. You may want to add one new recipe from your “New Recipes to Try” section, as well. Then, make your grocery list based on that meal plan.
Now, you know how to make your own DIY meal planning notebook to make meal planning quick, easy, and stress free!
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