"What's for dinner?"

It's the question that shows up every single night, usually right when everyone is already tired. And let's be real, the deciding is the tiring part, not the cooking.

I've been a personal chef since August 2020, and planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning up is exactly what I do for my weekly meal prep households. So this post is the home version. These are the few things I'd do before the week even starts, so dinner is already handled by the time Monday shows up.

Why decide ahead at all? Because it allows you to relax, enjoy and be fully present during dinner time. That's the whole point for me. 🤍

None of this needs a fancy kitchen or a whole free weekend. It's five small things, and you can start with just one of them this week.

In this post, you'll learn:

What to decide before you ever open the fridge
How to shop once instead of every other day
How a little prep on one day carries the whole week

Hosting a holiday dinner this season? My free guide, The Holiday Table That Works for Every Guest, has the four questions I ask before every dinner I cook.

Get it here ~

Step 1 ~ Pick your dinners before the week starts

Why it matters: every night you don't have a plan, you have to make the same decision all over again. Make it once, before the week starts, and it's done.

My tip: choose 3. Just 3 dinners.

Then let those 3 carry you. You get 3 days of leftovers, and 1 day of "putting whatever's left together." That last day is also when you plan the next week.

So that's a full week of dinners, and you only had to decide 3 times. When the 7th day comes around, you already know what it's for {using up what's left, and picking next week's 3}.

If 3 feels like too few at first, that's ok. Start there anyway. It's a lot easier to add a dinner once the rhythm feels good than to keep up with a plan that was too big from day one.

Step 2 ~ Build in variety, whole foods first

Why it matters: eating the same few meals over and over gets old fast. I mostly cook plant forward, where the whole foods carry so much of the flavor. And I like variety. I need it mixed up. I don't just want a salad every day.

My tip: buy one new vegetable, or protein, or grain each week. Just one.

Don't go crazy buying all new things at once, for two reasons:

Something will go bad.
When you only buy 1, that gives you more time and flexibility to experiment cooking it different ways.

One new thing a week is small enough that it never feels like starting from scratch. And week by week, it adds up to a lot more variety on your table. 🌿

I believe everyone deserves healthy, delicious food that makes them feel good from the inside out. Food is medicine, and a little variety is one of the easiest places to start. Everyone says healthy food is bland. I say you haven't had mine. :)

Step 3 ~ Write one grocery list and shop once

Why it matters: one trip, not five. Every extra run to the store is time you could've spent on literally anything else.

My tip: write {or type} everything by category. Produce first!

Once you've picked your 3 dinners and your one new thing, go through each one and put every ingredient under its category. Then you can move through the store one section at a time instead of circling back for the thing you forgot. Do it once, and you're set for the week.

Step 4 ~ Prep ahead on one day

Why it matters: the cooking goes so much faster when the hard part is already done.

For my weekly households, I cook once a week, then portion everything into glass containers and label it. At home, you don't have to go that far to feel the difference.

My tip: chop, dice, cut and portion everything you can ahead of time.

Pick one day and get it all ready. Then on a busy night, your 3 dinners are mostly just cooking, because the chopping is already behind you. And on your leftover days, there's barely anything to do at all.

Step 5 ~ Make it easy to grab

Why it matters: labeled and portioned means nobody has to think on a busy night. Anyone in the house can open the fridge and know exactly what's what.

My tip: no need to buy fancy labels. Just use masking tape and a Sharpie.

Write what it is on a piece of tape, stick it on the container, and you're done. Simple, cheap, and it does the job.

Recap ~ your before-the-week checklist

Pick your dinners. Choose 3, with 3 days of leftovers and 1 day of putting whatever's left together.
Build in variety. One new vegetable, protein or grain a week.
Shop once. One list, by category, produce first.
Prep ahead. Chop, dice, cut and portion everything you can on one day.
Make it easy to grab. Masking tape, a Sharpie, done.

That's it. Five things, done once before the week starts, and dinner is already decided. ✨

And if you're hosting a holiday dinner this season, I made something for that too. My free guide, The Holiday Table That Works for Every Guest, has the texts to send your guests, my own holiday menu and the three swaps I reach for most, so you know what everyone can eat before you pick a single dish.

Get your free guide here ~ platinumprivatechef.com/holiday-table

Your turn

So tell me... what's the dinner your household could eat every week and never get tired of? 😊

5 Things to Do Before the Week Starts, So Dinner Is Already Decided