How to Plan Dinner in 15 Minutes a Week (Even with Practice and Meetings)

August 5, 2025

If you’ve ever planned dinner by staring blankly into your fridge at 5:37 p.m. while one kid asks for a snack and another is missing a cleat, you’re not alone. And no, you’re not bad at adulting. You’re just busy. Sports practices, meetings, chaotic afternoons…by the time dinner rolls around, you’re already running on fumes.

That’s exactly why you need a system. Not a complicated spreadsheet. Not a Sunday meal prep marathon. Just a simple process that helps you figure out what’s for dinner without losing your mind.

Here’s how to plan dinner in 15 minutes a week, even if your schedule is a hot mess. This is the same 3-step method I teach in my Meal Prep Playbook, and it works for real moms with real lives. You don’t need a chef’s degree or an extra three hours. You just need this.

Step 1: Start With Your Real Life

Most dinner plans fail because they’re made in a vacuum. You plan five from-scratch meals that all require chopping seven vegetables… and forget that three nights include practice drop-off, a 4pm work meeting, and your kid’s science fair.

So before you even think about food, look at your week. What nights are tight? Which nights could you actually cook? Start there. I typically plan for just three dinners a week because that’s what fits. Two of them are fast or reheat meals, and one is a “real dinner” night when I have a little breathing room.

It’s not about cooking more. It’s about cooking smarter.

Step 2: Use a Dinner Formula

No one has time to reinvent the dinner wheel every week. I keep a running list of dinner “formulas” that make planning fast and mindless. Think: Sheet pan + carb + sauce. Or tacos three ways. Or pasta + protein + veggie.

You don’t need 100 recipes. You need 5–7 easy combinations your family actually eats. Inside my Playbook, I’ve got full plug-and-play examples for every formula, but even using just one or two on repeat can cut your planning time in half.

Don’t worry about variety. Worry about dinner being on the table before someone melts down.

Step 3: Make Your Grocery List While You Plan

Here’s where most people lose time. They plan meals, then make a grocery list, then forget what they planned by the time they’re in the store. No thanks.

When I plan dinner, I write the meals and the grocery list at the same time. Boom. Done.

You can use a digital note, the back of a receipt, or the printable templates I use in my free Sports Night Meal Plan Guide. Either way, keep it simple. Grocery lists should save you time, not create more work.

Want my exact templates and pre-filled lists? I’ve got them ready for you.

A Real Week Might Look Like This

Monday: Practice night — slow cooker chicken tacos (made ahead)
Tuesday: Meeting night — leftover pasta bake (reheated)
Wednesday: Open night — cook once, double the batch
Thursday: Reheat night
Friday: Frozen pizza or takeout because you deserve a break

That’s it. Three dinners planned. Some prep done ahead. Leftovers used. No guesswork. And yes, it takes me 15 minutes max to plan this each week.

Want the Shortcut?

If you want to stop guessing, I made something for you.

Grab my free Sports Night Meal Plan kit!

It includes:

3 kid-approved, prep-ahead dinners
1 ready-to-use grocery list
A pre/post-game snack list
Quick prep tips so you’re not scrambling

Download it here and get a week of dinners planned before the next practice schedule drops.

Ready for the Full System?

The Meal Prep Playbook teaches my full 3-step method with:

Prep strategies that work even when your week is nuts
3+ weeks of done-for-you dinner plans
Grocery lists, formulas, and real-mom hacks to make it stick

If you’ve ever said “I just don’t have time to meal plan,” this was made for you.

Check out The Meal Prep Playbook and take back your week without the overwhelm. Select the eBook to throw onto your iPad or get a printed copy to leave in your kitchen 🙂

You Don’t Need More Time. You Need a System.

Here’s the thing about learning how to plan dinner. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being prepared enough to avoid the nightly dinner panic. When you have a system, dinner becomes one less thing to figure out.

Start with 15 minutes. Choose a few formulas. Make your list while you go. That’s it.

Dinner? Handled.