The Plan to Eat Podcast

This week we’re talking about the way social media has romanticized cooking and maybe made it more stressful. We love finding recipes online, and we’re not here to throw recipe creators under the bus. But there’s a gap between a 30-second reel of a perfectly plated meal and what actually happens in your kitchen on a Tuesday night.

We get into why those recipes look so easy and what’s happening behind the scenes of food content. We also talk about what we actually think makes a good meal, why your autopilot dinners are nothing to apologize for, and how to use social media for recipe inspiration without letting it set the bar somewhere unrealistic.

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This week, we cover three scenarios where we hear meal planning hesitation: people who hate cooking, people who cook for one, and people managing food allergies or dietary restrictions. For each one, we dig into what actually makes it hard and share practical ways meal planning can make it a whole lot easier instead of adding to the stress.

We also cover some kitchen confessions on how we shortcut recipes and share your feedback on those confessions too! Enjoy!

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We're back! In this episode, we recap our summer meal planning, what shifted for each of us, and how we're resetting our approach heading into Fall. We make a case for doing a pantry clean-out now, why Fall is actually a smart time to stock up on holiday baking staples, and how to use what you already have to stretch your grocery budget a little further this season.

We also geek out a little over our favorite planning tools, from paper planners to sticky notes, before wrapping up with a rundown of everything new in the Plan to Eat V4 app, including new customization features, recipe photos on the planner, and some shopping list updates we think you're going to love. Enjoy!

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This is a replay episode, and with grocery prices where they are right now, we thought it deserved another listen.

In this episode, we share what our meal plans looked like during a week of strict budgeting, and walk through all the ways we cut costs without sacrificing good food.

We talk about shopping your freezer and pantry before you make a list, carrying one ingredient across multiple meals, keeping your recipe list simple, and going into the store with a focused mindset.

If you've been feeling the pinch at the grocery store lately, this one is full of practical ideas you can put to use this week.

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This is a replay of one of our favorite episodes! Even though we're heading toward the end of summer, there is still so much fresh produce available and plenty of reason to give this one a listen.

We walk through everything that's in season during the summer, talk about farmers' markets and CSAs, and why they're worth exploring. We get into how to pick a good melon, which vegetables you can regrow right on your counter, and do a mini deep dive on eggplant and cherries that includes some facts we think will genuinely surprise you.

We also share a handful of summer recipe ideas to help you make the most of what's still fresh and in season. Enjoy!

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This week we're talking about building a meal system, which goes beyond the weekly task of picking recipes and making a grocery list. A meal plan is the action. A meal system is the infrastructure behind it, and having one makes everything work so much better.

We walk through all the pieces that make up a meal planning system:

• Your planning routine
• Recipe organization
• Your grocery shopping strategy
• Fallback meals
• Your household reality
• Cooking habits
• Your planning tools

The goal is to help you figure out what your system can look like based on your real life. We hope you enjoy!

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This week we're talking about planner personalities! After years of talking to Plan to Eat customers, answering dinner dilemmas, and reading your emails, we've noticed some pretty distinct patterns in how people approach their planning. We put together five meal planning personality types, and we think you're going to recognize yourself in at least one of them.

We walk through each type, the pros and cons, and make the case that most of us are actually some combination depending on the season of life we're in.
If you think there's a meal planning type we missed, we'd love to hear about it at podcast@plantoeat.com.

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This week we're trying something a little different! We each picked a topic to deep dive into without telling the other person what it was, and we're sharing what we learned live on the podcast.

Riley kicks things off with a deep dive on food cravings. What they actually mean and what your body might be trying to tell you. We talk through what common cravings like sugar, salt, carbs, red meat, and dairy could signal about your nutrient levels, and why kids might actually be the best at listening to their bodies.

Then Roni takes us through a breakdown of every type of onion and when to actually use them. If you've ever wondered why a recipe calls for a shallot instead of a yellow onion, or why your onion tastes "hot", we've got answers!

If you have a topic you'd like us to deep dive on, send us an email at podcast@plantoeat.com. We'd love to hear from you!

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Sometimes, the meal plan doesn't make it to the end of the week, but in this episode, we're getting into the reasons why and what you can do about it so your whole week doesn't go off the rails.

We walk through six of the most common reasons meal plans fail, from not planning at all to planning so rigidly that there's no room to breathe when life gets in the way. We talk about why looking at your schedule matters so much, how to include your family in the process, and why somebody else's meal plan from Instagram probably isn't going to work for your household. Plus, we share some practical ways we've pivoted our own plans midweek.

Enjoy!

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This week, we're talking about one of our favorite parts of summer, getting together with people over food. In this episode, we're getting into all things potlucks and group gatherings, from the nostalgia of food to the practical side of actually hosting a group meal.

We talk through what makes a potluck successful, what dishes hold up well (and which ones you might want to reconsider), how to handle dietary needs for your guests, and why a themed potluck might be the best idea you haven't tried yet! We also get into the stressful parts of hosting, and share some advice for making it feel more enjoyable and less overwhelming.

Listen to Linda's interview about party planning and hosting here!

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This week, we're talking about the full lifecycle of food in our homes, from the moment it's planned all the way to the moment it's eaten (or thrown away).

We talk through the most common breakdown points in the planning, cooking, and shopping, and why every ingredient needs a clear purpose. We also cover how to shop your fridge and pantry before you head to the store, how to build flexibility into your meal plan, and what it looks like to treat your leftovers with the same intention as a planned meal. Enjoy!

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In this episode, we’re talking about the pros and cons of weekend meal prep vs. weeknight cooking. We’re breaking down the different ways people make dinner work for their schedules, energy levels, and preferences. We talk about food fatigue, leftovers, decision fatigue, unpredictable schedules, and why there’s no “right” way to meal plan. Whether you love prepping meals on Sunday, prefer cooking fresh every night, or fall somewhere in between, this episode will help you figure out which approach best fits your real life! Enjoy!

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This week, we’re breaking down how to actually get dinner on the table in 30 minutes. We talk about quick recipes, but also systems we use that make weeknight cooking faster and less stressful. We discuss what slows dinner down, common mistakes, and how to simplify your approach. From using convenience ingredients to prepping ahead and building a go-to list of fast meals, this episode will help you think about how you approach meal planning and cooking so it works for your busy life.

Connect with our 30-minute recipes from the link below!

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This week, we’re diving into why meal planning is so easy to procrastinate, even when we know it makes life easier. From busy schedules and mental load to perfectionism, habits, and not knowing where to start, we break down the real reasons meal planning gets pushed off.

We also share practical ways to get unstuck, including starting small, lowering expectations, using templates, and building a system that actually works for your life. If meal planning has been sitting on your weekly to-do list longer than you’d like, this episode will help you move forward with less pressure and more clarity.

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This week, Hannah Van Ark joins the show again to talk about family meal planning and creating systems that make feeding your family easier. After becoming a mom, Hannah realized that most families don’t need more nutrition knowledge; they need practical systems that reduce stress and get balanced meals on the table.

We discuss flexible meal planning, how to serve one family meal without being a short-order cook, navigating picky eating, and creating calm at dinnertime. Hannah also shares her five components of a balanced meal and practical ways to adapt meals for kids while still meeting everyone’s needs.

If feeding your family feels overwhelming, this episode offers a realistic, encouraging approach to building a meal system that works in real life.

Follow Hannah on Instagram @plant.forward.families

Join Hannah's masterclass here: https://theplantforwardnutritionist.kit.com/mealplanningmasterclass

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This week, we’re talking about why meal planning can feel more exhausting than other household chores. Tasks like vacuuming or folding laundry can usually wait, but feeding yourself or your family happens every single day, multiple times a day!

From deciding what to cook, grocery shopping, managing preferences, and actually making the meal, the mental load adds up quickly. We explore the invisible work behind feeding a household, why thinking about food can feel so relentless, and how the emotional and mental weight of meal planning makes it different from other chores.

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When life is busy, mental bandwidth to decide what's for dinner disappears. It's easy to get stuck in a rut and feel completely uninspired to meal plan. Even strong planners have periods where ideas dry up, and planning feels like a chore.

In this episode, we're combating a lack of creativity and recipe ideas with so many great tips to help you create this week's meal plan. From finding new recipes online, to phoning a trusted friend, to capsule meal planning. We hope you feel inspired and ready to start planning at the end of this episode! Enjoy!

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This week, we're tackling food waste! Leftovers pile up, ingredients get pushed to the back of the fridge, and before long, our precious kitchen inventory goes to waste! Riley and Roni discuss practical strategies for reducing food waste and using up what you already have at home. We will teach you our favorite meal planning strategies to actually use the food you're buying and stop wasting it!

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From answering your dinner dilemmas in 2025, we learned that many families juggle multiple dietary needs: picky kids, allergies, macros, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, low-sodium, etc. And creating meals that satisfy everyone feels exhausting!

This week, we're spending the entire episode tackling the problem of managing multiple diets and dietary needs in one house. Our goal is to help you avoid being a short-order chef in your house and reduce the burden of cooking for everyone's needs and preferences. We hope you get a lot from this episode!

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This week, we're helping you handle crazy schedules and a lack of time to plan and cook. Evenings get packed with kids’ activities, meetings, and errands. Schedules can change at the last minute, making it hard to cook consistently, prep ahead, or stick to a plan. If you find you're often getting takeout, skipping meals, or wasting groceries, this episode is for you!

Let's dive into some tactics to help you save time, get people fed, and stick to your meal plan. Enjoy!

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