The Plan to Eat Podcast
by Plan to Eat
A podcast about meal planning, family dinners, grocery shopping, and cooking more meals at home. Join Roni and Riley for practical conversations about weekly meal planning, saving money on groceries, reducing food waste, and making dinnertime easier. Each episode shares simple strategies to help you save time in the kitchen, use the food you already have, and stress less about what’s for dinner. Contact us at [email protected].
Episodes
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#143: Has Social Media Romanticized Cooking?
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 happens in the...
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#142: Meal Planning for People Who...
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…
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#141: Back to the Podcast: Summer Meal Planning, Planning Tools, and App Updates
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...
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Replay: How to Stick to a Strict Grocery Budget
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...
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Replay: How to Make the Most of Summer Seasonal Produce
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,...
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#140: You Need a Meal Planning System (Not Just a Meal Plan)
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...
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#139: What's Your Planner Personality? 5 Meal Planning Personality Types
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...
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#138: Deep Dives: Decoding Food Cravings and Choosing the Right Onion for Every Recipe
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...
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#137: The Most Common Meal Planning Mistakes (and How Fix Them)
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…
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#136: Tips for Hosting a Summer Potluck or Cook Out
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...
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#135: How to Waste Less Food at Every Stage - Planning, Shopping, and Cooking
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...
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#134: How to Decide if Meal Prep Is Right for You
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,...
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#133: How We Actually Make Dinner in 30 Minutes
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...
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#132: Stop Avoiding Your Meal Plan: Simple Ways to Get Started
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...
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#131: A Flexible Family Meal Planning System with Hannah Van Ark
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…
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#130: The Truth About Why Dinner Feels Exhausting
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…
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#129: How to Beat Dinner Decision Fatigue
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...
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#128: How to Use What You Already Have (And Waste Less Food)
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…
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#127: Everyone in my house eats differently. Now what?
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…
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#126: Meal Planning for Busy Weeks and Unpredictable Schedules
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...
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#125: Feeding Your Family When You’re Too Tired to Plan or Cook
Many people want to plan and cook but feel too tired, overwhelmed, or depressed by the end of the day to follow through. And even well-made plans fall apart when energy runs out. In this episode, we're discussing how to combat low energy and motivation, so you can still feed your family! We talk...
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#124: Big Questions About Meal Planning
We're kicking off the New Year with some questions about meal planning and the podcast! We asked AI to ask us questions about meal planning from our experience of hosting the Plan to Eat Podcast. Over the past 120+ episodes, we've reviewed books, had dozens of world-class guests, and shared so…
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#123: Bonus Episode! Wrapping up Your Dinner Dilemmas
Surprise! This week, we're giving you a bonus episode to finish up the final handful of dinner dilemmas. In this episode, we tackle dilemmas about juggling multiple eating preferences in one household, budgeting constraints, and preparing unique side dishes. Thank you for making us your trusted...
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#122: What We're Eating This Winter
We are finishing 2025 with lots of recipe inspiration! As we transition into Winter and a New Year, we are encouraging you to add some new recipes to your meal plans. Break out of those ruts and start 2026 with some fresh ideas for your planning. Thanks for listening in 2025 and Happy New Year!...
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#121: Declutter Your Kitchen and Save Money This Season
The holidays are coming, and your kitchen is about to get a whole lot more crowded. Let's make space now before the chaos begins! Between holiday meal prep, leftovers, cookie exchanges, and the inevitable influx of food, your kitchen can feel overwhelming. In this episode, we're walking you…
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#120: Do You Really Need a Meal Plan? (Busting Meal Planning Myths)
Think you don't need a meal plan? Or winging it is easier? We're busting the biggest meal planning myths today, and you might be surprised at what you've been believing. In this episode, we're tackling the misconceptions that keep people from experiencing the true benefits of meal planning. From...
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#119: When Nothing Sounds Good for Dinner
This week, we're diving into dinner dilemmas that hit close to home because even meal planning pros get stuck in ruts! Ever meal plan for "fantasy you" only to realize real you has karate, dance class, and zero energy? We've all been there. In this episode, we're tackling picky eaters and food...
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#118: Advanced Meal Planning Strategies
This is the final episode in our Meal Plan Like a Pro Series, and today we're helping you go beyond the basics with advanced meal planning techniques. When you are an advanced meal planner, you're able to adapt and make changes on the fly without getting flustered. You become a meal planning...
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#117: Your First 3 Weeks of Meal Planning
We're going back to the basics! In this episode, we're helping overwhelmed listeners get started meal planning and feel successful quickly. Our three themes for today's episode are Foundation, Adjustment, and Personalization. Build the foundation of creating a meal planning habit, learn and…
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#116: How to Build a Plug-and-Play Meal Plan System
This week, in our Meal Plan Like a Pro series, we're helping you build a repeatable system you can rely on. The best part about having a meal planning system is that it takes the decisions out of planning! In this episode, we discuss creating meal planning templates for easy drag-and-drop…
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#115: The Plan Once, Shop Once Strategy
Welcome back to Meal Planning Like a Pro! Today, we are covering a few more "advanced" meal planning strategies to help you streamline grocery shopping and reduce decision fatigue. In this episode, we talk a lot about meal planning for a longer stretch of time and then only grocery shopping once…
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#114: How to Stick to Your Meal Plan (Even When Life Gets Busy)
Welcome to our new Meal Plan Like a Pro Series! Whether you’re brand new to meal planning or a seasoned pro, we’re going to help you become a better planner and take a deep dive into meal planning in the next several episodes. Today, the topic is sticking to your plan! In our recent listener...
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#113: Final Tips from Grocery Shopping Secrets: Seafood, Lamb, and the Deli Counter
In this episode, we share a mix of surprising facts and practical grocery tips from the final chapters of Grocery Shopping Secrets. We dive into the seafood section! Learn how to pick the freshest fish and the difference between wild-caught and farm-raised salmon. We also explore the deli…
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#112: The Smart Shopper’s Guide to Chicken, Turkey, Pork, and Beef
In this episode, Roni and Riley dig into the meat chapters of Grocery Shopping Secrets by Carol Ann Kates, from choosing the best cuts to making your dollars stretch further at the store. We talk about how meat is labeled, how to select the best cuts, and why the freezer is your best friend when…
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#111: From Corner Market to Cookbook Author: An Interview with Carol Ann Kates
In this special episode, Roni and Riley sit down with Carol Ann Kates, award-winning author, former grocer, and expert in all things food and shopping. Carol Ann shares her story of growing up in her family’s grocery store, co-owning a chain of markets in Northern Colorado, and turning decades of...
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#110: Grocery Shopping Secrets: What You Didn't Know About Dairy and Eggs
In this episode, we continue our book club breakdown of Grocery Shopping Secrets by Carol Ann Kates, focusing on the chapters about dairy and eggs. From how to properly freeze milk and cream to understanding egg labels at the grocery store, this chapter is full of useful, often surprising,...
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#109: Dinner Dilemmas: Busy Schedules, New to Cooking, and Flexible Planning
This is a special bonus episode with answers to your Dinner Dilemmas! Check out this episode for answers to questions about getting started with the paleo diet, having different preferences than your spouse, cooking with busy after-work schedules, budgeting, and more! Links & Resources: Plan to…
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#108: How to Select Fresh Fruits and Vegetables - Grocery Shopping Secrets
We're continuing our Book Club Breakdown of Grocery Shopping Secrets by Carol Ann Kates. This week we're diving into the sections on selecting fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs/spices at the grocery store! These chapters have SO much information about produce including fun tidbits, how to…
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#107: Book Club Breakdown: Grocery Shopping Secrets
We’re kicking off a brand new Book Club Breakdown with Grocery Shopping Secrets by Carol Ann Kates! In this first episode of our multi-part series, we’re delving into the early chapters, discussing grocery budgets, pantry clean-outs, sneaky food labels, and how a well-planned shopping trip can…
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#106: How to Meal Plan Before, During, and After Vacation
It's almost Summer and we're tackling vacation meal planning in this episode! Vacations are for slowing down and making memories, not stressing about what’s for dinner. In this episode, we’re talking about how to meal plan - before, during, and after your trip - to keep things simple and...
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#105: Dinner Dilemmas: Managing Leftovers, Freezer Chaos, and Picky Eaters
In this episode, we dive into a seasonal favorite: spring cleaning! But instead of tackling closets and garages, we're talking about cleaning out your fridge, freezer, pantry, and even your Plan to Eat recipe book to freshen up your meal-planning routine. Plus, we answer multiple Dinner Dilemmas!...
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#104: Turn Up The Heat: The Final Element of Good Cooking
It’s the final episode in our Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat breakdown. This week is all about Heat - the element of transformation. Whether you’re roasting, simmering, searing, or baking this chapter details the nuances of it all! We explore how heat affects ingredients, including their flavor and…
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#103: Why Acid Is a Game Changer in Your Cooking
We’re back with another episode in our Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat series, and this week it’s all about Acid! Acid is the unsung hero of flavor - it brightens, balances, and brings depth to your dishes. In this episode, we dive into the science of acid in cooking (and how it shocked us!), how it…
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#102: The Secret to Rich, Flavorful Cooking - Fat!
We’re continuing our "book club breakdown" of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, and this week is all about Fat! Fat does much more than add richness - it carries flavor, creates texture, and is essential for balanced, delicious meals. Ever wondered why you don't like the taste of olive oil?…
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#101: The Power of Salt: A Deep Dive into Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
We’re kicking off our breakdown of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat, and this week, it’s all about Salt! Salt is the key to unlocking flavor - it enhances taste, balances sweetness, and transforms bland dishes into something truly delicious. In this episode, we explore how salt impacts...
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#100: Celebrating 100 Episodes of the Plan to Eat Podcast!
In this milestone episode, Roni and Riley revisit some of the show's most memorable and impactful conversations and give a preview of what's to come. Thank you for listening to the show and supporting us for 100 episodes! #17: Interview with Katie Kimball on Picky Eaters and Getting Your Kids in...
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#99: Eating Healthy on a Tight Budget with Kimberley Gillan
Kimberley Gillan, food security expert and author of HOW LOW CAN YOU GO?: Nutritious Meals from $50 Per Week, joins the pod for an insightful discussion on eating healthy without breaking the bank. Her book is a game changer for families and individuals looking to make nutritious, budget-friendly...
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#98: Improve Your Home Cooking with These Tips and Tricks!
Join Roni and Riley as we dive into the topic of home-cooked food and share our favorite cooking tips and tricks. In this episode, we explore our personal journeys to becoming home cooks, including the lessons we've learned along the way and the people and resources that have inspired us. Whether...
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#97: Adoption, Meal Planning, and Big Family Cooking with Heather Bell
Heather Bell of @JusttheBells10 is a mother of eight and is a viral cooking and lifestyle influencer. She and her husband, Luke, hail from Michigan where they provide eggs to local grocery stores and restaurants. They raise Clydesdale horses and beef cows, and they operate a masonry business as...
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#96: The Ultimate Positive Change for 2025 - Homecooked Meals!
What if we told you cooking more meals at home could help you save money, eat healthier, and spend more quality time with your family? In this episode, Roni and Riley talk about the different reasons why home cooking needs to be your 2025 resolution! Home-cooked meals have this amazing ripple...
About this show
A podcast about meal planning, family dinners, grocery shopping, and cooking more meals at home.
Join Roni and Riley for practical conversations about weekly meal planning, saving money on groceries, reducing food waste, and making dinnertime easier. Each episode shares simple strategies to help you save time in the kitchen, use the food you already have, and stress less about what’s for dinner.
Contact us at [email protected].
Hosted by
Plan to Eat