Kara Swanson's Top 10 Essentials for Meal Planning

The first step to meal planning is, you guessed it...meal planning! This is the part that seems the most daunting, but it makes life so much easier after you plan out what meals you're having. These 4-week meal plans take the guesswork out of meal planning because it's already done for you. 

In this meal plan, you get a weekly grocery list, menu, meal prep guide, as well as tons of simple, easy, and delicious recipes. All the recipes are gluten-free and mostly dairy-free. If you struggle with actual meal planning, you will love how these meal plans will help to improve your health and simplify your life.

Once you plan out your meals, the next step is to do some meal preparation. This will make your routine simpler throughout the week by having some or all of your meals already prepped. 

These meal prep containers are BPA-free and have dividers so you can easily separate your food. Plus, they're stackable which makes for easy storage in the fridge. Sometimes our containers have cracked because they are plastic, so you will need to be careful when packing them! We love using them for our kids' and our own lunches. 

I love my food processor and use it every single week for energy bites, black bean burgers, and other recipes. This one is a really good size (8 cups) and easy to use. It comes with different attachments so you can shred, chop, or mix. 

Sometimes food doesn't mix as adequately as you want. You'll have to use a spatula to move the food around before turning it back on. If your family is growing, you also might need a bigger bowl. But I love that it has a feeding tube so you can just add food instead of stopping and taking the whole lid off.

This cooking pot is really great if you are short on time and want to cook your meals very quickly. This model has 7 appliances in one: it's a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, saute pan, yogurt maker, and warmer. Although you might be intimidated by it, the instructions make it a breeze to figure out. It's easier to use than you think!

It's perfect for families, batch cooking, and meal prepping. The 6-quart size means it cooks for up to 6 people. Keep that in mind if you need to make a smaller or larger amount depending on your family size.  Although I don't use mine often, I know that so many people love the ease the Instant Pot brings to their busy lives.

This cutting board is heavy, sturdy, and doesn't move around when you're chopping away. It's beautiful, so you can leave it out on the counter without it looking out of place. But you do have to upkeep it! 

To take proper care of it, you have to oil it before using it. You should oil it regularly to help protect, revitalize, and moisturize the wood fibers. On the plus side, it's reversible so you can cut on either side. It's also high-quality and made from hand-selected maple wood. 

These containers are great for storing food! The snap-locking lids that are leakproof are a huge highlight. They keep food fresher for longer, too! The dish itself is dishwasher-safe, but you can't put the lids in the dishwasher and have to wash them by hand.

Glass containers are great because they're BPA-free and microwave-safe, so you can reheat your food easily. This set also comes with containers of different sizes so you can choose the right one for your needs.

Having properly sharpened knives will make food prep easier and faster. We've owned these knives for 9 years and they're still in great shape! They cut everything really well. This knife set also features SharpIn Technology so it automatically sharpens the knives with every use. 

It's a little inconvenient that the knives are handwash only. However, this set is great because it comes with a variety of knives that make it easy to prep any kind of food. They're also stored all in one place, making it super convenient!

I love this blender and use it every single day for my smoothie bowls. It blends everything so smoothly and works great for sauces, pancake mixes, and so much more. The only downside is that it's super loud. It's definitely louder than most other blenders! 

On the plus side, it comes with single-serve cups that are perfect for on-the-go. It's a high powered blender that has multiple speeds. A high-speed blender is a must for meal planning and it really does make life easier. Also, it's super easy to clean since it's dishwasher-safe. 

This is a staple in our home and we use it all the time. It has a nonslip handle making it easy to use when wet. Its swiveling twin-blade easily peels potatoes, apples, and other tougher skinned vegetables. There's honestly nothing bad to say about this peeler! It works like a dream.

It's designed to make the repetitive strokes of peeling a breeze. It also has a built-in potato eyer so you can remove imperfections without damaging your produce.

It's important to have a good set of pots and pans to make cooking easier. These pots and pans are high-quality and provide even heating. They have long handles that are ergonomically designed to ensure a secure grip. 

They are stainless steel but aren't non-stick, so sometimes things stick easily. Just make sure to add some water or oil so things don't stick when using these pans!


I personally love the fill lines so you don't have to get measuring cups out every time you want to cook brown rice or make pasta. You'll also love that they have straining holes so that you can easily drain liquids out of the pan without using a separate colander.