When You Hit the Wall of Meal Planning

8 Ideas that Have Saved My Day

I’ll be honest: I never look forward to planning meals for myself or my family.

It feels like a chore.
It feels like one more thing.

And yet, every single time, I’m SO glad I did it.

For example, it’s Tuesday, I’m squeezing in a quick lunch between clients, and I open the fridge to that yummo dish I made on Sunday that I intentionally made for lunch the whole week. Or it’s 5:00 p.m., everyone is hangry and circling the pantry, and I’m saying (a little louder than necessary), “No! Dinner will be ready in 30 minutes. You will.not.starve.” Even if dinner isn’t ready yet, at least I know what I’m making, and I have on hand what it takes to bring it together.

But a few months ago, I hit the wall. Hard.
Like the biggest bonk in a marathon!

Image created with AI, which was a fun experiment :)

This has honestly never happened, well, with this level of intensity.

I’d open the fridge and feel… nothing. No desire to eat. No interest

in cooking. No pleasure in thinking about feeding myself or anyone else. It all felt like too much. And while there are a million reasons our nervous systems might be running on frazzled mode lately, I was still surprised by how intense this felt.

So, of course, we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant that night. (Mi Ranchito, in U City, for those St. Louis friends of mine). And over the next few days, there were a lot of eggs served.

Eventually, thankfully, I moved through it. But it got me thinking: I know I’m not alone. In fact, I’ve had this exact conversation with many clients.

“Can you just give me some cut-and-paste meals for the days I don’t want to cook?”
“Do you have easy, assembly-style ideas for when I just… can’t?”

So today I’m sharing a few of my go-to meals for that hit the wall moment. Some of these are very low effort. Some are slightly more involved. My hope is that at least one of them helps you on the days when (because it’s not if) you find yourself here too. XOXOXOXXO

My Go-To Wall-Day Meals

1. The Easy Egg Saver

(or: Eggs, But Make It Easy)

• Egg bites on an everything bagel with mayo + arugula

• Add an orange (or any fruit you love)

I gravitate toward egg bites with vegetables rather than bacon or ham. If you’re gluten-free, Queen Street Bakery bagels are a favorite. Egg bites: Veggies Made Great, CostCo Egg White Bites; Starbucks Egg White Bites. I love using arugula as my splash of green because it’s hearty and doesn’t wilt the second you open the fridge.

Optional upgrades:

• A teaspoon or two of harissa for heat

• A very small amt of wasabi mixed in your mayo.

2. The No-Think Quesadilla

• Your favorite tortillas (corn, almond flour, high-fiber, whole wheat: dealer’s choice)

• Filled with Mexican-style cheese and pan-fried the quesadilla in a little butter

• Top with hummus or refried beans + Wholly Guacamole

On the side: fruit or raw veggies (baby bell peppers, snap peas, carrots).

Optional:

• A dollop of plain Greek yogurt for extra protein

3. Freezer Pizza, Elevated

• Costco gluten-free cheese pizza - it’s very good…(or any cheese pizza you like)

• Sautéed veggies on top (my favorite combo: broccolini + mushrooms)

• Optional add-ins: marinated artichoke hearts (for a good dose of prebiotic fiber)

Finish with:

• Rao’s or Carbone marinara sauce

• Nutritional yeast for a little protein boost

If I have arugula, I’ll toss it with olive oil, lemon juice, and a touch of honey and either serve it on the side or or pile it right on top of the pizza.

4. Gentle Miso Bowl (Especially for Low-Appetite Days)

Bring to a boil:

• 4 cups water or vegetable broth

Add:

• 2–3 Tbsp miso paste

• 1 tsp jarred puréed ginger

• 1 tsp chili crisp or chili oil

Stir in:

• Frozen edamame

• Frozen veggies (bok choy + mushrooms are favorites)

Optional:

• Add cooked noodles (soba or rice noodles work well)

5. Very Forgiving Tuna Cakes

Mix together:

• 2 cans tuna

• 1 egg

• Breadcrumbs (enough to form patties)

• Mayo or greek yogurt to bring some moisture

• Dill or parsley (fresh or dried)

• Lemon juice + zest

• Salt and pepper

Pan-fry in olive oil until golden.

If the mixture feels too wet, add more breadcrumbs. No perfection required. I will sometimes put sauerkraut on these for a dose of fermented foods and slice up a big Envy apple for my fruit.

6. Red Lentil Pasta, No Drama

• Boil red lentil pasta (the only GF/high-protein one I consistently like)

• Top with marinara and nutritional yeast

Add a side veggie if you want…

7. Smoked Salmon Noodle Bowl

• CostCo Original Honey Smoked salmon (crumbled and warmed)

• Soba noodles

• Air-fried pre-shredded Brussels sprouts

Finish with:

• Soy sauce + oyster sauce

• Red chili flakes or chili oil

8. The I’m So Happy I Have On Hand Frozen Dinner

• Amy’s Organic Kitchen Black Bean enchiladas

• Add guacamole + plain Greek yogurt

• Fruit on the side

• Dark chocolate, pretty much, always.

Some of these may still feel like too much on certain days. That’s okay. I wanted to offer a wide range, from barely-there effort to “I can handle this!” Meet your sweet self where you are!

Carry on, meal-planning warriors.
You deserve food you enjoy, even (especially) when it feels hard.

This is our menu for the week, too. XO See you next Friday!