Hey there, Reader,

I just posted a fun how-to on Instagram that I think you’re going to love! It’s a 14-minute video where I walk through how I meal plan for 4-6 weeks at a time by building a meal backlog (I’ll explain that in a sec). Ignore the spot of my 18-month-old daughter’s toothpaste on my shirt. 🤦‍♀️ Mom life, right?

So, what’s a backlog? If you’re in tech, you probably know this, but for everyone else: a backlog is a list of tasks (or meals, in this case) that are ready to go. It’s more flexible for my family because we can pick from a "menu" of options instead of sticking to a strict meal schedule.

In this particularly busy season for me (a teaser about this in the video and in the P.S. of this email!), I’ve built up a backlog of meals that fall roughly into three categories:

• Meals under 5 ingredients that are ready to be cooked from ingredients I have in the fridge
• Pantry meals with all the ingredients ready to go
• Pre-prepped freezer meals that are ready to be dumped in an instant pot or slow cooker

I’ve also put together a menu of easy-to-assemble sides, snacks, and breakfasts. So when it’s time to get meals on the table, I don’t have to stress or think hard about it—I can just execute. This upfront planning makes daily meal prep practically effortless.

You can watch the full video on Instagram here. (While you're there, give me a follow on Instagram if you aren't following already!)

And because I want to make it even easier for you, I’m sharing the exact meal plan I created in Notion here.

I hope this helps lighten the mental load of meal prep for you, too!

Cheering you on,
Leslie

P.S. In the video, I tease that I'm launching a new program on Tuesday, September 24th. It’s a way to work with me that’s available anytime, at your own pace, and at a more accessible price point than my 1:1 coaching, while still giving you lots of 1:1 support to tame the mental load. Exciting things are coming!