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The next round of the annual PMP 4-Week Meal Planning Challenge starts January 7th, 2024!
Do you find yourself starting from zero on dinner more often than you’d like? Are you getting tired of near daily trips to the store for ingredients you forgot? Or are you simply trying to reduce your food waste by planning ahead?
I have an idea and I think you should give it a try… it’s called meal planning! Whether you’re a beginner who wants some incentive and support to gain a new habit, or an experienced meal planner who wants to jump back in, this challenge is for you!
I challenge you to plan each week’s meals
ahead of time for four weeks in a row.
Yes! That’s it! Plan your meals ahead of time for four weeks in a row, do your best to follow the meal plans you create, and see what happens. It’s as simple as that.
Why participate in this meal planning challenge?
This challenge is a FREE, low effort, super simple way to give meal planning a shot. This challenge is for any eating style, any dietary needs, and any schedule. The goal is to make it work for YOU.
With a little bit of follow through, meal planning can help you save time, spend less money at the grocery store, reduce food waste, and more.
Past challenge participants have said that meal planning has made for less stress around meal times, and less asking “what’s for dinner?” from the family. That sounds pretty great to me!
Who should participate in this challenge?
- anyone who wants to save time and money
- meal planning beginners
- experienced meal planners who want get back into the swing
- anyone who has questions about meal planning
- home cooks who need meal ideas
- anyone who wants to see how other people plan their meals
How to participate in the meal planning challenge:
- Sign up for the Project Meal Plan Email List. This is how you will receive updates about the challenge.
- Join the Project Meal Plan Facebook Group. This is where you will share your weekly meal plans each week.
- Every Sunday during the challenge, I will send you an email with a reminder to share your weekly meal plan in the Facebook Group. The Week 1 email will arrive Sunday, January 7th, 2024.
- Weekly meal plans can be posted in the Facebook group from Sunday, when you receive the email, to the following Saturday at 11:59PM PST. This means you have all week to share! Your meal plan can be any days of the week – it does not have to be M-F. Plan according to your own schedule!
- Your meal plan post will count as your entry to the weekly prize drawing. After each week is over, I will randomly select a winner from everyone that posted their meal plan.
Join the challenge by signing up for the Project Meal Plan email list here:
What does my meal plan need to look like?
I am very flexible on the requirements of your meal plan – the point is to do what will help you the most. You’re welcome to use either one of my Weekly Meal Planner Template PDFs if you need a place to start.
Here are the general guidelines for submitting your meal plan into the challenge:
- Plan 3 meals per day for at least 5 days of the week. Repeat meals are totally okay. Plan according to your schedule – it does not have to be Monday-Friday.
- Your meal plan can be any format you prefer, including pen & paper, screenshot of your phone, or spreadsheet style.
- Your meal plan can use any style you prefer, including arrows, color coding, bullet journal style, pretty much anything goes!
- Please put in a little effort and do not enter exact duplicate meal plan photos you have already posted.
How to post your weekly meal plan:
To enter, upload a photo or screenshot of your weekly meal plan to the Project Meal Plan Facebook Group after the entry period has opened for the week (you’ll get an email reminder!).
You do not need to add any words or description, but please feel free to share and discuss your recipes and meals on your meal plan. I always add links to any recipes I’ll be making during the week, but it is not a requirement.
RULES to enter weekly prize drawings:
- You do not have to participate every week, though the best way to build a new habit is to be consistent!
- You can jump into the challenge during the middle! Again, no need to participate every week if it’s not possible for you.
- Do not post the same EXACT picture of the same meal plan every week. The point of this challenge is to build a new habit. To do that, you’ll actually have to put in a little time every week to write your meal plan!
- NEW this year: The weekly shipped prizes are only open to residents in the U.S. and Canada. However, if you win the drawing and live in another country, I will send you an Amazon.com gift card of the equivalent cost of the prize.
- To stay in the spirit of the challenge, I encourage you to do your best to follow the meal plan you create for yourself. While this isn’t required for entry into the drawing, it will really help you see the benefits of meal planning!
Sign up for the Project Meal Plan email list to join the challenge:
Important dates for the challenge:
You don’t have to remember these, just use this as a reference! One prize drawing will take place each week during the four week challenge.
Here are the dates for each week and approximate dates for the prize drawings for the January 2024 Meal Planning challenge:
January 7th: Start of meal planning challenge; Start of Week 1
January 13th: End of Week 1
January 14th: Week 1 Prize Drawing; Start of Week 2
January 20th: End of Week 2
January 21st: Week 2 Prize Drawing; Start of Week 3
January 27th: End of Week 3
January 28th: Week 3 Prize Drawing; Start of Week 4
February 3rd: End of Week 4; End of meal planning challenge
February 4th: Week 4 Prize Drawing & Grand Prize Drawing!
**I know January 7th seems like a late start, but this is where the first Sunday in January lands in 2024. Maybe we’ll do a practice week for a mini prize! 😉**
What are the prizes going to be??
During this meal planning challenge, I’ll be giving away a prize EVERY week! You’ll be entered for the week if you’ve posted your weekly meal plan by Saturday at midnight.
NEW this year: 🎉GRAND PRIZE🎉 of $150 Amazon.com gift card!! You will be entered into this drawing if you participate in the challenge for all 4 weeks.
Here’s the prize schedule for this year’s Meal Planning Challenge (affiliate links to Amazon – all prizes will be shipped from there):
Week 1 Prize: Set of 2-Cup Souper Cubes Trays – I own this set plus others, and I use them constantly! This is my secret to freezing food, and this size is best for freezing whole meals, in my opinion.
Week 2 Prize: Set of 2 Meal Prep Cookbooks – Our classic cookbook prize: The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen, along with a new cookbook released in 2023: Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress Free Cooking by Catherine McCord.
Week 3 Prize: $40 Amazon.com Gift Card so you can pick your own prize!!
Week 4 Prize: Set of 4 Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Food Storage Containers – This set of beautiful glass containers is perfect for lunch meal prep, dinner component prep, or really any kind of meal prep you want!
If you still aren’t convinced…
Here’s what some past participants had to say about the challenge!
- “I liked the time frame- enough to make it a routine (habit) just not a daunting lengthy commitment.” – Terry
- “I had fallen off the meal planning wagon and was grateful for the challenge getting me back into the habit.” – Martine
- “I think the way this challenge was organized was perfect. It was a great way for first timers like me.” – Brittani
- “Seeing other people as excited about meal planning as I am! Also love all of Danielle’s tips and recipes.” – Jen
If you have any questions, simply respond to any of my emails, leave a comment here, or head to the Facebook group! Can’t wait to jump in and see how meal planning helps you and your family!
Sign up for the Project Meal Plan email list to join the challenge:
Get started now with my top meal planning resources:
- 5 Steps to Help You Make a Weekly Meal Plan That Works
- 10 Simple Things to Remember When You Start Meal Planning
- My Meal Prep Container Recommendations
- How to Laminate Your Weekly Meal Planner Template
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