Let’s Get Organized! How I Meal Plan to Manage my Chronic Illness + a Miso-Ginger Ground Turkey Recipe
Plus, my free meal planning template and my new favorite meal prep dish.
I fell in love with meal planning in my college years. I’m naturally an organized person, and as a food lover, having a schedule of meals planned for the week is extremely satisfying. When my chronic illness (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) took a turn for the worse a little over a year ago, it was beneficial to already have meal planning habits in place. I had much less energy–plus less time, being in graduate school–to spend cooking. So, I started planning meals around my energy levels. Utilizing certain gadgets, such as an air fryer (to reduce the heat in the kitchen) and a slow cooker (to spend less time standing in the kitchen) have been helpful in managing my energy exertion in the kitchen.
As part of my Let’s Get Organized! series, in today’s newsletter I will be sharing with you all my methods to keep meal planning stress-free but still delicious! And, keep reading until the end for a simple recipe I recently developed: Miso Ginger Ground Turkey bowls with sesame broccoli!
Plus, download my free Meal Planning sheet!
Why Meal Planning Matters (plus my free meal planning template)
Whether you have a chronic illness, a hectic schedule, or prefer to plan your week out in advance before buying groceries, meal planning is a key tool to organizational success. It minimizes stress, decision fatigue, and provides a reference schedule for the week ahead. Last minute dinners can be overwhelming, so having a plan for the week can alleviate this issue.
Here’s how I plan my meals for the week:
Check my inventory
What’s in my fridge and pantry? What might be going bad soon? I take note of the vegetables, fruit, and meat I have on hand and plan my first few meals of the week around that.
AI can be really helpful for this, you can try asking Chat GPT something like “I have ground turkey, zucchini, buffalo sauce, and kale in my fridge. What recipe can I make with these ingredients and basic kitchen staples?”
Plan my schedule
This step is especially easy if you already have your meetings and assignments laid out for the week ahead (I talk more about organizing busy schedules in a recent post).
Figure out what days you are going to be cooking, how long you have or want to cook each meal (for example, I don’t want to cook my lunch meals, so I prep those or make extra dinner to eat leftovers for the next day’s lunch), and factor in energy levels. I know I’m much less likely to have energy to cook a huge meal on a Thursday, but Monday I will probably be excited to do that.
Once you know how many meals you need for the week, use a meal planner (download my free meal planner here! Click the link, sign into Canva, and directly type your meals into the template, or download it and print it to write them out!) or write out each day of the week and the meals you plan to cook those days
Plan some larger batches of cooking to make multiple meals. I prefer to cook extra at dinner and eat that for lunch leftovers the next day.
Also, consider planning theme days such as slow cooker Sunday, meal-prep Monday, or taco Tuesday.
Go shopping!
You can split this up into a couple days a week, or go one day.
If you struggle with energy levels in the grocery store (I did for many months with POTS), grocery delivery services such as Sam’s Club home delivery, or Instacart can be a saving grace.
Store your produce correctly
I’ll be talking more about this in an upcoming newsletter, but something as simple as storing your produce washed and dried in produce containers can significantly extend the life of your produce.
Chop up what you can of your ingredients ahead of time to conserve energy and time later in the week.
Lastly, consider batch prepping freezer meals
Things like soups, sauces, marinades, and slow cooker prep can significantly save you time and energy later in the week, especially if you work long hours.
Meal planning and prepping have sincerely helped my lifestyle, especially living with a chronic illness. When I was living on my own, I found that creating a dedicated day to grocery shopping and meal prepping ensured I then had time during the week for my classes and work!
Want to download my meal planner? Check it out, here!
Do you have any meal planning tips? Leave a comment below of your recommendations!
My New Favorite Low-Energy Meal Prep Recipe: Gluten-Free Miso Ground Turkey Bowls
I made this for my partner the other week, and he liked it so much he requested it again for his lunches! I really enjoy the combination of flavors this dish offers, particularly the saltiness of the miso with the slight sweetness of the coconut aminos. It took me about 20 minutes to throw together, and requires little chopping (none if you don’t include the green onions!) which can be a trigger for my POTS. Plus, it’s easily customizable!
Ingredients
2 lbs. ground turkey
1-2 tbsp avocado or sesame oil
2 tbsp white miso paste (I used the one from Trader Joe’s)
4 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp ground ginger (can sub for 1 tbsp minced ginger)
1 tsp garlic powder (can sub for 3 cloves minced garlic)
½ tsp white pepper (black pepper works well, too)
Pinch red pepper flakes (to taste, or leave out)
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp honey
1 c basmati rice
4 c broccoli (cooked, I used the Puravida Spicy Sesame Broccoli)
Sesame seeds (for topping)
Green onion (for topping)
Sriracha (for topping)
Instructions
Make your rice and broccoli: make rice and broccoli to your liking. I used basmati rice and Puravida Spicy Sesame Broccoli. You can also steam or sauté broccoli and make double the marinade to top it.
Mix the sauce: in a small bowl, combine miso paste, coconut aminos, ginger, garlic, white pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar, and honey. Stir until combined. Set aside.
Cook the turkey: heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned and cooked through (165°F), breaking it up with a spoon as you go.
Add the sauce: reduce heat to low, and add miso sauce to ground turkey. Stir and combine until evenly coated.
Plate: Divide turkey, broccoli, and rice between bowls. Drizzle extra sauce from ground turkey on top. Top with sesame seeds, green onions, and sriracha, if preferred.
Tips
Substitute ground chicken, tofu, or ground beef!
Swap basmati rice for cauliflower rice, soba noodles, or another grain.
Add a soft-boiled egg for more protein.
Double the sauce and use it as a stir-fry base later in the week!
Disclaimer: All my writings are regarding my personal experiences. I’m not a medical professional—just someone figuring things out as I go. Everything I share here is based on my own life and should not be taken as medical advice. Always chat with your doctor before trying anything new.
Do you have a favorite meal prep recipe? I’m always searching for new recipes, let me know in the comments!