Bullet Journal Meal Planning 101

About a year and a half ago, I stumbled upon the glorious world of bullet journaling. I was pleased to learn it could be anything I wanted it to be; a daily diary, a calendar, a yearly, monthly, and weekly plan. I immediately got sucked into a new way to create with one little black book. It was Ryder Carroll, the writer and creator of The Bullet Journal Method, who inspired me to look more into this new craze. Diagnosed with learning disabilities early on in life, Ryder developed a journal methodology to help him live with his ADHD. The journal he created ended up going way beyond simple organization. His book is all about the art of intentional living. Within a few hours of purchasing my first journal, I had it set up for the year that included a future log, monthly calendars, gratitude page, bill tracker, weekly pages, and daily journaling pages. I quickly realized I could even keep track of my meal plans for work and home! After months of figuring out what worked for me, I now want to share Bullet Journal Meal Planning 101 with all of you. But first…

What is bullet journaling?

A bullet journal (Bujo) is an organizational tool that will help keep track of everything going on in your world. It is a place where you can jot down all that you need to do, plan, remember, or give attention to throughout the year. What I love about a bullet journal is that I can design it to fit my needs. How long have any of you stood at the calendar and planner section at Barnes and Noble trying to find the perfect planner for yourself? I have found it hard to find the right one every single time because some months have more content than others and space can be limited. With your own bullet journal, you can create exactly what you need to keep track of because the pages are completely blank. They are ready for you to spill your fabulousness all over them!

Here are a few great reasons why you should start!

I totally understand if you are reading this thinking, “why would I go through the time and effort to color and doodle in a little book when I can just use my google calendar?!” Well, maybe you just haven’t tapped into the creative side of yourself yet! Give me paper, pens, markers, glue, a ruler and I’m 8 years old again! Remember the times you could spend HOURS in your bedroom just creating? It is one of the happy moments of my childhood worth holding on to! By gawd, I will marker, draw, scribble, glue, and plan my happy ass off if it means I get to forget about my adult life for a few hours!

But seriously…

• It will make you more productive. If you are anything like me, you have ideas, appointments, to-do lists floating around everywhere. A bullet journal can house all of those things in one place. The guess work of “where the hell did I put that” is eliminated.
• Bullet journaling will simplify your life. None of your journaling has to be elaborate or take a lot of time to work on. It can be as simple as a list; black ink on white paper.
• It can help you prioritize your tasks. You can break each month down with a monthly, weekly, then into daily view to prioritize your to-do lists.
• Keeping a bullet journal will keep you mindful. The items you keep track of whether it be your sleep pattern, monthly meal plan, or mood, will become things you will get used to giving attention to each month. Migrating the same information over from one month to the next will make you think, “is this info helpful to me?” If it’s not worth keeping track of, let it go and focus on more important tasks.

So without further ado…

Bullet Journal Meal Planning 101

There are tons of great ideas on how to use your bullet journal for meal planning all over the internet. Pinterest is a great place to start if you are looking for ideas on how to set up your journal for every sort of topic you want to track. Using the hashtag #bulletjournal or #bulletjournalmealplan in Instagram will also lead you to a trove of ideas as well. There is also a hashtag for #menwhobulletjournal that I especially love and follow. There is just so much out there but for today, I’m going to share how I meal plan every month.

Meal Plan and Grocery List

Each week, I create meal ideas along with a shopping list. You may keep track of yours either in your iPhone notes or your head, I use my bujo. I draw three lines; one for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The rest of the page is broken up into sections of the grocery store for an easier navigation to the items I need. On the opposite page, I make notes on how the week’s meal plan works for me or things I want to change; is this recipe a keeper etc…

For tips on grocery shopping, you can check out Gangster Grocery Shopping here.

My weekly pages are where I keep track of all tasks, appointments, to-do lists and other important information. Some days, I don’t have much to say and other days, I have a lot to express haha. On the far right, you can see how I keep up with my meal plan. By keeping track of my meals,  I can easily see where I need to adjust eating habits.

Monthly View of Meal Plan

Another way to bullet journal meal plan is by looking at it from a monthly view. These December journal pages are from a 2018 journal.  We took a family vacation and ate all the things! Having these pages to look back on, I have learned not to be so hard on myself as far as what I choose to eat. Saying things to myself like, “you blew it or I don’t want to talk about it..” is clearly negative self-talk. Whether we think so or not, that self-antagonism can lead to an eating disorder. Having these pages to look back to, I no longer misidentify food as a threat…thinking, “I’m blowing it. No one is gonna love me if I don’t look thin. All hell is gonna break loose…” I share this particular spread to exhibit just how powerful bullet journaling can be for you…ah-ha moments and all.

Recipes

When I develop recipes, you guessed it…I devote a few pages to jot them down. Who knows, maybe someday, I will use them for a cookbook. If nothing else, my kids and their kids will have grandma’s recipes to cherish for years to come.

Other pages I keep for bullet journal meal planning

• Master Pantry and Fridge List: At the very back of my journal, I devote several pages to list all pantry and fridge items needed for a plant-based kitchen. Each month, I take a quick look at what I may need to replenish or add to my pantry
• Recipes to try: Although I love to cook my own creations, I do comb Pinterest and other websites for new recipes to try. I keep a running list of those recipes on a separate page within that particular month. Plus, it comes in super handy when I sit down to meal plan for the week.

How to effectively bullet journal

To wrap up, I give you a few wise words from Ryder Carroll himself he had shared on Good Morning America just this last year on getting started. Hopefully it will inspire you to begin your own Bujo.

• Start with your why and then focus on the how. Define what you want to get out of your bullet journal before you start. The closer your practice aligns with your ambitions, the more impact it will have.
• Don’t compare yourself to others, only compare yourself to who you were yesterday. You can burn yourself out by trying to keep up with the Joneses. You don’t need to be an artist, perfectionist, or minimalist. The only thing you need to be is you. The correct way to bullet journal is the way that will consistently add value to your life.
• Focus on better rather than perfect. Be patient with yourself and stay focused on the little wins. They add up quickly
• Keep it simple and effective. The more effort something takes, it is more likely to feel like a chore. Benefits should always outweigh effort. Start with the things you need and build from there.

Now that you have Bullet Journal Meal Planning 101 under your belt, I hope you are inspired to go out and grab your very own and get started today! You will soon find grocery shopping and meal planning as something to look forward to each week! Happy journaling!

Ruthie