Meal Planning for Two: Food Prep for a Couple 2024

Meal planning for two can be both a fun and challenging task. Everyone has different palates, favorite foods, and cooking methods, which sometimes makes it tricky to find common ground. This becomes even more demanding when one or both of you are picky eaters. But with the help of our licensed in-house nutritionist, I managed to create a list of tips you should find helpful.

If you're creative or adventurous, you'll likely have a great time meal planning, preparing, and cooking meals for you and your significant other. This may involve a lot of experimentation and improvisation. It's even more rewarding if you enjoy spending whatever time you have in the kitchen. So, continue reading to learn how to plan and cook food for a couple.

How to Plan Meals for Two: Considerations

You'll have to consider various factors because every couple is different. Some partners will have to factor in fewer elements, while others will have more. But in most cases, people have to think about their combined budgets, liked and disliked foods, serving sizes, and more. The following section details the most common considerations. 

Focus on Food You Both Like to Eat

The best place to start is by prioritizing foods that you both like. Once you sort out your favorite fruits, vegetables, grains, and other ingredients, you can figure out how to prepare and cook them to get the most enjoyment out of them. This should save you a lot of time since preparing and cooking separate meals is usually time-consuming.

Although tastes should be discussed, some of the most popular foods in the world are potatoes, tomatoes, bananas, and melons. Poultry, pork, and beef are among the most favorite meats. If you're particularly picky (more on this later), you'll likely find dishes that both of you will enjoy or at least accept to eat from time to time. 

You may both like baked potatoes. But while one of you may like spinach steamed, the other may prefer it sautéed. You may need to cook some foods differently from time to time but defining favorite foods is always a good place to start. 

How to Get over Food Dislikes

Sooner or later, you'll come across ingredients you or your partner doesn't like. When this happens, try to agree on why including them might be beneficial, such as for budgeting or nutritional reasons. One way to compromise is to cook these foods in a way that the person who dislikes them may enjoy. Another option is to add small amounts of these foods to dishes they like eating.

To get over food dislikes, offer your significant other a small amount to try. Or encourage them to help you with the prep – they might change their mind. Also, tastes evolve, so foods that you or your partner resisted when you were kids might be enjoyable now. Give it a chance, and you might be pleasantly surprised, like I was when I tried olives after a 20-year hiatus. 

So, if the hair on your neck stands on end at a mention of anchovies, blue cheese, oysters, beets, or some other most hated foods in America¹, give it a try, as your tastes may have changed.

Create a Shopping List

Create a shopping list a week or so in advance. This way, you have enough time to make changes if needed. Also, you can react if the store is out of stock on certain items.

To create a shopping list without over- or underbuying, check what you already have at home and available quantities. Estimate the space available in your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry based on what you plan to buy to avoid last-minute improvisations. Think about using leftovers if the foods you buy come in larger packages than you need.

Bulk Meal Prep

Bulk meal prep is great if you don't mind eating food that's not freshly cooked. Once you agree on the ingredients, cook large batches of foods that will be central to the main courses. That way, you can build your meals around them.

The USDA recommends keeping cooked food in the fridge for 3 or 4 days² because refrigeration slows but doesn't stop bacterial growth. To preserve food for longer, place it in the freezer. Just remember to take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge the day before to thaw.

If you stick to the points above, bulk cooking can give you variety and flexibility. Plus, you don't have to cook a new meal every day, just an optional side dish or entree. 

One Partner Is an Omnivore, the Other Is a Herbivore

You can bulk-cook produce and grains and add meat, dairy, and other omnivore-friendly foods separately. Keep foods intended for different diets on different shelves in the fridge and in sealed containers to prevent smell transfers between meals.

If you don't have time or prefer not to prepare meals separately, gadgets that allow simultaneous cooking of various ingredients, like multi-level steamers, can prove useful. However, remember to cook veggies and other non-animal foods on upper shelves to prevent them from getting soaked in meat juices that may drip through.

Different Serving Sizes

This is also a common concern between couples planning meals for two. One partner may have a bigger appetite, and the appetite of the one who usually eats less could increase due to pregnancy, childbirth, or other reasons. You work around varying appetites with a bit of planning.

If one partner eats half a serving more, you can prepare 3 servings instead of 2 for a day, 6 portions instead of 4 for 2 days, and so on. It typically involves adding 50% more ingredients than the recipe specifies. 

Or you can include an extra ingredient to satisfy the cravings of the partner who eats more. It could be meat, cheese, an extra portion of vegetables, or something else. If none of these is an option, wrap the meal in a flour tortilla or spread the ingredients over a cauliflower-based pizza crust, for example. 

Avoiding Allergens

How you'll proceed depends on whether one partner is allergic to some foods. For example, if you love peanuts but your spouse can't eat them, you can add them to your portion of salad while keeping theirs nut-free. 

But if one of you is allergic to a common ingredient found in various meals, like dairy products, solving this issue takes a little more effort and creativity. If one of you is allergic to cheese, you can prepare the required amount of spaghetti, for example, at once. Then add cheese to one portion and a dairy-free alternative to the other.

But if either of you can't be around foods that trigger an allergy, you'll need to exclude that ingredient from your diet. To satisfy cravings, you could enjoy those foods when dining out away from your partner.

Still, many products include a variety of ingredients, including more or less common allergens. And many people don't have the time or energy to check every label before purchasing an item. If you're one of them, I recommend subscribing to one of the best allergy-friendly meal delivery services on the market. 

Junk vs. Cooked Food 

Many people want to eat fast food sometimes to avoid the hassle of cooking and cleaning up. It's okay to indulge occasionally, but it shouldn't become a regular habit. Fast food is usually low in nutrients and often has more calories and fat than healthier, homemade meals.

For healthier alternatives, you can make nutritious homemade options. For example, prepare black bean brownies, kale chips, or try oven-baked or air fried potato chips rather than fried. You can also make a burger with meat and vegetables wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun. Baking or steaming food instead of frying is another great way to keep meals healthy.

One Partner Is Picky

If either of you is picky, encouraging that person to widen their culinary horizons could go a long way. Think of it as a chance to try something new they could enjoy but haven't tried yet. If that doesn't work, the picky eater could be swayed to sample food with their favorite seasoning, dip, or something else. 

To convince a picky eater to try new foods, start by adding small amounts of the disliked ingredients to meals and gradually increase the quantity. You can also blend them into smoothies or add them to their favorite dishes and treats. I know someone who actually grew to love recipes with ingredients they used to avoid without much resistance using these strategies. 

Whatever approach you take, avoid using force, guilt, or shame as bargaining chips. You're more likely to have a long-lasting effect if the picky eater agrees voluntarily to incorporate more foods into their diet. 

Budgeting for a Couple: Grocery & Other Expenses 

Cooking for a couple is usually more affordable than cooking separate meals for each person. You'll spend about the same amount of time preparing a meal for two as you would for one, which doubles if you cook separate meals. Accordingly, you’ll use more electricity when cooking two separate meals, which makes joint cooking more cost-effective.

Two people are more likely to eat fresh or packaged food when it's most nutritious. Many products you can find at a store are available in large packages. And couples are more likely to finish them before they go to waste than individuals, which can considerably lower expenses in the long run.

Also, partners who plan and prepare meals together will spend the same amount of money on gas and parking as they would if they were shopping alone.

Again, cost-effectiveness depends on many things. This includes your personal food preferences, distance to the nearest or your favorite shop, inclination to buy products you didn't initially plan to buy, etc. So, subscribing to a meal delivery service that meets your needs and expectations may be worthwhile. Our Is HelloFresh Cheaper Than Groceries in 2024? article compares these options. 

How to Use Leftovers

Storing leftovers can save you money and give you a break from cooking. Just be sure to use them within a few days to prevent spoilage if keeping them in the fridge. If there isn't enough for a full meal, repurpose the leftovers into a new dish. If you don't plan to eat the remaining food soon, freeze it for later.

If you don't like eating leftovers the same way, try integrating them into new meals. For foods that don't reheat well, such as spinach, or don't taste good after reheating, such as potatoes, add them to freshly prepared dishes. 

General Meal Planning Tips

• Pre-prep foods in advance: Cut meat, grind cheese, chop potatoes, and more to have everything ready when you need it.

• Prepare recipes using the same ingredients: This saves money and time by maximizing the use of foods you buy.

• Buy in bulk and freeze ingredients: Purchase large quantities and freeze what you don't need immediately for future use.

• Choose generic brands: Generic brands are typically more affordable than name brands, helping you stick to your budget.

• Shop around for wallet-friendly stores if you're on the budget: Walmart is one of the cheapest retail chains with great national coverage, perfect for budget-conscious shopping.

FAQ

How to eat on a budget for 2 people?

If working with a limited budget, you should prepare meals at home instead of dining out. That way, you'll not only save money but will eat more nutritious meals, in general. Also, you shouldn't throw away leftovers but include them in other meals.  

What is the 2 2 2 meal plan?

The 2 2 2 is a weekly meal planning strategy that includes 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners that you like to eat. The following week, you can rotate the recipes. When it comes to meal planning for two, this plan should meet various prerequisites, including a focus on foods that both partners enjoy.  

What is the 2 4 2 meal prep menu?

The 2 4 2 is a meal prep strategy including 2 breakfasts, 4 dinners, and 2 snacks. It involves keeping dinner leftovers for lunch the next day, with the addition of vegetables or some other side dishes.  

References

1. https://www.allrecipes.com/americas-most-hated-foods-instacart-data-2023-7965248#:~:text=the%20Top%20Most-,Hated,-Ingredients%20in%20the

2. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/How-long-will-cooked-food-stay-safe-in-the-refrigerator