How to create a meal plan and get inspired

Sitting down and giving yourself some time to think about what you would really love to eat can be a great form of self-care. Of course, it can also be quite a taxing experience if it's not something you enjoy and the thought of recipes, planning, shopping can feel monotonous. Planning your meals in advance can help you stick to the Overcoming MS diet recommendations. 

If you have time, you might want to recreate a meal that you would usually eat out at a restaurant. It's nice to have a tasty meal to look forward to on a weekend at the moment as a special treat - that's something I have tried to build into my routine to differentiate between the week and the weekends. 

  • Start with what you have in your fridge, freezer and cupboards to get inspiration. 
  • Consider batch cooking and don't be afraid to repeat recipes throughout the week. 
  • On a similar note, don't underestimate the amount of leftovers you will have - this will help you avoid food going bad or buying too many ingredients. And will save your energy! 
  • Think about what's in season where you live - you'll find these ingredients easiest to source.
  • Avoid too many recipes that need 'special' ingredients that you don't already have in the house.  
  • Considerations include: How many people will be eating? Who is doing the cooking each day? 
  • Combine easy, old favourites with new recipes. You are unlikely to want to try experimental new recipes all week! 
  • Try and create recipes that will be liked by everyone you're cooking for so you don't have to make lots of versions, or something that you can easily make two versions of.
  • If you are struggling for ideas, why not ask your family what they enjoy? 
  • Try and record somewhere your favourite recipes to help your future meal planning. You might want to print out and start a binder or create a folder on your computer. 

Find the recipes 

1. Read blogs by others with MS to get inspired! There are some fantastic Instagram pages by the community too who share their daily meals.

2. Browse the Overcoming MS recipe pages.  Here's a handy guide giving you some tips on how to find your new favorites.

3. Read up on some good Overcoming MS friendly cookbooks - did you know there is also an Overcoming MS Cookbook? Adapt recipes by excluding oils while cooking- and dry frying or sauteing with a bit of water.

4. Take a look at some of the recipes we've picked out for you below. You can, of course, eat the recipes at any time of day, we've just grouped them for you to make planning easier. We hope you see that there is nothing boring about the Overcoming MS diet, and it needn't be any more complicated to make nice flavorful meals. 

5. We have a special blog on store cupboard recipes, and we also share new recipes each month in the Overcoming MS newsletter, and on our social media channels. We've also written a guide to following Overcoming MS on a budget.

6. Ashley (Rise and Shine Cook) has kindly shared with us her week of food to get you inspired! 

7. Please share your favourite recipes for others in the comments of this blog! 

Guidance: 

  • Try and eat wholegrains when possible - brown rice, wholemeal bread etc.
  • Aim for up to seven fruit and vegetables a day if possible. 
  • Some foods should be eaten in moderation: nut butters, olives, oily fish and avocado. 
  • Oil is restricted so some recipes might need adapting - here we talk about Overcoming MS friendly cooking techniques, and we explain which oils are recommended here.
  • If you are struggling for inspiration , why not start with a grain, and then simply add some steamed vegetables and a piece of fish? 

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Vegetarian/vegan 

Fish

Snacks

Desserts

(Eat as a treat) 

Download planner as PDF

Weekly meal plan