# All‑in‑One Meal‑Prep Planner for Busy Parents

## 1️⃣ Dashboard (Home Page)
A quick‑glance hub that links to every core component.

| Card | Description | Link |
|------|-------------|------|
| 📖 Recipe Library | Search, filter, and favorite recipes | `[[Recipe Library]]` |
| 🗓️ Weekly Planner | Visualize batch‑cook days & meals | `[[Weekly Planner]]` |
| 🛒 Shopping List | Auto‑generated list for the week | `[[Shopping List]]` |
| ✅ Prep Tasks | Daily prep checklist | `[[Prep Task Tracker]]` |

> 💡 Tip: Pin the Dashboard to your Notion sidebar for one‑click access each morning.

---

## 2️⃣ Recipe Library (Database)
Store every family‑friendly recipe with nutrition, prep time, and tags.

| Name | Category | Prep Time | Cook Time | Servings | Tags | Source |
|------|----------|-----------|-----------|----------|------|--------|
| Chicken & Veggie Stir‑Fry | Main | 15 min | 10 min | 4 | #quick #gluten‑free | Family favorite |
| Overnight Oats | Breakfast | 5 min | 0 min | 2 | #make‑ahead #vegan | Blog link |
| Baked Zucchini Lasagna | Dinner | 20 min | 45 min | 6 | #low‑carb #kid‑approved | Cookbook p.112 |
| Turkey Meatballs | Protein | 10 min | 20 min | 5 | #batch‑cook #freezer | Recipe card |
| Apple Cinnamon Muffins | Snack | 10 min | 15 min | 12 | #make‑ahead #gluten‑free | Pinterest |

**Key Properties**  
- **Category** (Select): Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack, Side, Sauce.  
- **Tags** (Multi‑select): #quick, #make‑ahead, #vegan, #gluten‑free, #low‑carb, #kid‑approved, #batch‑cook.  
- **Ingredients** (Text): List each ingredient on a new line.  
- **Instructions** (Toggle list).  
- **Nutrition per Serving** (Number fields: Calories, Protein g, Carbs g, Fat g).  

> 💡 Tip: Use the “Batch‑cook” tag to automatically pull recipes into the Weekly Planner’s batch‑cook view.

---

## 3️⃣ Weekly Planner (Database + Calendar View)
Plan meals for the week, assign batch‑cook days, and link to recipes.

| Week | Day | Meal Type | Recipe | Batch‑Cook? | Notes |
|------|-----|-----------|--------|-------------|-------|
| 2024‑W26 | Mon | Dinner | Chicken & Veggie Stir‑Fry | No | Serve with rice |
| 2024‑W26 | Tue | Lunch | Turkey Meatballs (leftovers) | Yes | Cook extra for Wed |
| 2024‑W26 | Wed | Dinner | Baked Zucchini Lasagna | No | Add side salad |
| 2024‑W26 | Thu | Breakfast | Overnight Oats | No | Prep night before |
| 2024‑W26 | Fri | Snack | Apple Cinnamon Muffins | Yes | Freeze half |

**Views**  
- **Calendar** – Drag meals onto dates; color‑code by Meal Type.  
- **Batch‑Cook Board** – Kanban grouped by “Batch‑Cook?” (Yes/No).  

> 💡 Tip: Set a recurring reminder on batch‑cook days to start the “Prep Timer” (see Prep Task Tracker).

---

## 4️⃣ Shopping List (Linked Database)
Automatically aggregates ingredients from selected weekly recipes.

| Item | Quantity | Unit | From Recipe | Needed For |
|------|----------|------|-------------|------------|
| Chicken breast | 1.5 | lb | Chicken & Veggie Stir‑Fry | Dinner Mon |
| Zucchini | 4 | pcs | Baked Zucchini Lasagna | Dinner Wed |
| Rolled oats | 2 | cups | Overnight Oats | Breakfast Thu |
| Ground turkey | 1 | lb | Turkey Meatballs | Lunch Tue, Batch‑cook Fri |
| Apples | 6 | pcs | Apple Cinnamon Muffins | Snack Fri |

**Automation Note**: Use a rollup on the “Recipe” relation to pull the “Ingredients” field, then a formula to sum duplicate items.

> 💡 Tip: Check the “Needed For” column before shopping to avoid over‑buying.

---

## 5️⃣ Prep Task Tracker (Database)
Break down each day’s prep into timed tasks; check off as you go.

| Date | Task | Duration | Status | Linked Meal |
|------|------|----------|--------|-------------|
| 2024‑06‑24 | Chop veggies for stir‑fry | 10 min | ☐ | Chicken & Veggie Stir‑Fry |
| 2024‑06‑24 | Cook rice (batch) | 20 min | ☐ | Chicken & Veggie Stir‑fry |
| 2024‑06‑25 | Form turkey meatballs | 15 min | ☐ | Turkey Meatballs |
| 2024‑06‑25 | Pre‑heat oven for lasagna | 5 min | ☐ | Baked Zucchini Lasagna |
| 2024‑06‑26 | Portion muffins into freezer bags | 10 min | ☐ | Apple Cinnamon Muffins |

**Views**  
- **Today** – Filter by today’s date, show only “☐” tasks.  
- **Completed** – Group by Status (✅ Done / ☐ Pending).  

> 💡 Tip: Pair each task with a Notion “Timer” embed (e.g., https://timer.notional.app) for hands‑free countdowns.

---

## 6️⃣ Meal‑Prep SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
A concise step‑by‑step guide to run the system each week.

1. **Sunday Night** – Review the upcoming week, select recipes, and fill the Weekly Planner.  
2. **Monday Morning** – Open the Shopping List, add any pantry items, then shop.  
3. **Batch‑Cook Day** (usually Tuesday) – Follow the Prep Task Tracker; mark tasks complete.  
4. **Mid‑Week** – Re‑evaluate leftovers; adjust the Shopping List if needed.  
5. **Friday Evening** – Freeze any extra portions; update the Recipe Library with notes.

> 💡 Tip: Keep a “Weekly Review” toggle at the bottom of the Dashboard to capture what worked and what didn’t.

---

## How to import into Notion
1. In Notion, create a new page where you want the template.  
2. Click **Import** → **Markdown & CSV** and select this `.md` file.  
3. Notion will create the page hierarchy and tables.  
4. For each table:  
   a. Click the table block → **Turn into → Database – Table**.  
   b. Rename the database to match the section title (e.g., “Recipe Library”).  
   c. Adjust property types (Select, Multi‑select, Number, Relation, Rollup, Formula) according to the column headers.  
5. Set up the **Relations**:  
   - In “Weekly Planner”, add a Relation to “Recipe Library” (property “Recipe”).  
   - In “Shopping List”, add a Relation to “Weekly Planner” (property “From Recipe”) and a Rollup to pull “Ingredients”.  
   - In “Prep Task Tracker”, add a Relation to “Weekly Planner” (property “Linked Meal”).  
6. Create the suggested **Views** (Calendar, Board, Gallery) via the view dropdown.  
7. Add any desired **Notion widgets** (timer, weather) by pasting embed links into the appropriate pages.  

Your All‑in‑One Meal‑Prep Planner is now ready to streamline weeknight dinners, reduce grocery trips, and give busy parents more family time!