How to Make a Farmers Market Meal Plan

Love going to the farmers market but need help sticking to a plan? Follow the easy tips in this post to develop weekly meal plans centered around farmers market veggies!

Do you tend to get a little too excited when it comes to shopping at the farmers market? In other words, are your eyes bigger than your stomach when you see fresh veggies?

Maybe you purchase a ton of produce from the market but don’t know exactly how you’ll use it. And by the end of the week, you barely made a dent into your veggie stash.

If this scenario sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place! Instead of overdoing it at the farmers market, learn how to shop like a pro with a meal plan in mind.

The following tips will help you organize balanced meals that incorporate seasonal vegetables, so that you can support your local food system, increase your veggie intake, and cut down on food waste.

Tips for Plannings Meals with Farmers Market Veggies

1 – Figure out what vegetables are in season.

The first and most important step in making a farmers market meal plan is knowing what veggies you can expect to find that week.

If you regularly go to the market, you can ask at the info booth or chat with the individual farmers to see what they plan to have at their stands in upcoming weeks.

You can also use this online Seasonal Food Guide for a glimpse into what’s in season in your area!

2 – Assign one veggie to each day of the week that you plan to cook, and then find a recipe using that vegetable.

Once you know what’s in season, choose a few vegetables that you want to use that week and assign a different veggie to each day that you plan to cook.

If you are new to meal planning, I’d recommend just planning out your dinners for the week to start. For example, if broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, peppers, and cucumbers are in season, find a dinner recipe using each vegetable. Then round out the meals with a protein and/or side if necessary.

A sample dinner meal plan using these vegetables might look like:

3 – Write your meals down on your calendar, a white board on your fridge, or on a weekly meal template.

For a free template, plus these tips on planning farmers market meals, enter your email address below.