I don’t plan out my meals/calories, but i do weigh and track everything i eat on myfitnesspal.com and just try to hit my macros. This allows a lot of flexibility so i’m not imposing my dietary limitations on those around me. If there’s going to be a snack party or something, i can partake and just know i’ll be eating a chicken breast + veggie later that day to stay in my calorie goal range.
For the normal routine, i am fairly boring and don’t need a lot of fanciness to be satisfied. My staple proteins are ground sirloin, chicken breasts, pork chops or pork roast, eggs, and cajun deli turkey. My staple carbs are potatoes, oats, bananas and oranges, and rice, (sometimes bread or tortillas). My staple veggies are broccoli, peas, green beans, romaine lettuce, carrots, and mixed veggies.
My meals usually include some combination of those 3 staple groups and usually some kind of condiments like butter, ketchup, mustard, or dressing, etc.
Breakfast is almost always whey + 1/2 cup oats + water & coffee, and either a serving of peanut butter or 2 eggs.
Lunch is leftovers or random combo of the above staples.
Dinner is same as above.
I do buy my meat in bulk-ish quantities and prep it or cook it once so i can eat it through the week. So for chicken i’ll cook several pounds and have it in a ziplock in the fridge that i use for my meals to make cooking faster each day. Can make salads, casseroles, pasta dishes, etc really easy from that pre-cooked stuff so family can have some more variety if they want. Same w/ ground sirloin. I cook 3 lbs at a time in patties which i can eat as is, or chopped up in various dishes. Same w/ roasts and pork chops. Rice i always use Jasmine (so much more flavor) and cook it in my insta-pot and save it for use through the week. Potatoes i cook in my microwave and they come out perfect on demand.
I will say my go to “eating out” food is Qdoba if just need a quick and easy meal. I have saved item i always order online that’s a bowl with lettuce, rice, beans, 2x grilled chicken, fajita veggies, 2-3 salsas, jalepenos, and minced onions. It comes out to something like 68g protein, 88g carbs, 22g fat, and 22g fiber. If i have extra room for fat or just feel like it, i add sour cream which is an extra 5g fat.