Meal Planning Collective
Embrace the Joy of Eating
(and skip the “one-size-fits-all” recipe plans that never work)
Meal Planning Collective is a community, a co-working space, and a culinary coach for people who are tired of slimy spinach and 5 PM decision fatigue.
Hosted by Amber Hanson, a licensed nutritionist, freelance recipe developer, and former corporate test kitchen manager and chef. Together we will help you build a flexible planning habit that actually respects your time, your tastebuds, and your sanity.
If you’re staring at a fridge full of ingredients while ordering takeout (again), you’re not alone.
You’ve tried the fancy planners, the meal delivery kits, the "21-day challenges,” and you have a dusty folder full of perfect lists of weekly meal plans, but nothing seems to stick.
Does this sound familiar?
5 PM "Ugh": It’s the end of a long workday. You have food in the fridge, but zero emotional bandwidth to figure out how to turn that bag of onions and pound of ground turkey into something resembling a dinner. Cue the delivery app.
Crisper Drawer Graveyard: You bought veggies with the best of intentions, but by Thursday, that bag of spinach has turned into "slime soup" at the bottom of the fridge. Another $5 in the trash.
Everyone Else First: You spend your morning making sure everyone else is fed and out the door, only to realize by 2 PM that you haven't eaten a single thing yourself. You’re shaky, can’t focus, and have to lead a meeting that starts now.
Guilt Cycle: You feel like you should be a person who meal plans, so every "failed" week feels like a personal flaw. You secretly worry, “Am I doomed to spend the rest of my life hungry, frustrated, and in a Groundhog Day loop of dinnertime decision-fatigue?"
You can silence your “what’s for dinner?” alarm. (most of the time, anyway)
We can’t change the fact that humans never stop needing to eat, but we can change how you feel about it.
The truth?
More recipes and a new template won't fix this. You don't need another cookbook or madlibs-style worksheets; you need dedicated time, a supportive space, and a professional "food brain" to help you navigate the chaos of real life.
In an Hour or Less each week You could:
Customize planning to fit your life: Build in flexibility, favorite foods, your ever changing weekly calendar, personalized nutrition goals, and grocery lists for the stores you actually shop in.
Create an “Oh Shit, Dinner” list: Figure out your personal zero-brain-power meals for days when the best-laid plans lay down and quit.
Put aside perfection: Meal plans work best when they are real. That means frozen pizzas, nuggets and fries, and grilled cheese are welcome additions to your weekly rotation. We are here to feed ourselves and our people not to feel guilt or shame about the food we eat.
Find your food joy: Planning let’s you put yourself on the menu. If there aren’t meals your are excited to eat in the coming week, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
Borrow a profession “food brain”: Get real-time answers on recipes questions, cooking conundrums, or how to save your wilty celery.
Feed yourself: Use the time to not only plan but also eat a meal or a snack. You know that I know it is easy to skip lunch on a busy day.
Prevent slime soup: Have extra time after you plan your meals and write your grocery list? Inventory your pantry, freezer, fridge to find a flow with using what you’ve got.
Show some love to your future-self: Pick one food prep thing you could do now to make cooking easier later.
Why it pays to be in the Collective
It’s more than just "What’s for dinner?" (or breakfast, or lunch…)
When we build your meal planning habit and confidence, the benefits extend beyond the kitchen and into your life. Members typically see shifts in four key areas:
Save Money: Stop emergency takeout orders and accidentally buying another jar of nutmeg to join the four you already have in the pantry. When you shop with a plan, your grocery bill shrinks.
Waste Less Food: Stop sacrificing veggies to the science experiment at the bottom of the crisper drawer. You plan for what you’ll actually eat, so your ingredients end up on your plate, not in the trash. (Which also saves money!)
Reclaim Your Time & Energy: Decision fatigue is a time-thief and an energy zapper (when we are already at our lowest). By making your food decisions once a week in a calm, friendly, and fun setting, you save hours of searching “what can I make for dinner with chicken and pasta,” staring hopelessly at the fridge waiting for inspiration to strike, and last-minute grocery runs (because those searches always have one key ingredient you don’t have at home).
Boost Nutrient Density: It’s much easier to add those "good-for-you" ingredients when you aren't in a hangry panic. We’ll find simple ways to add fiber, color, and protein to the meals you already love—without sacrificing flavor.
Meet Your Culinary Coach
Hi, I’m Amber and there is no place I would rather be than in the kitchen.
I have worked with food for my entire adult life. Before I was a Licensed Nutritionist, I was a Test Kitchen Manager for Land O’ Lakes, a Food Product Development Scientist for Target, and a Banquet Sous Chef. To date, I’ve developed well over 1,000 recipes for brands you know, including Kroger.
I’ve spent thousands of hours writing, developing, and testing the "official" way to do food. But as a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, I realized something important: The professional world of food is obsessed with perfection, but your real life needs flexibility.
I founded Whole You Nutrition to offer weight-inclusive support for people who are tired of diet culture. I created the Meal Planning Collective because I saw a gap: my clients didn't need more "perfect" recipes or rigid weekly plans. They needed a dedicated time and a supportive space to borrow my "food brain" so they could make eating easier, more pleasurable, and—dare I say—joyful.
I’m here to help you stop fighting your fridge and start trusting your tastebuds.
How the Collective Works
The Meal Planning Collective isn't a course you have to "finish." It’s a weekly practice where you show up, borrow my expertise, and leave with your week handled.
Everything You Need for meal Planning Bliss without struggling alone:
Weekly Live Co-Working Sessions: Join us every Thursday from 12–1 PM Central. We start with about a 10-minute food joy chat and share, and then we get to work. As the Collective grows, so too will the options for live sessions.
Live Culinary Coaching: I am live in the chat during every session to answer your real-time questions. "Any suggestions for where to keep this plan I’m writing?," "So, I bought this harrissa…", or “Does this recipe look legit?”
The Community Feed: Our private group chat in Practice Better is always open to share food wins (we love food pics), troubleshooting, and favorite ways to up nutrient density without sacrificing flavor.
Growing Resource Library: A library of resources built based on what the Collective needs most.
Community: The neverending task of feeding ourselves and our people can feel like a downer. Together, we make it fun and keep you inspired. There will be community challenges, ingredients spotlights, and more to keep planning interesting from week-to-week and season-to-season.
Is the Collective your next right step?
This is for you if:
You are tired of the "5 PM Panic," missed lunches, and garbage full of best intentions.
You value satisfaction and joy over rigid food rules or calorie counting.
You enjoy (or need) the accountability of "doing the work" alongside others.
You want professional culinary tips that work for real life, not just a test kitchen.
This might not be for you if:
You are looking for a restrictive diet, weight-loss protocol, or "clean eating" challenge.
You want someone to hand you a pre-set collection of recipes complete with grocery list every week (we build plans weekly so they fit your actual life right now).
You prefer to go it alone over an active, live community.
Joining the Collective
How enrollment works:
Seasonal Membership: We move through the kitchen seasons together. Your membership covers one full quarter (3 months) of coaching, co-working, and community.
Enrollment Windows: To keep our group intimate and focused, doors only open four times a year. For this round, enrollment ends at midnight on April 1st.
Recommitting: At the end of the quarter, you'll have the opportunity to renew your seat for the next season before doors open to the public.
Community-Supported Pricing
In the spirit of the Collective, I use an equity-based pricing model. This ensures that expert culinary support and weight-inclusive nutrition are accessible to as many people as possible. Please select the tier that best reflects your current financial reality—no questions asked, no proof required.
Community Rate
For those currently experiencing financial tight spots
This tier is subsidized by our Sustainer members. If paying for a membership would mean sacrificing other essentials, this is for you. We want you here.
$12/month
(one-time payment of $36 or $12/month for 3 months)
Standard Rate
The true cost of the membership
If you have stable housing and some discretionary income for things like dining out or streaming services, this is the tier that sustains the Collective.
$24/month
(one-time payment of $72 or $24/month for 3 months)
Sustainer Rate
For those who can help pay-it-forward
If you are financially secure and have the means to contribute more, this rate directly supports our Community tier and ensures that everyone is welcome here.
$36/month
(one-time payment of $108 or $36/month for 3 months)
Regardless of which tier you choose, you get the exact same 'food brain' support, the same live sessions, and the same seat at the table. We’re all in this together.
Everything You’re Still Wondering
If I missed something, feel free to contact me. No AI chat bots here, I am a real person and happy to help!
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Real habit change—especially when it comes to the "Groundhog Day" loop of meals—doesn't happen overnight. By committing to 3 months together, we have the time to move past the "Ugh" phase and into a rhythm that actually sticks. Plus, it allows our community to grow together rather than having new people pop in and out every week.
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Almost! We meet for about 12 sessions per quarter. If I’m taking a planned vacation or a holiday break, I’ll let the group know well in advance. Even on "off" weeks, the group chat stays open so you can still troubleshoot your plans with the community.
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While the live energy is great for accountability, you can still get the plenty of benefits from the community.
Though live sessions aren’t recorded, I will send a recap message to the Collective with chat highlights and food joy moments each week.
You can also drop your questions in our Practice Better Community Feed, and I’ll answer them so you’re ready for your next grocery run.
Plus, at the Collective grows more live sessions will be added. The timing of those new sessions will be weight towards what works best for those already in the Collective.
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Most apps are built for a "perfect" version of you that doesn't exist. This Collective is built for the real you. We aren't just giving you a list; we’re giving you the time and a professional food brain to help you pivot when your week goes sideways. It's the difference between buying a gym membership and having a trainer show up at your house.
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Not even a little bit. As a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, my goal is to help you find satisfaction and joy in eating. We celebrate frozen pizzas just as much as kale salads. There is no calorie counting, no "forbidden" foods, and zero shame here.
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Absolutely. Because you aren’t following a rigid, pre-set plan, you are in total control. I’m there to help you troubleshoot substitutions and find recipes that actually work for your specific needs and lifestyle.
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Absolutely. In fact, this is where having a professional "food brain" in your corner really shines. Since we aren't using a rigid, "everyone-eats-the-same-thing" template, you are in the driver's seat. I’m here to help you find meals that satisfy the picky eaters and keep you from feeling like a short-order cook. We’ll focus on "bridge foods" and flexible recipes that can be easily customized for different tastes.
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You’ll have the option to renew your seat for the next season before we open enrollment to the public. If you’ve found your rhythm and are ready to fly solo, you can cancel your membership at the end of the quarter with no hard feelings! And you can come back in the future if you need a little more support.
Ready to trade decision fatigue for food joy?
Enrollment for the Spring Quarter ends April 1st.