How to Make a Weekly Meal Plan
Making a meal plan is a huge time saver, and money saver for our family. It takes a little planning, but knowing what you will make for dinner each night is worth it. It also makes it easier for us to eat meals together as a family.
Here is how I create my weekly meal plan.
- Research Recipes—I always want to try new recipes but never seem to have all the ingredients on hand. So, I occasionally research and select one new recipe and add it to my meal plan. Once I’ve chosen a new recipe, I add the ingredients to my weekly shopping list.
- Make a Shopping List—I start by inventorying the food in our pantry. I’ll add any regularly purchased items to the shopping list. Then, I add recipe-specific ingredients I need for special meals.
- Shop the Sales—If the grocery store has a special on specific items, I try to plan meals around those items. I also like to stock up on sale items and work them into future meal plans.
- Make a List of Possible Meals – After shopping, I make a list of all the possible meals I can make.
- Select meals based on your calendar of events for the week. – If we have a hectic day, I usually plan a slow cooker meal or something quick and easy. On weekends in the summer, we usually grill out.
- Write down your plan and post it on the fridge, calendar, or somewhere everyone can see it. You can use this free meal plan printable I made.
- Every morning, look at the meal plan – I look at my meal plan each morning to set out meat to thaw, prep food, or pick up any extras I might need. This prevents a 5 o’clock panic.
It’s really simple and has been a tremendous help in keeping my family well-fed. PB&J every night gets old.
My Meal Plan for this week….
Possible Meals
- Chicken Tacos
- Spaghetti
- Slow Cooked Cuban Pork
- Sandwiches
- Pork Ribs
- Stir Fry Beef
This week:
Monday – Pork Ribs
Tuesday – Sandwiches
Wednesday – Slow Cooked Cuban Pork
Thursday – Spaghetti with meat sauce
Friday – Pizza and a movie
Saturday – Beef Stir Fry
Sunday – Chicken Tacos
