Weekly Meal Plan Printable

Use this weekly meal plan printable to save money, eat healthier, and avoid a kitchen scramble at the end of the day.

This post was originally published in 2013; it has been updated multiple times for clarity and to match the other OMDD printables.

Some weeks, the only way I get dinner on the table every night is because I have a meal plan. Seriously, I do not know how we ate before.

Now I have been doing it for so long that it has become a comfortable part of my weekly routine. Of course, it didn’t start off that way. Back when we were newlyweds, my husband and I would just wander through Walmart together, throwing things in the cart that caught our attention.

Later, when I started making a weekly menu and grocery list, I still did it the hard way.

I spent hours agonizing over what to make. I browsed the circular of every store within a five-mile radius (which is at least half a dozen) to make sure I was getting the cheapest food possible. I clipped every coupon and followed every deal blogger I met.

And although our grocery bill was averaging $50 per week (in 2013), it was costing me way too much time. Plus we weren’t exactly eating healthy every day – coupons for frozen pizza are much more common than coupons for broccoli.

My weekly meal plan routine

Now I spend about an hour every Sunday planning. I’d probably be faster if I didn’t do it while watching Netflix.

1. Jot down restock items.

What did you run out of this week? I’ve been using the Walmart grocery app to add items to my grocery list throughout the week. I’m really enjoying the convenience of Walmart Grocery Pickup, but I also like a paper shopping list so the kids can add items too.

2. Eat what you’ve already bought.

Take a quick peek in the pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Then make a list of suppers that can be made from what you already have. If you’re just one or two ingredients short, go ahead and add them to the shopping list.

3. Plan your other suppers.

Usually, after that, I need to plan one or two more meals for the week. I check the calendar to see if we have any super-busy nights that would be easier with takeout. I check Pinterest to see if I’ve saved anything new to try. I add those last meals to my plan and my shopping list.

4. Add breakfast and lunch.

Lastly, I add any breakfast or lunch staples we need. We eat more or less the same things for breakfast and lunch every day:

• cereal, oatmeal, or smoothies for breakfast
• sandwiches, salads, or leftovers for lunch

Weekly meal planning tips

Balance time vs. money.

I like to think I have these two balanced pretty evenly at the moment. I save what money I can, but my time is valuable too.

If you have a shoestring budget and more time, you could spend more time hunting for coupons and deals.

If you are short on time and money isn’t the priority, you could skip the coupons and circulars altogether and just plan whatever you feel like cooking.

Set a budget.

We have a weekly grocery budget and a monthly budget. I keep track of what I spend each week so that if I go over, I know to be more cautious the next week.

The opposite is also true though. If I’m under, I know next week I can afford to stock up on something.

When you don’t know the price of everything when you’re planning, it can be a challenge. I keep a price book so I know how much my most common purchases cost.

Don’t plan when you’re tired.

This one goes with “don’t go shopping when you’re hungry.”

If you shop when you are hungry, you’ll add things to your cart that look tasty, whether they are on your list or not. If you plan when you’re tired, you will include meals that are simple and fast because cooking for an hour sounds like a chore. Junk food is easy.

Keep a list of favorite meals.

I try to be pretty creative, but I have weeks where I can’t think of a single thing to cook. I don’t know where my brain goes.

Fortunately, I have a list of about a dozen easy recipes that we all enjoy. When in doubt, I stick them in where needed. Here are a few.

• Tex-Mex Tacos
• Spaghetti and Marinara
• Tuna Alfredo
• Brinner – breakfast for dinner

Plan everything.

I plan breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner for seven days. For breakfast and lunch, I usually make a shortlist of two or three choices so that everyone can choose as they pack lunchboxes each day. I pretty much buy the same snacks every week too.

Although I plan dinner every night, I don’t always do it in detail. Some nights I might write in a vague idea like something with pasta or salad and then include whatever ingredients we still have on that day. And if we plan to eat outside the house, I write that in too.

Meal plan printable

You can, of course, write your weekly meal plan on any paper. It sometimes helps to write your list on a cute little printable. This one is included in the pastel household planner inserts!

This fits on a single 8.5×11-inch page. To print an A5/half-sheet size, set your printer to landscape and print 2 pages per page.

Get the printable

Designed to print on 8.5×11-inch paper. All printables are for personal use only.

What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:

• 6 Best Cookbooks for Busy Families
• 12 Winter Lunch Ideas to Pack for School
• 10 Mac and Cheese Hacks for Fast Family Meals