Media: Get organized with this free weekly meal planning template. It puts your shopping list and dinner menu all in one place.
Reader review
“I use it every week! I usually sit down and try to plan two to three weeks at a time. That was a game changer for me.”
Meal planning sounds good – but only theoretically?
Desperately wiping out the fridge at 5 p.m. while a toddler is pulling your leg is no one’s idea of fun.
However, meal planning can also feel like just one more chore on a never-ending to-do list – like something else, more organized, that moms do.
If that sounds like you, I have a simple system to make it easy. Spend ten minutes on this meal planning worksheet at the beginning of the week, and I promise you’ll spend less time, money, and obvious space figuring out what’s for dinner all week.
How are these meal planning worksheets different?
- They include a place for your weekly menu plan – but only dinner, the most difficult meal for most families.
- They have a place for your grocery list because meal planning and creating a grocery shopping list at the same time makes sense (and saves you time and money).
- Grocery lists are organized by aisle. So no more back-tracking around the store.
- They come in one or two store editions. Depending on your shopping routine, you might hit one or two stores (or if you’re like me, it might change from week to week). Either way, I have an option for you.
How to get these worksheets
- Select the one or two store worksheet. You have two different options, depending on how you usually shop for groceries. Hit the pink buttons above to get one or both.
- Get your worksheet: Once you have registered, you will receive an email. Click the button in the email to access your free weekly meal planner worksheet. It will be in PDF format. Download it to your computer.
- Print the planner: You can print as many copies as you want so you have a new sheet each week (and if you want to plan the entire month’s meals, go ahead and print four.)
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How to use the meal planning worksheet
Step 1: Plan a dinner plan for the week
The first thing to do is think about your meals that week. Along the top of the sheet are boxes for the days of the week. This is where you will note your dinner plan for each evening.
Also think about what you have to do each night and what kinds of meals work for that kind of night. For example:
- A crockpot meal for piano practice-baseball-game nights
- A very simple meal idea like breakfast for dinner or sandwiches
- Basic 30-45 minute recipes for slower nights
- A special, more time-consuming weekend meal (this is also a good time to try new recipes)
- At least one night of leftovers or cleaning out of the fridge (I call this “Scrounge Night”)
- Maybe a night out or for pizza
There’s also enough space under each day of the week to write what’s going on that night too (like “soccer game” or “late work meeting”).
Then add some dinner ideas under each day of the week. Try to build your meals around what you already have on hand, such as chicken breasts in the freezer or broccoli that needs to be eaten soon.
If you struggle to plan the entire week, plan just a few dinners a week to start. The important thing is that this system works for you and is sustainable.
Step 2: Create your grocery list and shop
Fill in the grocery list portion of the meal planning worksheet with items you need for your dinner, as well as anything else for the week. The goal is to avoid unplanned grocery trips to grab forgotten items.
The grocery list is organized by category to simplify shopping and avoid zig-zagging throughout the store.
Step 3: Publish your dinner plan
Cut off the top of the meal planning worksheet and place it where your family can see it, such as on the refrigerator or cupboard door. It’s a great way to let your family know what’s on the menu that week and jog your memory in case you need to take the chicken out to defrost it, or chop some veggies ahead of time to save time.
Step 4. Rinse and repeat weekly
Print a new weekly planning sheet each time you need it.
Get the meal planning worksheet
Still not convinced?
Here are five benefits of meal planning:
You will feel less stressed. When you have a dinner plan for each night, you’ll feel more relaxed and organized.
You will eat healthier. Mapping out your meals means no detours along the way for fast food and fewer trips to takeout.
You will save money. When you plan your meals and make your grocery list at the same time, you can get everything you need on one trip and avoid last-minute stops at the store for a forgotten ingredient – which means a lower weekly grocery bill. (Have you ever made a last minute run to the grocery store where you run for garlic, walk out with $150 worth of other stuff – and completely forget about the garlic? Yeah, me too.)
You will save time. Scrambling around the kitchen looking for dinner (or going out for a pizza) eats up precious time. With a plan in place, you can take some time the night before to put any frozen meat or poultry you need in the fridge to thaw and put in items you will need, such as an onion or spices.
You will waste less food. About a third of the food we buy ends up wasted. Wasting food is bad for the planet and your grocery budget. When you plan your meals, you buy only what you need, so you automatically waste less (and spend less).
My best tip for meal planning
Choose your pain point. You don’t need to plan every meal for the day, just the ones that get you through the week. For most people, that’s dinner — but you can narrow it down even further. Maybe it’s Tuesdays, when both kids have sports practice. Or Thursday, when you work late. Start by planning just this meal and then build from there.
Be true to yourself. Even the perfect meal plan won’t work if it’s not realistic for your lifestyle. If weeknights are crazy, plan slow cooker recipes or simple meals like sandwiches. Plan longer meals for the weekends.
Meal plan and shopping at the same time. When you create your meal plan and grocery list at the same time, you can be sure you’ll get everything you need and won’t have to make multiple trips to the grocery store to bring in missing ingredients.
Embrace the “clean out the fridge” night.. Make it one night a week to get all the odds and ends out of your fridge. Arrange them on a pretty platter, put them on a sideboard, or if you have small children, serve them picnic-style on a blanket on the floor. You’ll avoid wasting food or spending more money—and everyone can choose what they like best.
Get more free worksheets
Need help preparing a meal? Get the free 4-week meal prep plan
Go to the next level!
These free meal planning worksheets are a huge step toward feeling less stressed each week.
If you’re ready to get dinner organized for good and have a schedule every week (AND a solid backup plan), check out Stress-free dinner planning. You can get a hard copy with a spiral link or an instant access PDF download.
It’s built around the meals YOUR family likes best and the schedule you have NOW and includes:
- a system for organizing your family’s favorite recipes
- more detailed meal planning worksheets (three different options)
- simple meal ideas
- a place to create backup plans when things go awry
