If you’re looking to cut down on your food spending and take some of the stress out of the eternal “what’s for dinner?” question, download our free weekly meal plan. A few minutes of planning really can save you a ton of time – and money – during the week.
When we started meal planning, the difference to our weekly food budget was hard to believe. We spent noticeably less, and we ate much better too. Taking a few minutes to plan also encourages you to try new meals instead of relying on convenience choices and last-minute quick fixes.
If you’ve never tried meal planning before, it’s well worth a go. There’s real satisfaction in knowing exactly what you need is already in the fridge and ready to go.
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How to Create a Weekly Meal Plan
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Start by taking a few minutes each week to look through your fridge, freezer and cupboards to see what you already have. Then pick meals that use up your fresh ingredients and fill them in on your weekly meal plan.
It helps to sit down with a few cookbooks (or your favourite recipe site) and pick out family favourites alongside a new recipe or two to try. Don’t forget to think about lunch boxes, snacks, weekend breakfasts and baking, so you’re not making a return trip to the supermarket for forgotten items.
On busy days – activities, after-school clubs, working late – lean on your slow cooker or plan ahead with leftovers that can be transformed into another meal. These are usually the days that catch families out, turning into a scramble to throw something together.
When budgets are tight, you sometimes need to make meals stretch further. With a bit of planning, you can turn one initial meal into three dinners. We’ve put together suggestions for chicken, beef, pork, ham, lamb and more – delicious triple dinners that go down well with all ages.
Download Your Weekly Meal Plan
One of the most useful things about using a weekly meal plan is that you can see at a glance whether you’re eating too much or too little of something – not enough vegetables, too much meat or pasta, very little fish, and so on.
Try aiming for at least a few meatless meals throughout the week, and make bigger batches of some dinners so you have planned leftover nights built in. With a new twist, the same dinner can become something else entirely – leftover chilli becomes a jacket potato topping, leftover chicken casserole becomes a chicken pie, and extra veg gets turned into soup.
You can download your free weekly meal plan here, ready for you to fill in with your family’s meals for the week.
Let us know how you get on!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much time does meal planning actually take?
Most families find that 10–15 minutes once a week is enough to plan out meals, once you get into the habit. It’s quicker if you keep a running list of family favourites to pick from.
Do I need to plan every single meal?
No – start small. Even planning your evening meals for the week, while leaving breakfasts and lunches flexible, will save time and reduce food waste.
What if my plans change during the week?
That’s completely normal. Keep your plan flexible and swap meals around as needed – the point is to have a rough guide, not a strict schedule.
Can meal planning help with food waste?
Yes. Planning around what’s already in your fridge, freezer and cupboards means you’re far less likely to buy things you don’t need or let fresh food go off unused.
Related Articles
- Cheaper, Easier and Tastier: 14 Days of Slow Cooker Family Meals
- Make Three Dinners Out of One Meal
- 12 Quick & Easy Lunch Ideas Hungry Kids Love
- 11 of the Best Vegetarian Recipes for a Meatless Monday
- 21 Proven Tips and Tricks to Cut Your Food Bill in Half
Save This for Later
Not ready to start today? Bookmark this page or save the meal plan download so it’s ready whenever you need it.
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