Free Printable Weekly Meal Planner PDF
When you are trying to keep your weeks organized a weekly meal plan goes a long way. Our free printable weekly meal planner can help you organize your week and keep you on track for your grocery shopping, and help you save money too. Here is our free weekly meal planner in a printable pdf.
How to use a printable weekly meal planner
The way we use our weekly meal planner is very straightforward.
Plan our your week in advance
First print off the weekly meal planner template, then at the bottom of meal prep template each day we write any events that are on for that day.
So if we have a haircut on a Tuesday and won’t be home later we plan for an easier supper. That way we aren’t getting take-out because we don’t feel like cooking. Also we aren’t feeling stressed by having to cook a large meal that night because we know we are short on time.
Plan your meals
After we have written down all of our events for the week, we plan out the meals one day at a time. Every time we add a meal we check our pantry and fridge to see what we need. Any items that we need get added to the grocery list at the same time.
Make a shopping list
This has the ability to make sure we have everything we need for our meals and add missing items to the shopping list. This helps planning and at the same time cutting down on our food budget because we are only buying what we need.
By taking 5 minutes to think through the week we add clarity to our meals and know that can handle the cooking on any given day
A shopping list is key when you are trying to save money and eat healthily. The worst thing is getting to the store and realizing you don’t have everything you need. Then having to buy things you don’t need just because you are there.
Meal prep
The night before or in the morning we like to do some meal prep for the day ahead. This helps on those busy nights when we might not feel like cooking. It also helps because then we know we are eating something healthy instead of getting take-out.
Refer to your weekly dinner planner
Throughout the week, we go through our weekly meal plan. Every night after supper we look ahead to the next day to see if any foods need to be taken out of the freezer to thaw. If there is any prep work that can be done the night before we do it.
Ideally, we would prep everything on the weekend but that rarely happens for us. But having vegetables cut the night before makes cooking a lot easier after work. When it comes to cooking a meal, having things ready to go helps a lot.
Weekly meal planning tips
A few meal planning tips to help you out can go a long way with our free printable menu planner. They can cut down the meal prep time in the kitchen on weeknights.
Stick with what you know.
Weekly meal plans can get unnecessarily complicated. When you are starting out with your meal planning template, stick to the basics and go from there.
You can always add in new meals as you go along but in the first weeks the big one of the best tips for meal planning is to make a simple meal plan that is easy to make and you are more likely to stick with it. Also, pre-planning delicious meals go a long way when it comes to wanting to stick to a meal plan. You may want to start with some healthy meals or favorite meals.
Do whatever keeps you motivated.
Know the plan ahead of time
Successful meal planning comes From knowing what the week ahead has in store for you. for example if you know you have an activity right after supper it’s best to prepare and plan for a short meal that’s easy to cook. This is where a crockpots or one-pot meals can be a godsend.
Make your grocery list and meal plan at the same time
When you’re making your meal plan for the week, make sure to have your grocery list next to you to include all the items that you will need. this can go a long way to saving you money when you shop for food both in the store and online. one of the best budgeting tips is to always shop from a list and meal planning is no exception.
Leftovers are a lifesaver
Cut down on your meal prepping, make larger meals and use the leftovers as lunch or supper the day after. This can go a long way and cut down your time in the kitchen and have delicious food at the same time. you’ll be surprised but there is not as much effort to make a large meal then there is to make a whole separate meal.
Be realistic about your days
It’s nice to think that we all want fancy dinners every day of the week, but the effort to cook a meal on a Monday night isn’t the same as it is on a Friday night or Saturday night. I know how you feel during the week normally and plan your meals accordingly. Breakfast for supper can be a quick and easy meal on nights where you come home feeling tired like a Monday.
Always use a grocery List
Using a grocery list with a meal planner is one of the best tips that you can use to save time and money in the kitchen. When you are planning your meals for the week, make sure to have your grocery list next to you to include all the items that you will need.
This can go a long way to saving you money when you shop for food both in the store and online. One of the best budgeting tips is to always shop from a list and meal planning is no exception.
Find Easy Recipes
There are many ways that you can find recipes to use with your meal planner. You can find cookbooks at your local library or bookstore.
You can also find recipe websites online that offer a wide variety of recipes. You can also find recipes in magazines and on food blogs. When you are looking for recipes, be sure to choose ones that are easy to follow and that you have all the ingredients for. This will make meal planning easier and less stressful.
Find a collection of fast and easy recipes you can go back to every week. You will be grateful forthose meal ideas on busy nights.
Always use a meal planner
A meal planner is a great tool to use when you are trying to save time and money in the kitchen. A meal planner can help you to plan ahead for meals so that you know what you need to buy at the grocery store and what you need to cook.
Meal planning can also help you to save money by avoiding last-minute trips to the grocery store and eating out. When you are using a meal planner, be sure to be realistic about your time and your cooking abilities. Choose recipes that are easy to follow and that you have all the ingredients for. This will make meal planning easier and less stressful.
You can find a printable meal planner here!
Portrait Weekly Meal Plan Sunday Start
We’ve included two weekly meal planners to help you start your week off right, and finish your week strong. The first is a portrait weekly meal planner that starts on Sunday. This is a great option if you like to meal prep on Sundays or if you like to have your week’s meals planned out ahead of time. The second is a landscape weekly meal planner that starts on Monday. This is a great option if you prefer to plan your meals at the beginning
This weekly meal planner can help you finish off the week strong and plan everything you need to get your week off to a great start. This planner includes a grocery list, so you can make sure you have everything you need before you start cooking.
It also has a section for breakfast, lunch, and dinner so you can plan your meals ahead of time. This planner is great for those who like to meal prep on Sundays or who like to have their week’s meals planned out ahead of time.
You can find a printable meal planner here!
Cute Weekly Meal Plan – Monday Start
This cute weekly meal plan printable is a great tool for organizing your weekly meals and giving your meals the organization that it needs.
This free printable meal planner is a great way to make sure that you are eating healthy and balanced meals throughout the week.
This free printable meal plan has a Monday start so that you can easily see what you need to eat for each day of the week. This printable meal plan also has a grocery list included so that you can easily get all of the ingredients that you need.
You can find this weekly meal planner printable here!
