How To Make a Weekly Meal Plan

I think I repeat the same lines in every post or conversation I have about meal planning….“it’s life changing”….and “you can do it!”, both of which I believe to be true. However I have recognized that not every one feels like they know how to tackle meal planning, and in many cases feels as if it may be a lot of work. There are many methods, but all of them can be done quickly and efficiently. I thought I would lay out how I meal plan, which is very basic, and uncomplicated. I only plan out our dinners (suppers) and generally just for the weeknight. Okay let’s discuss how to make a weekly meal plan.

1. Gather my supplies

The first thing I do is grab the weekly flyers, my calendar, a notepad for my list, a pen, and my smart phone. All of this can be done electronically, but I typically look at the paper copies and also still like to use a paper list while I am shopping. Call me old-fashioned. 😉

2. Study my weekly calendar

I have two calendars I work with, one is my work calendar with meetings, commitments, etc, and the other is our family calendar. I like to look over both of these when making my meal plan. The nights I know I have a supper time meeting, or will be gone all afternoon at basketball, etc, are perfect nights to plan something for the slow cooker. Nights where we may be commitment free I plan on something I can prepare on the spot. I have also recently turned Friday nights into Homemade Pizza Nights, so I know that I will need the ingredients for those nights as well. Knowing your weekly commitments and family schedule is a crucial part to meal planning.

3. Start a master list of your favourite meals or ones you prepare most often.

This can be a quick, but really beneficial action that you can add to, and also refer back to each week. You probably know what your families favourite meals are. In my house I get a lot of request for taco’s, homemade meatballs and rice, corn chowder, and chicken salads, to name a few. There are other meals I make a lot, but sometimes I can forget about them, or just want someone to tell me what to make. 😉 Having a master list, helps with all of that. Literally take 5 minutes and write down the top 10 meals you most often make. As you start the meal planning refer to your list, and add to it as you discover new recipes or favourites. This is extremely helpful as well when you get to Step #4. Once you identify the big sale items for the week, look at your Master List and see what favourites you could be making this week.

4. Study the front and back pages of the flyers for the best weekly deals…and start planning my meals around those.

Every week there are new items on sale. I have to confess I am baffled by people who don’t shop the sales or pay attention to them. The cost of groceries and eating healthy can be high, so why not plan to eat around what on special/what’s in season? These are the things you should be basing your weekly meal plan on. It will save you money and offer you a variety in your meals.

Most of my meals plans are generally based on the top half of the front page of the flyer. That’s where the best deals in meat, fish and produce generally are. Know you want to start incorporating a Meatless Monday meal? Make sure you check and see what’s on sale that week for produce for Quiche or frittata options. Would like your family to start eating more fish? See if there is any salmon or haddock on sale that week that you could pick up. Know there’s a dance or practice one night that might mean some extra kids/teenagers over? I generally plan some sort of pasta for those nights. Almost every kids likes pasta, and it’s easy to make a large amount for any extra people around the table. With your plan, you will know you have the ingredients on hand and ready for whatever situation arises through the week.

I also stock up on items when I know they are at their rock bottom price. If 10 lbs of potatoes are on for $2.00, I am most likely picking up two bags, one for this week, and one for the next. Same with cans of black beans, kidney beans,diced tomatoes, rice, etc. Staple items that you use a lot, are great to grab 1 or 2 extra when they are on sale. It will make future meal planning more economical.

5. Visit your local Farm Markets

photo credit- Heidi Jirotka Photography

There will be future posts on meal planning from your local Farmers Market, but I tend to do those in reverse. I go the Farmers market, buy whats in season and on sale, then go home and plan my weekly meals. I am so fortunate to have at least three seasonal markets all within a 10 minute drive from my house….one of which I can walk to! As well there are a few beautiful year round markets, such as the Lunenburg Farmers Market, in our area. I shop very little from the major grocery stores once the seasonal markets open. My favourite local markets like Wile’s Lake Farm Market, Indian Garden Farm, and Bob and the Boys are full of seasonal produce and local meats and cheeses etc, that make meal planning…and grocery shopping…a lot more fun.

#6. Write out your weekly meal plan and stick it on the fridge

This is not a necessary step, but one I always do and appreciate. I love having the visual reminder of what I am cooking for the week, as well it occasionally stops me from answering 50 times a week, the “what are we having for supper?” question. I have been known as well, without the written reminder, to completely forget that I bought all the ingredients for a certain meal. My memory is not getting better as I get older…I need this written down. Seeing my meal plan on the fridge, knowing I have all the ingredients, and time to prepare those on the days selected….bring me a piece of mind that I can’t describe. It’s a simple but joyful thing.

Feeding yourself, or your family is a never-ending commitment. Spending 20-30 minutes a week to plan this out….is life-changing! Try it for a week or two….then go back to just “winging-it”. Let me know if you see a difference. It’s too easy to hit up a drive thru, or pick up another pizza at the end of a long day when you’re exhausted and have NO idea what to make for supper. With a plan, those can be occasional treat days, and not ones out of desperation. The amount of mental head space you spend, running through ingredients in your mind…wondering if you have this or that to pull a meal together….can all be freed up…with one simple weekly meal plan. You can do this!

These are really the steps I use, written out in detail, but I would say the whole process of weekly meal planning takes me about 20-30 minutes. You could easily spend that time aimlessly wandering around the grocery store, trying to make up meals as you go. If you want to save time, save money, eat better, and be more organized….then I highly recommend giving meal planning a try. It’s LIFE-CHANGING! Did I say that already? 😉