How to make a weekly meal plan
Planning can really help you have healthy meals and snacks no matter how busy things get.
Planning can help you have healthy meals and snacks no matter how busy things get.Having a meal plan can save time, money and reduce food waste. Just remember to stick to your shopping list.
Here are six steps to making a meal plan:
1.Give yourself time to plan
Set aside time each week to make a meal plan. Think about:
How many meals you need to prepare for the week
When you need to make quick meals or prepare them in advance
2.Check what you have
Check what ingredients you already have in your cupboard, fridge or freezer. Check the ‘use-by’ dates of foods to see what you need to use up first, start by planning your meals around this.
The way you store food has a big impact on how long it lasts. Follow these tips:
- Check the label for advice on how to store food.
- Put new items to the back, and older items to the front of the fridge/cupboard.
- Label all foods with the name and the date before freezing so they can be easily identified.
Read more food storage tips here.
3.Include some of your favourite meals
- Make a go-to list of meals that you enjoy
- Introduce new recipes when you have extra time
- Think about having a themed night, like Meatless Mondayfor example.
4. Use up your leftovers
- Plan meals that can be refrigerated and heated up or eaten cold the next day such as pasta bake, soup, shepherd’s pie, curry, lasagne or beef stew.
- Use leftover vegetables in an omelette, soup or salad, or add leftover meat to a curry or stir-fry.
- Remember leftovers stored in the fridge must be used within three days.
5. Cook in bulk
- Cook extra and refrigerate or freeze the leftovers. Pies, curries, stews and casseroles all freeze well.
- If you are using the oven, think about what else you can cook at the same time. If you are doing a casserole, you could cook some chicken breasts to go in sandwiches.
6.Make your ingredients work
- Choose recipes that use the same key ingredients such as roast chicken, chicken stir fry and chicken sandwiches
- Pick 2-3 main vegetables and addthem to a meat, pasta or fish dish. For example, peppers, broccoli and sweetcorn can be added to a beef stir-fry but can also be used to make a vegetable pasta bake or served with meat or fish.
New to meal planning? Here's athree-week plan to get you started.
Three-week meal plan
Week 1
- Monday
Meal Food Breakfast 1 or 2 cereal wheat biscuits with low-fat fortified (added vitamins) milk. Add some fruit like berries/banana/raisins for variety Snack Low-fat yogurt Lunch 2 slices of wholemeal bread with a low-fat cheese slice and tomato Snack Fresh fruit Dinner Shepherd’s pie with sweetcorn and green beans - Tuesday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of cereal oat biscuits with low-fat fortified milk. Add some fruit like berries/banana/raisins for variety Snack Orange segments Lunch Pitta bread with cooked ham, low-fat mayonnaise, lettuce and cucumber Snack 1 thin slice of fruit brack or banana bread Dinner Lamb curry with vegetables and boiled rice - Wednesday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of oat cereal with a teaspoon of nutmeg or cinnamon Snack Banana Lunch Tortilla wrap with a slice of chicken, relish and lettuce and a sliced apple Snack 2 rice cakes Dinner Spaghetti bolognaise - Thursday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of flake-type cereal with low-fat fortified milk. Add banana for variety Snack Cheese Lunch Pasta with tuna, sweetcorn, spring onion and tomato ketchup Snack Packet of plain popcorn Dinner Baked fish with vegetables and pasta - Friday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of porridge needn’t be boring. Add honey or yogurt Snack Carrot sticks Lunch Brown roll with mashed hard-boiled egg, lettuce, peppers and tomato Snack Cheese on crackers Dinner Spaghetti bolognaise - Saturday
Meal Food Breakfast Slice of wholemeal toast with baked beans or scrambled egg Snack Low-fat yoghurt Lunch 1 wholemeal bap with a lean grilled rasher, tomato and avocado Snack Small bowl of homemade soup Dinner Stir-fried pork with peppers, mushrooms, onions and noodles - Sunday
Meal Food Breakfast Omelettewith lots of vegetables Snack Chopped apple Lunch Cooked rice, lettuce, tomato, low-fat cheese or tuna Snack Low-fat yogurt Dinner Chicken casserole with vegetables and boiled potatoes
Week 2
- Monday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 Cereal Wheat biscuits with low fat fortified milk, banana, glass of water Snack Handful of nuts Lunch Tortilla wrap with slice of chicken, relish, lettuce and tomato. Pear Snack Small low-fat yogurt Dinner Chilli con carne with rice and sweetcorn. Glass of low fat milk - Tuesday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of porridge with low fat fortified milk. Add a teaspoon of nutmeg or cinnamon for variety. 2 plums and a glass of water Snack Thin slice of fruit brack Lunch Rice salad with tuna. Small yoghurt and cucumber sticks. Snack Glass of low fat milk Dinner Spanish omelette with tomato salad. Glass of low fat milk - Wednesday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with jam or marmalade. An orange. Water Snack Cherry tomatoes Lunch 1 wholemeal bap with ham & fow fat mayonaisse. Small yoghurt Snack 2 rice cakes Dinner Pasta and salmon bake with mixed green salad. Glass fruit juice - Thursday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with baked beans or scrambled egg and small glass of fruit juice. Small yoghurt Snack Small bag of popcorn Lunch 2 slices of wholemeal bread with slice of low fat cheese and tomato. 2 plums Snack Small bag of plain popcorn Dinner Vegetable casserole. Small yoghurt - Friday
Meal Food Breakfast
1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with baked beans or scrambled egg and small glass of fruit juice. Small yoghurtSnack 2 rice cakes Lunch 2 slices of wholemeal bread with some chicken and green salad, 2 kiwis and a small glass of low fat milk Snack Sugar free jelly Dinner Tuna quick bake with mixed green salad. Melon chunks with yoghurt - Saturday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 cereal wheat biscuits with low fat fortified milk, banana, glass of water Snack Lunch Beans and cheese baked potato. Tinned peaches Snack Small bowl of homemade soup Dinner Pasta Siciliana with mixed pepper salad. Glass of low fat milk - Sunday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 pancakes with lemon and honey and small glass of fruit juice Snack Lunch Farmhouse vegetable soup and wholemeal brown bread. Small yoghurt & fruit salad Snack 1 thin slice of fruit brack/banana bread Dinner Beef stew and mashed potatoes. Glass of low fat milk. A pear
Week 3
- Monday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with jam or marmalade. Glass of low fat milk. Pear Snack 2 mandarins Lunch Wholemeal brown bread, tinned salmon and tomato with mayonaisse. Carrot sticks, small yoghurt Snack Dinner Lasagne with baked potato and mixed green salad. Tinned fruit co*cktail - Tuesday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of porridge with low fat fortified milk. Add honey or yoghurt for something new. Banana Snack Handful of nuts Lunch 2 slices wholemeal brown bread, boiled egg, mayonaisse & lettuce. Yoghurt Snack Dinner Vegetable stir-fry with noodles. Glass of low fat milk - Wednesday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with scrambled egg. Pear and small yoghurt Snack Carrot sticks Lunch Cooked pasta with tuna and sweetcorn. Grapes. Low fat milk Snack Dinner Family fish pie with broccoli and cauliflower. Fruit salad and yoghurt - Thursday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of porridge with low fat fortified milk. Add some fruit like berries/banana/raisins for variety Snack A small yoghurt Lunch Tortilla wrap with ham and cream cheese and spring onion. Banana Snack Dinner Grilled pork chops with mashed potato and frozen mixed vegetables. 2 plain biscuits - Friday
Meal Food Breakfast A bowl of high fibre breakfast cereal with low fat fortified milk. 2 mandarin oranges Snack Sugar free jelly Lunch 2 slices of wholemeal bread with slice of low fat cheese and tomato. Apple Snack Dinner Chicken and tomato risotto with lettuce, tomato, onion and pepper salad - Saturday
Meal Food Breakfast Omelette with lots of fresh/frozen vegetables and small glass of fruit juice. Small yoghurt Snack Lunch Minestrone soup with wholemeal brown bread. Glass of low fat milk. 2 plums Snack Dinner Homemade beef burgers with homemade oven chips. Low fat milk. Tomato and cucumber salad - Sunday
Meal Food Breakfast 1-2 slices of wholemeal toast with beans and small glass of fruit juice Snack Lunch Macaroni cheese. Grapes Snack Dinner Vegetable casserole. Stewed apple and yoghurt
Related pages
Guide to eating healthy food while saving money
How to read nutrition labels
Kitchen hygiene and food safety
