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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. Read more shopping tips here

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 Monday for example.

4. Use up your leftovers

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 add them 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 a three-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 Omelette with 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 yoghurt
    Snack 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 cocktail
  • 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

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