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
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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