Save money on your grocery budget each month when you start meal planning. By preparing grocery lists and some meals in advance, it is easy to work towards financial goals by having an outline of food for the week.
There are a variety of ways to start meal planning to begin preparing a weekly meal plan which will make shopping a breeze and ensure meals will come together in a flash.
Within this article, we will break down:
- Outlining a week of meals
- Preparing the basics
- Sample meal prep- breakfast
- Sample meal prep- lunch
- Sample meal prep- dinner
- A living note – the grocery list
- Money saving tips
- Meal prep equipment
Outlining a week of meals
Firstly, to start meal planning is by setting a specific meal for each (or one) meal per day. Meal preparation can be done by preparing part of or the entire breakfast, lunch, or dinner in advance.
For some people, meal prepping means preparing one specific meal (like spaghetti) in advance and splitting it equally for lunch over the course of the week. Meal prep can also be planning a specific meal for each day of the week.
By planning ahead, there is little question about what foods to bring to work or what to eat for dinner upon getting home when hunger hits.
In our household, we like to plan our dinners by day of the week. We know there are days we will want to prepare a meal in advance or eat a previously made meal out of the freezer.
For those long days, it always makes everyone happy because we can be prep to plate within 10-15 minutes. This is key for our toddler who wants to eat right away when we get home from daycare.
We then select options from our weekly breakfast and lunch prep. For example, we may choose two to three different meals to repeat throughout the week and make for quick breakfast and lunch options. We alternate the meals Monday through Friday. This may look like:
- Breakfast- smoothies and chia seed pudding
- Lunch – sandwiches and leftovers
Our weekly dinner meal plan might look like the following:
- Monday -sourdough shepherds pie
- Tuesday – tacos
- Wednesday – sweet-and-sour meatballs with rice and freezer veggies
- Thursday – gluten free chicken nuggets, potato chips and a side salad
- Friday – leftovers or take out
- Saturday – grilled chicken thighs with mixed California veggies and air fryer potatoes
- Sunday – breakfast for dinner
To keep new meals on the rotation, we enjoy swapping meal ideas with family, utilizing sites like Pinterest, and try out one new disk per week from either a cookbook or online search engine.
Preparing the basics
Another way to start meal planning is by preparing a base for a meal. A base option may include roasted veggies, rice, potatoes or even protein. We often prepare protein for lunch on Sundays.
We may make boiled eggs, cook up extra chicken breast, thighs or drumsticks, or prepare extra meatballs to have available in the freezer. These proteins can easily be paired with a starch (carb) and fat to create a balanced meal in minutes.
To prepare some of the other basics for the week, we like to peel and wash fruits and vegetables. For vegetables, we will peel, de-seed and cut them before placing them into containers. For fruit, we wash them and de-stem. This helps us gravitate less towards pre-packaged items when on the go.
Another basic staple in our house is baked goods or sourdough items. We will plan ahead what items will use sourdough starter.
If you read my health journey, you would know how my gluten sensitivity requires us to ferment anything containing wheat for 24 hours, if possible, to reduce the amount of gluten.
By planning in advance we can ensure recipes containing gluten are fermented for long enough to reduce the amount of gluten and add more health benefits. Lastly, if you would like to read more about gluten sensitivity and sourdough, I would recommend this article.
Sample Meal Plan: Breakfast
Ideas of breakfast meal prep include (e.g.):
- Greek yogurt with berries and granola
- Eggs with sourdough, butter and/ or avocado
- Chia seed pudding with berries
- Breakfast smoothies:
- Healthy fats may include Greek yogurt, coconut cream, milk, or nut butter
- Fruits: fresh or frozen
- Vegetables: spinach or kale
- Supplements: bee pollen, collagen, glutamine or a protein powder
- #momtomomtip: If we are making a smoothie for our little one and she is struggling to go to the restroom, we will add Chia seeds or flaxseeds to help encourage use of the restroom. For more baby led weaning pantry staples, check out my top ten BLW staples, here!
- Sourdough waffles or pancakes plus a protein of choice
Sample meal plan: Lunch
Idea of lunch meal prep includes:
- Lunchbox meals or charcuterie boards, i.e. crackers, fruit, nuts, and an additional source of healthy fat
- Leftovers from the previous nights dinner
- Make sandwiches at the beginning of the week and put them into the freezer. By pulling out a sandwich in the morning, it acts as a “cold pack”. The sandwich will be thawed by meal time. (Note this cold pack method does not replace a ice pack needed to keep other foods at a safe temperature to prevent food borne illness ).
- We like the combos of peanut butter and jelly, almond butter and jelly or goat cheese and jelly. Additionally we like meat and cheese sandwiches.
- #momtomomtip: To ensure your bread stays firm and does not get soggy, add the condiments later by packing them in a separate container.
- We like the combos of peanut butter and jelly, almond butter and jelly or goat cheese and jelly. Additionally we like meat and cheese sandwiches.
Sample meal plan: Dinner
Ideas of meal prep includes:
- Beef or Turkey: spaghetti and meatballs, meatball subs, sweet-and-sour meatballs, burgers, sliders, Korean beef bowls, tacos, beef hot dogs
- Chicken: chicken nuggets, grilled chicken salads, Greek chicken, chicken on flatbreads or pizza, chipotle chicken, sheet pan meals, chicken sausages
A living note- the grocery list
Another essential way to start meal planning and to stay on budget is by sticking to a grocery list. We have a shared note which lists the stores we buy items from.
Anytime there is something on sale, included in our meal plan for the week or when something is running out, we add it to the list. There are two methods to keeping a living grocery list: list all pantry items and select items as needed or list only items needed for week and those which are running out.
- One option is to list all items in your pantry. When something is out or you need it for a recipe, ‘check’ the item. When grocery shopping, only shop for items which are ‘checked’. When the item is picked up at the store, uncheck it.
- Another option is to list only the items which need to be purchased. When picked up at the store, the item is removed from the list leaving it blank at the end of shopping.
Money Saving Tips
When trying to stick to a budget, it is important to control expenses where possible. There are many money saving tips to start meal planning.
- Rewards programs
- For shops which have rewards programs, simply start by signing up for it. The store may give points back for shopping at their store which can apply to future purchases. Some stores also may give coupons for frequently purchased items.
- Weekly Ads
- For stores which run weekly advertisement, check between the shops! For example, meat, eggs, milk and butter prices are often variable from week to week. By checking prices between stores, you can save money.
- Buy in Bulk
- If you have the opportunity to utilize a membership like Costco, BJ’s, or Sam’s Club where you can buy items in bulk, consider this. Items like flour, butter, meat, olive oil, seasonings, Kleenex and toilet paper can be purchased in bulk. Our family is particular to Costco because we have an executive membership where we receive money back at the end of the year. (Who doesn’t like free money?) When purchasing items like meat in bulk, you can prepare them in smaller quantities and put them into the freezer.
- Money Saving App – Flashfood
- There are also apps like Flashfood, which help consumers save money by providing discounts on items which are near their expiration date or are not ‘sellable’ due to the look. For example, produce which is smaller than others or misshaped may be available. Download a grocery money saving app like ‘FlashFood‘ to see which foods are marked down at your local store each week. #momtomomtip: Use my code ‘HAIL3STJX’ to receive $3 off on your next order when you spend over $15 on your first purchase! By using this code I will also receive $3 towards my next purchase with FlashFood- thank you!
- Membership based meal plan
- Meal delivery services like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Home Chef can be an affordable way to plan meals each week. These services allow one to customize the amount of meals they would like per week. Meal delivery services can allow creativity in a weekly meal plan. Prices start from $20-60 per week depending on the number of people within the household. These meal kits require minimal prep time which can speed up cooking time in the kitchen. Finally, these services often come with a sign up bonus to reduce the cost of the first meal plan.
- Curbside Pick Up
- Last but not least is consider utilizing a service like curbside pick up or home delivery from your favorite meal/grocery delivery service like Shipt. Walmart even has a $0 pick up fee when one spends over $35 on their purchase! While occasionally these items are priced higher than what you would find in stores, it can help to reduce the price or urgency to buy items while you were at the store.
What are some of your favorite weekly meals? Let me know in the comments below. If there is a recipe from another blog, feel free to link it below so other readers can change up their weekly meal plan.
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