Using a weekly meal plan is the best way to cook healthier for your family, save money, and time! Browse all of my free meal plans which include a grocery shopping list and tons of meal planning ideas including healthy and kid-friendly meals.
We’ve been sharing 5 day weekly meal plans for many years now and we love the feedback we get from those of you who found our meal plans and who are using them regularly.
Each meal plan has 5 dinner recipes that will serve approximately 4 adults. We’ve tried to be thoughtful about including recipes that the whole family will love as well as varying the recipes to include a variety of different meals so that you’re not having chicken every night!
Why Meal Plan?
If you’re reading this, you probably already have your own ideas about why meal planning is a good idea for your family, but here’s what we think:
1. Save Money:
We’ve included the estimated cost per recipe and cost for the entire meal plan, making it even easier to budget and see exactly how much you’re saving when you cook from scratch and use a meal plan! You’ll also save money by dining out less often, avoiding impulse purchases, and wasting less food!
*note that recipe costs are an estimate based on ingredient prices at my local grocer. They will likely vary depending on where you live.
2. Eat Healthier:
Cooking from scratch is a great way to manage your health goals. Both take-out and pre-made meals from your local grocer are going to have more fat, sugar, and sodium than the same foods cooked at home.
3. Save time:
The hardest part of meal planning is finding the ideas and creating a shopping list, and we’ve done that for you! Our Shopping lists include categories like “pantry staples”, and “spices,” and hopefully those are items you already have on hand so you can cross them off of the list. Then you can use the categories to help you find what you need quickly and easily.
Don’t forget to search for appetizers, sides, or dessert recipes to add to your list. Often a post will offer suggestions for sides that might accompany the recipe, and if you would like to swap any meals for a different meal, visit our main dish recipes or search our recipe index.
If you love our recipes, please leave a 5 star comment at the bottom of the recipe and join our facebook group, “From Scratch Food Lovers.”
Oh, and joining our email list is the best way to keep up with the latest at TBFS and to receive great cooking tips and tricks!
Click the link below to print out your shopping list, and you’re ready to go!
Print Shopping List
The hardest part of meal planning is finding the ideas, and creating a shopping list, so I’ve done that for you! Click the link below to print out your shopping list, and you’re ready to go!
**NOTE: You’ll notice the shopping list includes categories like “pantry staples”, and “spices”. Hopefully, those are items you already have on hand, and you can cross them off of the list.
These five meals are popular with adults and kids alike and will serve about 4 people!
Monday: BBQ Chicken Tacos $9.75
Tuesday: Creamy Pesto Tortellini Pasta Salad $14.46
Wednesday: Tomato Pie $8.95
Thursday: Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad $11.99
Friday: Cedar Plank Salmon $14.84
Print Shopping List
