10 Family Free Meal Planning Templates
As a mom, you know that the key to running your household smoothly is having meals planned and prepped in advance. But grocery shopping can be expensive, and cooking every night can feel like an overwhelming task – especially if you’re already juggling a busy schedule.
If this sounds like something you can relate to, take comfort in knowing that there is a way to streamline the meal planning process with free meal planning templates so that it doesn’t have to be so time-consuming and costly!
In this blog post, we are going to look at the top meal plan printables which will help save you money, simplify your life and make sure everyone gets fed.
From weekly menus with grocery lists attached to customizable templates for special diets to plan meals for the week or month.– these planning tools will help get dinner on the table quickly and easily!
How Meal Planning Saves Money and Time
How Meal Planning Saves Money and Time
Meal planning can save you money in two ways. Firstly, it allows you to purchase groceries in bulk and take advantage of store discounts, as well as avoid trips to the store for forgotten items. Secondly, meal planning prevents food waste because you are only buying what you need for each recipe (rather than impulse-buying or having too much
Planning out meals ahead of time is an excellent way to provide your family with healthy dietary options and save money at the same time. I get it, we’ve all been there! There were times when 4 pm would roll around, yet nothing was ready to be thawed or cooked! But meal planning will help you avoid these moments of panic by having all the necessary ingredients prepped and ready to go in advance.
You know it’s time to get serious when you’re opting for take-out four days a week – pizza, Chic-fil-a, and the like. Sure, indulging every once in a while is perfectly okay, but needing to do so repeatedly may signal an issue that needs addressing.
By planning ahead and getting organized, we can nip this problem in the bud; not only does prepping help with avoiding decision fatigue brought about by too many decisions during our day but it also saves us from potential mental burnout down the line!
The time you save from the planning process can be redirected toward creating a vision board or pursuing something that you are passionate about and fuels you.
Easy Meal Planning Ideas
If you’re just joining the easy menu planning process, here are a few simple suggestions to get started:
Use your favorite store’s apps.
Instacart and Supermarkets like Target, Walmart, and Aldi all have free meal planners available on their websites. You can also use an app such as Mealime to help you easily create grocery lists and plan out meals for the week or month.
Familiarize yourself with what’s in season when it comes to fruits and vegetables, which can be a great way to add variety while saving money. Take advantage of grocery store sales and coupons; this will help you save money on items that you purchase regularly.
Keep days of the week with a similar theme.
Transform Taco Tuesday into an all-Mexican fiesta every week! Don’t stop there—take Thursdays to the next level and embark on a delicious Italian journey with pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, baked ziti…the possibilities are endless. Make your Tuesdays and Thursdays truly special with Mexican nights and Italian feasts.
Have Pinterest or Tiktok for inspiration.
To make meal planning effortless, utilize your social media recipes to fill up your template. If you’re looking for simple and tasty dinner ideas, take a look at my Easy Dinners for the working mom Pinterest Board! Make double of each dish so that you can repurpose them throughout the week – perfect for busy moms on-the-go!
Tip: searching topics like meals to make on a budget, meals to make for dinner, and meal plans for a week would give you tons of ideas for prepping.
Look out for meals without allergens
Thanks to substitution, creating meals that are free of chicken, dairy, and eggs can be a challenge. To make it easier for myself (and my children’s allergies!), I have a few secret boards with recipe ideas that work around their needs.
My middle child has fortunately outgrown most of her allergies – only peanuts and tree nuts remain! Fortunately, they can still enjoy delicious recipes without compromising health; my toddler also has five allergens – beef, chicken, egg, dairy, and peanuts – but I’m hopeful she will eventually outgrow them too!
Make extra for the family
When you’re prepping dinner, just remember to make enough for lunch the next day. Leftovers are always welcome in my household! Plus, if there’s too much food left over, don’t worry – simply pop it into the freezer and save it for later.
Get your list together the night before you go to the store.
Make up a grocery list the night before you hit the store. Make sure to include all of the ingredients that you need for your meals, as well as non-perishables and snacks. That way, once you get to the store, you can breeze through it with ease!
Tip: Utilizing Google Keep, we maintain an inventory of meals that can be easily shared with other people. This allows us to keep track of each others’ modifications in real time.
Use Apps to Save Money
There are tons of apps out there that can save you money on groceries, including Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, Flipp, and Instacart. With a few clicks, they’ll give you cash back on select items or offer discounts if you shop with them. Be sure to check them out!
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
MEAL PLANNING TEMPLATE IDEAS
1. Monthly & Weekly Printable Meal Planner
Image credit to Printable Crush
With this printable, I am able to plan for the entire month ahead of time which saves me so much money! Shopping in advance ensures that you get exactly what you need and at a price that is right.
2. Free Editable Weekly Meal Planner
Image credit to Start Mommy Life
Its meal plan printables like this make me go crazy. This is not only nice and bright but this is an editable weekly meal planner, which means you can use it on your Ipad or Tablet.
3. Six-Week Healthy Meal Plan Template
Image Credit to Jennie Collier
Moms, tired of coming home from work and struggling to figure out what you’re going to make for dinner? This 6-week meal plan printable is the answer. It comes complete with easy recipes that link straight to each individual meal – so you can finally get a break without having to sacrifice deliciousness!
4. Weekly Meal Planner With Shopping List
My meal-planning template is as helpful as it is cute! I fill up my sheet and hang it on the refrigerator so when my kids ask about dinner; they can look at the printable for answers. It’s not all glitzy with food options and links, but its simplicity makes it a great tool!
All you busy moms out there, an Amazon Alexa in your kitchen can revolutionize how you get recipes! Just tell it what dish you’re looking for, and boom – all the instructions appear on your screen.
Personally, I’ve found that using my Alexa has made finding new dishes quicker and easier than ever before – so don’t hesitate to invest if you want a more effortless cooking experience.
Related THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE PRACTICAL MOM TO TRANSFORM HER EVERY DAY LIFE
5. Dinnertime Monthly Meal Plan Printable
Image Credit to The Resourceful Mama
This monthly meal plan printable is the perfect solution to reduce your stress levels – no more spending time thinking about what meals to make each day! With this helpful tool, you’ll have all of your delicious recipes mapped out in one place.
6. Meal Planner Kitchen Set
Image Credit to Frugal Momeh
Having several options for staying organized is the ideal situation. Not only does this weekly meal planner, monthly meal planner, and recipe card set give you more ways to stay on top of your schedule, but its vibrant colors make it even easier to keep up with your tasks and feel inspired along the way!
7. Custom Weekly Meal Planning Template
The meal planning template is quite straightforward, but I’m particularly in love with the “use it up” and “make ahead” sections. This will save you a lot of money if you ensure that all food in your freezer has been used before beginning grocery shopping.
8. Weekly Meal Plan Template
Image credit to Thirty and Handmade Days
Struggling to plan out your meals? This easy and attractive meal planning template makes it a breeze to map out breakfast, lunch, and dinner with this simple meal plan template
9. Free Weekly Meal Planner APP with Grocery List, Food Tracker, Recipes
While I’m yet to test this myself, I discovered a remarkable app during my hunt for the ideal template that will assist me with meal planning and ideas.
10. Weekly Meal Planner – Excel Format
Image credit to Vetex42
Meal Planning is the perfect place to begin when it comes to meal prepping – planning out your meals for the entire week in a single day. Not only does this save you from facing hectic kitchen setups every day, but it also lets you conserve both time and money. It’s nothing short of pure joy!
Meal Plan: Next Step Prep
For successful meal prepping, you’ll need a few essential items. A large pot or slow cooker for soups and stews, a skillet for roasting meats, an Instant Pot for time-saving cooking, and a set of meal prep containers to store food safely.
- Instant Pot which I already own and love. Just having the meals on the printable is not going to get my meals made after work. But the instant pot is like mom’s best friend. I can put frozen meat in there! And it cooks in like 30 mins. Because these kids come into the house like they are starving and want a meal in mins. Boom thank the person who invented the Insta Pot.
- Meal Prep Containers are good for meal prepping because it helps store food. I just got these nice air-tight containers for my fridge that helps me make sure all of the food is fresh and ready to go when I’m ready to eat it. I’m a huge fan of these Meal Prep containers because not only do they come in different colors, but my kids can easily identify which container belongs to them – especially since we have food allergies. Making dinner has never been easier as any leftovers are simply transferred into the pre-labeled containers!
- Air Fryer with 2 Independent Frying Baskets lets you cook 2 foods in 2 ways simultaneously, eliminating back-to-back cooking like a traditional single-basket air fryer.
GRAB THE KITCHEN BINDER ( with menu planner printable binder set)
Final Thoughts on Free Meal Planning Templates to save time
Meal planning can be a daunting task, especially when you have no time to waste. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools and resources available that will make the process easier. From meal planners and printable binders to air fryers and Instant Pots, there is an abundance of options for streamlining your weekly meals.
By utilizing these helpful kitchen gadgets in combination with pre-labeled containers and other organizational strategies, you’ll be able to save time while ensuring delicious dinners every night! With some careful preparation and thoughtful consideration, anyone can become a master at meal planning – so get started today!
I’m confident that you’ll find my meal plan templates just as useful as I do. What strategies and resources do you use to make your life simpler and easier at mealtimes? To fit the needs of my family of five, I created a meal planner on Canva Pro– it’s now available in my Etsy shop so be sure to take a look!
Get organized in the kitchen with a Menu Planner Printable Binder Set, designed to help you keep your culinary life together! With this set of helpful printables, you can easily plan out meals and keep all your recipes stored neatly. Why sort through endless piles of paper when everything can be at arm’s reach within a binder? Get ready to experience an easier way to cook and enjoy stress-free meal planning.
How do I meal plan for my Family of 5
Feeding a family can be an overwhelming task and requires lots of mental preparation. Every week presents its own unique set of challenges – sometimes, I’m on top of it, and other times is like cereal-for-dinner time! One excellent method to make life easier is using meal prep containers right after dinner; this way, everyone has lunchboxes ready to go without having to deal with the mess that comes from large Tupperware boxes.
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