Healthy Weekly Meal Plan With Grocery List

By Real Good Food Fast Meal Planning, Recipes 2 Comments

The dinner fight is real between busy schedules and a family complete of picky eaters. Finding inspiration for fast, budget-friendly and (at least somewhat) healthy meals can challenge the best of home chefs, regardless of those whose pile-high plate is already heaped. Lets start working on a weekly meal plan on a budget.

healthy weekly meal plan with grocery list

That’s where using a meal planner to schedule a weekly meal plan becomes a lifesaver— if you can actually take the time to do it. If you don’t have the means to sit down and plot your favorite fare on a weekly basis, we have your back with this easy guide that will also assist you plan your meals and list of groceries. These ideas and recipes for meals (one for each week’s night plus two bonus ideas to swap in and out) make it simple to prepare a weekly meal plan or menu while assisting you produce meals that are anything but routine.

Table of Contents

How to start the planning of meals? Try these ideas for planning no-fail meals!

Mac & Cheese Tuna Try out our stress free 3 week meal plan

1. Start with pasta for your weekly meal plan on a budget.

Pasta is a universal favorite that is inexpensive, so why not make it a weekly thing? It’s genius to have a designated pasta night because you can mainly pair any type of pasta with whatever sauce, protein and veggie you feel like, and then the following week you can do something totally distinct.

Looking for inspiration other than another meatballs and spaghetti plate? Instead try the following recipes:

Want our complete 3-week Meal Plan package?
Simply order our 3 week Dinner Collection and we will send you the exact Meal Planning Blueprint and Shopping Guide.

2. With protein and veg you can’t go wrong

With some steamed or cooked veggies, a barbecued, baked or even pan-fried cut of meat or fish always paires well. For even more variation, switch your marinades and cooking techniques, then add some rice, lentils or potatoes for a full dinner.

Would you like some fresh thoughts? Check out these recipes that are simple to prepare:

3. Your friends are soup and salads

These days, there are so many hearty salads and filling soups out there that it’s simple to create either a meal on your own. If the weather is lovely, plan one night a week with some fancy ingredients to eat an elevated salad to make it enjoyable. Or, intend to have a hot soup and some crusty baguette to go with it for those weeks when you need something a little more comforting.

Begin with the following recipes:

4. Use your Instapot or Slow Cooker

Who doesn’t enjoy a meal you can throw in a pot and then forget until it’s prepared? That’s the beauty of Instapots and slow-cookers —they’re doing all the heavy lifting for you. Figure your busiest night of the week and plan to use either tool to assist you bring lunch together in a breeze.

Need a fresh recipe for a crockpot or a pressure cooker? Check out one of the delicious meals:

5. Keep ingredients that are easy to assemble when doing a weekly meal planner

When it comes to putting last-minute meals together in your weekly meal planner, or figuring out how to use new ingredients that have been sitting in your fridge for a few additional days, having a well-stocked pantry is always essential. Keep stuff on hand like canned tuna, crab or chicken, as well as lots of inventory, tomato sauce, and a few protein-filled grains and legumes.

To elevate your fundamental pantry staples, check out these easy suggestions:

Below is a healthy meal plan for a family of 4 on a budget.

Want our complete 3-week Meal Plan package?
Simply order our 3 week Dinner Collection and we will send you the exact Meal Planning Blueprint and Shopping Guide.

6. Create meals for your freezer for your weekly meal plans

Remember those freezer meals you created for your weekly meal plans a couple of months ago that just waited to be eaten in your freezer ever since? Well, make use of them already, particularly if you realize you’re having an evening coming up where you’re just going to have to worry about preparing dinner. And if you’re not yet on the freezer meal train, you might want to start thinking. Whether it’s doubling on your next pasta sauce or simply putting a second lasagna or tray of enchiladas together, there’s plenty of freezer meals you can make in advance to enjoy when cooking is the last thing you want to do.

7. Make a meatless night one night for a healthy meal plan

We’ve heard about Meatless Mondays, but any night of the week is really a nice excuse to go meatless— especially when you integrate foods such as whole grains, quinoa and barley that fill the tummy and heart. Stir up a creamy risotto, create a delicious Buddha bowl with all things, or add some whole grains and nuts to an eggplant or squash. Keep it simple and hearty, and you won’t even remember a time before planning your meal when you didn’t include a meatless dish.

9. A Designated Night of the Leftovers

Last but not least for a healthy meal plan, making one night a no-planning night is always a great idea. Okay, we’re talking about the leftovers. Once a week, empty out your fridge and turn your leftovers into a creative, brand new dish that requires little effort.

See some of our favorite ways of using the leftovers here: