Meal Plans

Meal planning is a key change I made in an effort to organise my time, reduce stress, reduce waste and save money on my grocery shop. It is so nice not to have to worry about what’s for dinner and I love staring into an empty fridge at the end of the week when it’s time to restock again. Prior to meal planning there was so much waste and excess in my home.

My rule is that there are no rules! I switch days up if I need to – for me the key is no waste and sticking to my budget. You may start with planning only 2 or 3 days or you may choose to plan a month in advance. Do what works for you and your family, there is no one best way.

These are a selection of meal plans to inspire your journey. I arrange for my groceries to be delivered on a Friday ready for my meal plan to begin on Saturday. This allows me to factor in any activities on the weekend. It stops unnecessary top-up shops and stops my meal plan being derailed.

Meal Plan #22

Meal planning enables lots of variety while keeping stress levels at a minimum - especially during busy seasons. Plan fast and easy meals you know your family will love, like this delicious 15 minute Peanut Chicken Satay.

Meal Plan #21

Meal planning takes out the guess work. It's like crafting your very own "dinner box" but it's much cheaper and made with your family's favourite ingredients. A lot of this weeks meals use the same vegetables, but they are completely transformed depending on what they are served with. We have a busy week ahead so quick and easy meals like these chicken gyros are important!

Meal Plan #20

This week is full of activity which leaves me a limited amount of time for meal prep! I've opted for meals that take little effort to throw together like this Slow Cooked Beef Stroganoff. Leftovers will go straight in the freezer ready to use on a rainy day.

Meal Plan #19

It is a busy week at our place so I am leaning into family friendly recipes like these Homemade Beef Burgers, that take a minimal amount of time to prepare and where washing up is a breeze!

Meal Plan #18

A key thing that I do to execute my meal plan consistently is inventory my fridge! Our fridge is the key to consistent, homemade meals. I take out everything, I wipe down my shelves and I take note of what I have prior to planning my meals for the week. If there is something due to expire, I set it aside and plan around it to ensure it's eaten. This means I'm not buying food I don't need, I am minimising waste and I am saving money.

Meal Plan #17

I try and shop from supermarket catalogues first to get the best value from my shop. This week beautiful free-range chickens were on special. Perfect for roasting and slow cooked in soups.