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ByApril LoveOurRealLife
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As a busy mom, meal planning is necessary to ensure my family has delicious, healthy meals. If you find yourself juggling a crazy week, a meal planner printable might be the game-changer you need for your busy schedule. The weekly planner can also help you decide what to put on your grocery shopping list and avoid fast food.
To access the free printables, click the download button at the bottom of the post! The free downloads are in PDF format and are for personal use only. Various designs are available, so select the weekly meal plan template that works best for you.
Click on the link here for even more home printables.
How Meal Planning Can Help With Healthier Food Choices
Meal planning isn’t just about organizing your weekly dinners; it’s a strategic approach to ensuring your family consumes healthy, home-cooked meals regularly.
Planning meals in advance can save you time, reduce your grocery bill, and help you make healthier food choices.
Menu planning for the week is a secret weapon to keep my family eating healthy foods for the week. Trust me, it really can be a game-changer for healthier family eating.
With a solid plan, you won’t succumb to the temptations of fast food on those crazy days. Instead, you’ve got a plan to guide you toward delicious, nutritious meals.
Plus, when you hit the grocery store with your weekly menu planner, you’re more likely to grab those fresh veggies instead of another bag of chips.
RELATED: Get my food log template printables here.
How to Use the Weekly Meal Planner Template
The key to best results with the free printable weekly meal planner is to reduce the need for decisions when you are under a time crunch.
- Keep an ongoing list of easy meals, favorite family meals, favorite recipes, slow cooker options, etc. Then, pick a convenient day of the week- I tend to find Sunday afternoon works well- to sit down and look over the upcoming schedule.
- Consider what evening activities you might have as well as how much time you’ll have during the evening to prepare each meal.
For example, if I am scheduled to work outside of my home one of the days, I might make that a crockpot meal day. Then, the food will be ready when we all walk in the door that evening.
- I go through the week and plug in meals that make sense for each day of the week.
While planning ahead doesn’t take tons of time, it sure does save me time in the end!
A weekly meal planner template serves as your roadmap for the entire week. It helps you organize your meals and ensures that you incorporate a variety of healthy foods.
Making the Most of Your Grocery Store Trips
With a well-organized weekly menu planner, your trips to the grocery store become more efficient. You can create a master grocery list, ensuring you have everything you need for the entire week or month.
This not only saves time but also helps you stick to a budget.
Only buy what you need for the week! Remember to include healthy food items for snacks. It could help to pencil these into the snacks section of the weekly menu template to keep you on target.
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Take a Food Inventory
A great way to be even more efficient with saving money at meal time is to take a quick inventory of your pantry, fridge, and freezer when planning the menu for the week.
This will help you see what food you already have and perhaps what food you need to use before it expires. It’s always a good idea to reduce food waste, and saving money makes it even better!
I’ve included a few different designs in the free meal planner templates. But each consists of enough space to write down detailed information about your food plans for all of the days of the week.
That will keep those busy days from feeling as daunting.
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How to Print the FREE Meal Plan Calendar
To access the printable PDF, click on the download button below. You will have instant access to the direct download link. Print on white computer paper or cardstock if you prefer something more durable.
Download Weekly Meal Planning Printables
After printing, it is time to start planning all the different meals you have considered!
I’ve included Sunday and Monday start dates to work with your specific schedule needs.
Final Thoughts
A meal planner printable is a fantastic tool for streamlining meal planning.
It’s not just about saving time and money; it’s about fostering a healthy lifestyle and making mealtime a stress-free experience. Pick from the various styles I’ve included in this post and find what works best for you.
Let the meal planning game begin!
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