Beginner’s Guide to Creating Weekly Meal Plans

Meal Plan 101

Like all of the weekly meal plans, this free edition includes seven satisfying dinners, plus ideas for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, along with meal-prep suggestions and a simple shopping list. The goal is to make home-cooked meals easier and more manageable for busy households.

Download the complete meal plan, which includes the shopping list and practical tips, from the printable linked above, or use the ideas below to plan your week.

Dinner Recipes

• Sunday: Easy Lasagna or Instant Pot Lasagna with Copycat Olive Garden Salad
• Monday: Creamy Cavatappi Pasta with leftover salad
• Tuesday: Instant Pot Chicken Tacos or Crockpot Salsa Chicken
• Wednesday: Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry with Instant Pot Brown Rice or Instant Pot White Rice
• Thursday: Burrito Bowls made with leftover chicken and rice
• Friday: Lemon Baked Cod with Roasted Red Potatoes
• Saturday: Chicken Marsala with Roasted Asparagus and Red Mashed Potatoes

Breakfast Ideas

• Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
• Blueberry Lemon Coffee Cake
• Asparagus (Broccoli-Asparagus) Frittata

Lunch Ideas

• Leftover chicken tacos or salsa chicken served as a quick lunch
• Leftover lasagna
• Air Fryer French Bread Pizzas

Snacks & Treats

• Mango Smoothie
• Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Blueberry Muffins

Tips for This Week’s Meal Plan

• Sunday: Make a large salad to serve on Sunday and Monday. Any leftover greens also make great toppings for tacos or burrito bowls later in the week.
• Tuesday: Cook extra taco filling so you have enough for burrito bowls another day.
• Wednesday: Make extra rice to use in Thursday’s burrito bowls.
• Grocery and money-saving tips: Swap asparagus for any preferred vegetable in the stir-fry. Buy enough red potatoes to serve both roasted and mashed preparations. Use leftover spaghetti sauce and cheese from lasagna to top air fryer pizzas.