If you’re anything like me, most weekends you sit down to plan out your grocery shopping trip with great intentions. You grab your cup of coffee after breakfast on Saturday, sit down with grocery store sale flyers, coupon books, and bust out a list of five or six meals to make during the next week in a matter of a half hour.
Okay, you caught me — that’s not how it goes around here. I sit down with my cup of coffee sometimes. Typically though I wake up too late on Saturday to even plan a grocery list in time to make it to my favorite 8:15 vinyasa yoga class. Then instead of having a plan, I go to the store and buy what I “think” we need — which could go one of two ways. I either buy far too much or not enough.
Did I mention I come home having no idea what I’m actually going to make throughout the week? Uh, yeah that’s a problem.
When we first got married, I was SO good at meal planning, but these days I’m having a hard time doing just that. I don’t mind not having a plan though — I was finding not having a plan was allowing me to be more creative in the kitchen on days where I had more time to make dinner. On those days where dinner had to be put together in a rush, however, things were not looking so great. I’m sure the Husband never wants to see a grilled sandwich again in his lifetime.
Lately I’ve been noticing some other bloggers who show some sort of meal plan for the week, and I love the concept. Maryea has a series called How Dinner Went Down, where she highlights what her family ate the week previously. Tina provides a dinner plan for each week along with a shopping list that goes along with the meals. I also had some requests to do something like this a while ago, and I thought there’s not time like the present, right? Right.
I had the best of intentions to do this a few weeks ago, so these meals were actually what we ate the first week of April, but I guess that doesn’t make a difference to you. There is still time to save your dinners this week folks!
All you have to do is click on “Print This!” and you’ll have an easy list to go grocery shopping for this week or next — or whenever you’re a little too busy to plan out exactly what you want to eat for the week ahead.
Monday: Mexican Rice Bowls with Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice
Tuesday: Grilled Tofu, Potato Wedges, and Gilled Vegetables
Wednesday: Roasted Vegetable and Kale White Bean Pasta
Thursday: Mushroom and Pesto Paninis and Roasted Broccoli (loosely based off of Katie’s Portobello Pesto Paninis)
note: you can substitute the spinach in the pesto for kale, which you’ll have enough of
Friday: Garden Salad with Avocado and Hummus, Baked Sweet Potato
Shopping List
Produce:
1 bag Romaine Lettuce
1 bag Kale (I use the bagged kind from Trader Joe’s — simple and easy!)
1-2 Tomatoes
1-2 Portobello Mushrooms
2 White Onions
3 Avocados
1 sweet potato
1 white potato
1 head cauliflower
1 head broccoli
3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 orange, 1 green)
1 head garlic
Protein Sources:
1 block organic sprouted tofu (I use Trader Joe’s)
1 can white beans
1 can vegetarian refried beans
Extras:
Short Grain Brown Rice
Brown Rice Pasta
Bread (I used Rudi’s gluten free, adjust to your needs)
Olive oil
Ketchup
Hummus
Salsa
Nutritional yeast (optional)
Obviously this is a loose list and it’s based off of 1-2 people. You can adjust for the needs of your family for the week.
One thing I always do is make enough for leftovers the next day at lunch time. After I eat dinner, I pack up my lunch for the next day and I’m good to go! It’s quite a nice little strategy I’ve got going on over here.
If you all enjoy this, I’ll be more than happy to make it a more regular occurrence — so please give me some feedback on whether or not you like this type of thing!
{ 67 comments… read them below or add one }
I definitely try to plan out a general meal plan but lately, it’s been going array with busy weeknight schedules. So long as I have an overall idea and things on hand, I’m good.
I of course would love to see more of these. You give me some great ideas of veggie based dinners!
I like this!!
I loathe meal planning. LOATHE! I have started inputting our meals into Google calendar and repeating them every 4 weeks or so. It helps so much because then I don’t have to plan every week and can have a general idea to follow and sub things out as needed or jsut not have to think and go with what it has for the week.
that’s a REALLY good idea. going to try that!!
Genius.
I was planning for a while there…and then life got in the way haha. I enjoyed myself much more when I was planning meals though. Now I feel like we NEVER have any food or leftovers to just grab. The husband should clue in that it’s his turn to start making meals
Wow everything looks fantastic Chelsey! Although I don’t meal plan strictly, I tend to jot down a few meal ideas on Sunday evening…obviously they’re subject to change depending on the cravings! As for my grocery list, eggs are always on it!
Eggs are always on mine too - remember this is for dinners only!
I looked through recipes for a solid two hours yesterday trying to make a list of things I need to learn to make before August so it’s not an extra stressor on my life- I need to expand my ‘go-to’ meals a TON! ….. Your post came up at the perfect time! HAPPY MONDAY!
Yes, you do not need any more stress!!!
Wow when you put it like this it doesn’t look like you buy that much food! Yikes maybe I need to try this?? I def take leftovers for lunch… so easy!!
Remember this is only for dinner/some lunches - my list is usually much longer with other produce and breakfast foods!
Love this! I try to meal plan, but something always happens to scramble up my meal planning one way or another! But I love your ideas for dinners … especially the one with the copycat Chipotle rice! My husband would love that one!
I love this! I’m a terrible meal planner. Mostly because I can never make up my mind and my sweet hubby doesn’t care what I put in front of him. He will happily eat whatever! You are inspiring me to plan!
haha my husband cares a liiiitle bit - he doesn’t want any tofu touching his plate!
I love meal planning! We’ve gotten to the point where we make maybe 2-3 new dishes each week, we have 1 or 2 “favorites” and then we just DIY for the remaining evenings of the week. I like cooking extras of the meals so that I can take them for lunch (or dinner at work) the next day! I still have to write down a list, but I know what “basics” we need for the week, and then we just add in whatever “extras” we might need for the new recipes!
That’s a great idea!
I like this type of thing.
Why is it so oddly fascinating to read other people’s grocery lists and dinner plans? I love it! And that white bean pasta really needs to make it over to my own dinner plan sometime!
I don’t know - we’re all so nosy apparently!
Love this post idea! I am a bit OCD about my store list. It takes me about an hour to make, and I write it down in the order I come to things in the store. It makes shopping (and meal planning) sooooo much easier!
you are not alone…i do this too
it always involves me rewriting my list, but makes life soooo much easier
Neat idea - love a good meal plan!!
I love this! I really need to work on meal planning so I don’t end up just snacking through dinner!
Great post, Chels! I always have the best of intentions for grocery shopping/meal planning, but it ends up the same way that you describe-too much or not enough! Thanks for the help! : )
I really like this! I’m pretty organised with meal planning but I often lack inspiration when it comes to dinner and usually fall back on the ol’ reliables. This is great for inspiration!
Those dinners look incredible! I really need to start planning dinners ahead of time and shopping accordingly.
Love it!
It’s great to see how others plan for the week, and steal some of their yummy dinner ideas along the way. I may or may not be doing that with your Mexican Rice Bowls and Veggie, Kale & White Bean Pasta.
New feature approval from this gal.
I used to plan out EVERY meal each week. Since I had the boys I haven’t planned much of anything. I really need to get back on track. Not only will my meals be better, but I think my bank account will thank me. I would like you to come over and drink coffee and help me. Are you in?
In. Will you pay for my plane ticket?
I need to start planning like this at least 50% of the time. I operate under the “I work from home so I can just plan during the day” approach and that just leaves me starring deep into the fridge most nights around 7pm at a loss.
ha! I definitely do that in the summer!
Yes.. keep doing these posts. But better yet, can you just do my grocery shopping for me. Thanks!
I would love to. WIll you feed me after?
Love seeing what a typical week looks like and that grilled tofu is calling my name!
Love this idea!! Usually I’m pretty good about meal planning and making a list, cause I don’t want to spend too much at the grocery store. Totally bookmarking this for when I don’t want to use my brain though!
That looks like a fantastic line up for the week! I like your version of the portobello pesto paninis. Also, that chipotle bowl is on my list this week…mmm yes.
Um that sandwich made my life. Seriously.
I get my kicks out of meal planning, so I love writing the meal plan and generating the list. I hate throwing any food away and planning helps me ensure I only buy what we eat. Of course, this week I’m onto a whole different challenge with meal planning on a budget. I’m already learning a lot!
You’re doing a great job too!
I recently started to not only meal plan for the week but also post the menu on a board we have in the kitchen. This way I remember the meals we have supplies for and the boy knows which meals will be made for dinner for the week : )
How cute - I love it!
I love these types of posts! We only have to meal plan for 2 so your menus would work perfectly for my house. I want to meal plan, but I don’t and I buy way too much and spend so much money each week on groceries - it’s ridiculous and I need to get some some self-control! I think pre-planning would definitely help me
I’m the worst with meal plans aka I don’t do them. I really enjoy grocery shopping so I enjoy walking down the aisles and grabbing what sounds good. This works most of the time except for when I want to make a specific recipe and don’t have the necessary ingredients and consequently have to make a special trip to obtain them. But I like seeing how various groceries work in so many meals like this! And that it’s printable!
Will definitely give this a try! Thanks so much for posting and I would love to see more meal plans in the future.
Yum, these are some great ideas! Thanks girl! I might steal some
steal ahead! that’s the point!
I used to plan out meals too when we were first married. Now our schedules are different and we eat dinner at different times of the night so I just go with the flow!
I love meal plans! I also love how flexible they can be. Don’t feel like a meal one day, just switch it around!
I definitely enjoy reading this! Especially because I hate meal planning! I’m always worried that the meal I have planned out won’t satisfy me that day and I will no longer want it…I guess that’s a lame worry though!
I MUST meal plan…or it is a crazy scramble to figure out dinner. I really got commited to it after my 2nd was born, but ‘planned’ more like you previously. Definitely would love to see you keep this up…we are dairy-free, mostly vegan, and i am working on moving to gluten-free, the plans would be super helpful
The panini looks yummy!
I am a huge fan of making extras just for leftovers though!
I feel like my meal planning lately has been hit or miss, but luckily the cooker in me can muster up a couple of ideas while in the store. The worst part about going list-less though is how much longer I feel like it takes me…the thinking AND the grabbing!
I loooove this and I really want it to become a regular occurence!
Your wish is my command!
I’m a sucker for planning anything so, to be honest, meal planning is a favorite thing of mine to do That being said, all of those meals look DIVINE! Can we make this a table for 3 meal plan?
sure - come on over!
This is GREAT! Thanks for making it so easy to “copy” your meals!
I love meal planning and grocery shopping (I would make a career of it if I could). These meals all look so good!
i am so terrible at meal planning which leads to not only spending too much at the grocery store on things i “think” we “need”, but also eating out. a lot! love this meal plan.
I almost never meal plan, which is something I really need to change! Because like you said, I always end up buying too much. Case in point: I pretty much have the entire produce section from the grocery store in my fridge right now.
This is really helpful Chelsey! I love meal planning and grocery shopping so seeing other people’s meals and lists is always fun
i adore these kinds of posts. going to the grocery store is a super-calming activity to me
this is awesome, hun!
What a great idea!
I love this post. Recipes, pictures, and shopping lists all in one. Thanks for taking the guesswork out of meal planning for the rest of us.
Planning meals ahead always helps to save me time and money at the grocery store, but there are always those random items that somehow end up in the cart anyways