Inside: Discover how to make weekly meal plans. Plus, get 4 free weekly meal plans, a meal planning printable template and a printable grocery list. And links to all of the recipes we used.

I sit down every Monday with my trusty stack of index cards with my favorite recipes scribbled on them. Next, I thumb through each one, looking for a recipe that we haven’t eaten in a while. I try to alternate between recipes that I can make quickly, ones that take longer, and recipes that make good leftovers.

This process helps me to organize my grocery list and to be prepared for the week. To save time, I want to share my weekly plans with you! Here I will show you exactly how I plan my meals and plus give you access to 4 printable weekly meal plans (that’s 28 days of recipes), a meal planning template and a grocery list.

How to Make Weekly Meal Plans

1. Create Index Cards

Once I find a recipe that I like. I write down all of the ingredients on an index card to make it easy to plan meals. I also write the name of the recipe at the top and where I found it, so I can quickly reference the recipe.

2. Use a Planning Template

I like to use a planning template each week. Whether you want to plan one meal like dinners, or all three, a planning template makes it super easy to stay organized during the week. Get your four free weekly meal plans, plus the template and grocery list by clicking the banner, so you can make your own.

3. Make a List

Make a list of the items you will need for the week. I have made an easy grocery list template, that will allow you to quickly add the items you will need for the week.

4 Weeks of Weekly Meal Plans

To save you time, I have assembled four weekly meal plans. With each weekly meal plan, you can find the recipes below. Enjoy!

Week 1 of the Weekly Meal Plans:

Monday| Dinner: Greek Pasta Salad + grilled chicken
Tuesday| Dinner: Four-cheese stuffed shells
Wednesday| Dinner: Garlic Ginger Chicken
Thursday| Breakfast: Faux meal / Dinner: BBQ Ribs
Friday| Lunch: Berry fruit salad / Dinner: Spinach Quesadillas
Saturday| Dinner: Crispy Chicken and Avocado Salad with Corn and Parmesan Cheese
Sunday| Breakfast: Overnight Oats / Dinner: Pulled Tandoori Chicken

Week 2 of the Weekly Meal Plans:

Monday|Breakfast: Yogurt Parfait / Dinner: Ground Turkey Plantain Nachos
Tuesday| Dinner: Paleo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Ranch
Wednesday| Breakfast: Banana Oat Muffins / Dinner: Greek Pasta Salad + grilled chicken
Thursday| Breakfast: Faux meal / Dinner: Homemade noodles + chicken soup
Friday| Dinner: Four-cheese stuffed shells
Saturday| Dinner: Balsamic Orange Chicken With Basil
Sunday| Breakfast: Overnight Oats / Dinner: Roasted Tomatoes and Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles

Week 3 of the Weekly Meal Plans:

Monday| Dinner: Chicken in Lemon Butter Caper Sauce
Tuesday| Dinner: BBQ Ribs
Wednesday| Dinner: Lemon Dill Salmon
Thursday| Breakfast: Faux meal / Dinner: Thai Coconut Curry Soup
Friday| Dinner: Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas Recipe
Saturday| Dinner: Cheesy Southwest Taco Sliders
Sunday| Breakfast: Overnight Oats / Dinner: Crispy Chicken and Avocado Salad with Corn and Parmesan Cheese

Week 4 of the Weekly Meal Plans:

Monday| Breakfast: Yogurt Parfait / Dinner: Grilled chicken + Caprese salad
Tuesday| Dinner: Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza
Wednesday| Breakfast: Banana Oat Muffins / Dinner: Baked Pesto Chicken
Thursday| Breakfast: Faux meal / Dinner: Mongolian Beef
Friday| Dinner: Shredded BBQ Chicken Sliders
Saturday| Dinner: Quinoa Asparagus Salad With a Lemon Pesto Drizzle
Sunday| Breakfast: Overnight Oats / Dinner: Greek Pasta Salad + grilled chicken

What are your go-to dishes for your weekly meal plans?

P.S. If you enjoyed this piece, you may also like How to Save Money While Following a Healthy Gluten-Free Diet.

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Comments

Kerrie @travelswithmum says

February 21, 2017 at 10:15 pm

I love meal planning, save time and money! Thanks for sharing your meal plans, I have been looking for some new recipes and it looks like some of these might suit our tastes! #humpdayhype
- amylu says
  
  February 22, 2017 at 2:48 pm
  
  My pleasure! I hope you enjoy these tasty meals.
Babies To Bookworms says

February 21, 2017 at 11:04 pm

I love the idea of using index cards to help meal plan. I flip through my cookbook or my Pinterest, but it would be nice to have a pile of index cards to flip through!
- amylu says
  
  February 22, 2017 at 2:47 pm
  
  Yes, I have found the index cards to be super helpful when I feel stuck for ideas.
mummamorrison says

February 27, 2017 at 12:26 am

This is perfect - we've been meaning to meal plan for weeks now, but it's so hard to know where to start if you've never done it before. Signed up for the resources to help us get down to the nitty gritty of planning - love the index card idea! Thank you for sharing! #humpdayhype
- amylu says
  
  February 28, 2017 at 1:54 pm
  
  So glad you liked this idea. I find it helps me save time each week and stay organized. I hope you enjoy the resources. :)
betterwithbabies says

February 27, 2017 at 6:47 am

I love this post and how organized you are! I just started meal planning for my family recently and love it. I love the index card idea. I usually plan on my computer and keep my recipes saved on there. Then I write out a grocery list based off of it. I am a very visual person :). Meal planning is a little tough still because I have a somewhat picky toddler and a husband who loves meat a lot more than I do, but we are doing the best we can! I also love throwing together protein balls or zucchini muffins on Sunday for healthy snacks throughout the week, and I also prep lots of veggies too.
- amylu says
  
  February 28, 2017 at 1:53 pm
  
  Yes, I am right there with you as far as having a picky toddler. I like your idea of making protein balls and zucchini muffins for the week!
ajonsson31 says

March 1, 2017 at 12:21 am

These recipes all sound sooo good! I really want to try that BBQ chicken pizza. I love how you have everything layed out. I really need to get back on my meal planning game. Thank you for sharing this!
- amylu says
  
  March 1, 2017 at 2:14 pm
  
  Yes, I included so many of my favorites in this round up! The BBQ chicken pizza is amazing. I am so glad you enjoyed this. :)

Weekly Meal Plans: How to Plan + 28 Days of Free Plans