Hi friends! It’s been quite awhile since I shared a meal plan update so I wanted to tell you what I’ve been doing lately to feed my family. Over the summer, I started doing a 5-week meal plan and it’s working incredibly well for us!

I know that five weeks sounds like a lot, but planning ahead makes my life so much easier! It helps us stick to our grocery budget and I never have to worry about what we’re going to eat!

It’s important to note that when I say “meal plan”, I’m referring to our dinner menu. Breakfast is usually cereal or oatmeal with fruit, and lunch is almost always leftovers from the previous night. We also stay stocked up on fresh produce and snacks to nibble on throughout the day.

I also want to mention that we have been vegetarians since early in 2020. I don’t plan to take down any recipes that I shared in the past that include meat, but just know that when you see meat mentioned in my meal plan, it means some type of substitute.

To make my 5-week meal plan, I started by typing up a master list of about 35 simple meals that I can quickly and confidently put together. At the end of the day when your crew is hungry and tired, simplicity is always key! Save the gourmet recipes for special occasions and just focus on what is going to nourish your family and preserve your sanity!

Once I had my main list of meals, I spread them out over five weeks, mixing them up so there’s variety each week.

Here’s what my 5-week meal plan looks like currently:

Week 1

• Black bean burritos
• Fried rice and potstickers
• Veggie dogs
• Pitas
• Pizza
• Angel hair and green beans
• Spinach mango salad

Week 2

• Mushroom fajitas
• Orange chicken and broccoli
• Veggie burgers
• “Chicken” Caesar wraps
• Baked pasta
• Sweet potato quesadillas
• Samosas with curried veggies

Week 3

• Tacos
• Sushi
• Croissantwiches
• Lasagna
• Baked potato casserole
• Gyros
• Eggs in a basket

Week 4

• Burrito bowls
• Chow mein
• Grilled cheese
• Alfredo pasta
• Meatless meatball subs
• Chili and cornbread
• Kale salad

Week 5

• Enchilada casserole
• Tofu stir fry
• “Chicken” burgers
• Pasta salad
• Bell pepper casserole
• Sheet pan veggies
• Nachos

You can download and print our meal plan here or click the picture below if you’d like to try this with your family!

Our week starts on Friday and I don’t assign meals to any specific day. We just make sure that we have the groceries we need for seven days worth of meals and we cook them based on our mood or how soon ingredients need to be eaten. I also keep in mind our calendar and make adjustments if we have any evening plans or events coming up. For example, on my birthday I knew that I wanted takeout so on that week, we replaced one of our meals with my favorite restaurant.

A few more quick details to point out:

• I still do just one shopping trip per week.
• The weather here is very warm, but I’ll update our plan again as the seasons change. The salads and cold meals will be swapped out for tummy-warming soups and more casseroles.
• This is a flexible plan and subject to change at any time! Cooking every single night might not be for you. There’s no shame in takeout if that’s what works for your family and your budget!

Many of the meals we make are already here on my blog or on my Instagram page, but I’ll work on sharing the rest of them in the coming months!

Talk to you soon!