Simple steps for everyday cooking
How to plan a week of meals with familiar dishes
A weekly meal plan mainly answers “What shall we cook?” It does not have to contain 21 new dishes. Start with your schedule and recipes you enjoy.
Look at the week ahead
Mark days when you have time to cook, late arrivals home and meals out. Choose a familiar dish with little preparation for a busy evening; save a more involved recipe for a quieter day.
- Note how many people will eat at home each day.
- Check what is already in the fridge, freezer and cupboard.
- Choose a few breakfasts and main dishes to alternate. Leave room for plans to change.
Build a small starting set
For example, alternate an egg pancake and cottage cheese pancakes at breakfast, plan lentil soup for lunch, and choose chicken meatballs with a side or chicken salad for dinner. This is an example of combining recipes, not a personalised diet.
One ingredient can work in several dishes: cottage cheese in pancakes and meatballs, or vegetables in soup and salad. Adapt quantities, serving sizes and substitutions to your household.
Turn the menu into a shopping list
Add up repeated ingredients across your chosen recipes and subtract what you already have. Group the list by shop department. Check storage times and decide what to cook fresh and what can be frozen according to the guidance for that food.
After the first few days, note what was left over, what ran short and which dishes were easy to repeat. Next week will be easier. If you track macros, count the actual portion and additions, rather than just the dish name in your plan.