A simple weekly family meal plan

Plan dinners next to the rest of your week

A dinner plan works better when you can see the evening it belongs to. A late pick-up or a club night means something quick; a quiet evening leaves room to cook properly.

Choose a few dinners, not seven new ones

Start with the meals your family already eats. Fill the week with those and add one new idea at most. A short list of reliable dinners is easier to repeat than a long list of ambitious ones.

Match the meal to the evening

Look at the day before you choose the dish:

• Busy evenings: something quick or made ahead
• Slower evenings: something that takes more time
• Weekends: a bigger meal, or leftovers on purpose

Write the shopping list from the plan

Once the dinners are set, list what you need and buy it in one trip. Check what you already have first.

Share the plan and the cooking

When both parents, and the kids, can see the plan, anyone can start dinner. You can also give each dinner an owner, so the cooking does not always fall to the same person.