How to create a weekly meal plan that actually works for your family

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Struggling to figure out what to cook for your family? Here is how to create a weekly meal plan that actually works for your family.

For many mothers, figuring out what to cook for the family is a daily challenge.

With so many recipes and food options available, we often get confused about what to make for each meal.

Sarah, my neighbour, confided in me that she always stands in her kitchen staring into the fridge like it might magically reveal dinner plans.

Honestly, without a meal plan, you’ll probably just end up ordering takeout or scrambling to make something nobody’s really looking forward to. Meal planning truly makes our life simpler, tastier, and calmer.

It doesn’t have to be complicated, and perfect. The real focus should be ensuring your family eats healthy, delicious meals while taking away the daily pressure of figuring out what to cook.

That way there are no more last minute grocery runs, no more wasted food, and definitely no more “what’s for dinner?” questions from the kids.

So in this post, we’re going to walk through meal planning together, breaking it down into super easy steps.

We’ll cover everything from figuring out those dishes your family actually loves, to mapping out your whole week’s meals, and even sharing some quick tricks to make the cooking itself feel totally stress free.

How to Create a Weekly Meal Plan That Actually Works for Your Family

1. Access your family’s taste and schedule

If you want to create a meal plan that works, you need to get honest about your family’s actual eating habits, not the ones you think you should have.

That is the starting point, and it’s where a lot of people go wrong. We often get excited about trying new recipes or eating super healthy, but if your family won’t touch it, what’s the point?

So sit down with your family and brainstorm on what their favorite meal is and work around them.

I do my meal planning every Sunday afternoon after church. It takes about 15 minutes, and it’s become part of my weekend routine that I actually look forward to. Some people prefer Friday evenings or Saturday mornings, the key is picking a consistent time when you’re not rushed.

Check your schedule too. When do you have late nights? On these evenings, you’ll have to make super quick meals, perhaps something you can prep ahead, or use leftovers.

Also check for any dietary restrictions or food allergies? Does someone in the family hate onions? Is anyone trying to cut back on carbs? These are what you have to put into consideration when making a meal plan.

We want to create a realistic plan, one that actually gets eaten. If you plan meals that no one likes or that are too complicated for your busiest nights, your plan is doomed before it even starts.

2. Take an inventory and make sure all the ingredients you need for the week is available

Check your pantry, open those cupboard doors, pull out the crisper drawers, and peep into the depths of your freezer on what ingredients you already have.

Make a list of what you have in the fridge and things you need to buy for the week. Then go and get them.

I remember those days of going to the market almost every day. I’d get home, realize I’d forgotten a key ingredient, and have to send someone out again or call my husband to pick it up on his way home.

But by making a list of what I need, my market trips are quick and focused and I hardly ever forget anything.

3. Put the Plan together

Instead of constantly searching for new recipes, list the meals that you know how to make and your family will eat.

One that you can make in 45 minutes or less on a weeknight and the ingredients are reasonably affordable and easy to find.

It’s totally fine to want to spice things up and try new recipes. But here’s the smart way to do it. You can start with the meals your family already loves and will definitely eat.

Once you’ve got that solid foundation, you can then gradually introduce new dishes in small ways. You could:

Add one new vegetable to a familiar meal
Try a slight variation of something they already like
Let them help choose one new thing to try each week
Mix new ingredients into familiar dishes

Depending on how available you are on each day based on your schedule, carefully match the meals to each day.

Here are a few simple tools that make meal planning much easier:

Analog (The Old-School, Tangible Options):
- Simple Notebook/Planner: Just dedicate a page each week. Easy, portable, no tech required.
- Whiteboard/Chalkboard on the Fridge/Wall: Great for visual people. Everyone in the family can see it. You can get magnetic ones for the fridge.
- Printable Template: Lots of free templates online. Just print, fill out, and stick on your fridge.
- Post-It Notes: Write each meal on a sticky note and arrange them on the fridge for the week. Easy to swap around!
Digital (For the Tech-Savvy):
- Notes App on Your Phone: Simple, always with you. Just type out your days and meals.
- Dedicated Meal Planning Apps: Many apps exist (e.g., Mealime, Paprika, Plan to Eat). They often include recipe storage, grocery list generation, and even nutritional info.
- Simple Spreadsheet (Google Sheets/Excel): For those who love organization! You can create columns for days, meals, and even notes about ingredients.

Pick a system that feels natural to you, something you’ll stick with.

Here is a sample 7 day meal plan i use

This plan is built on a simple principle: cook once, eat twice (or even three times).

Monday

Breakfast: Bread and tea.
Lunch: Leftover white rice and stew from a batch you made over the weekend. Quick and easy.
Dinner: Yam porridge.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Bread and a quick egg sauce.
Lunch: Leftover yam porridge.
Dinner: Boiled white yam and a simple fish Sauce. You can use frozen fish to make it even faster.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Custard/Oatmeal with fried plantain.
Lunch: Leftover fish sauce with a portion of the boiled yam from yesterday (reheat the sauce and enjoy).
Dinner: A pot of any choice of soup and swallow. This is a more substantial meal, but you’ll have leftovers for tomorrow.

Thursday

Breakfast: Tea and Bread with butter and an avocado spread.
Lunch: Leftover soup with swallow.
Dinner: A big pot of Jollof Rice. Cook enough to last you for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow.

Friday

Breakfast: Bread/ fried eggs and tea.
Lunch: Leftover Jollof Rice.
Dinner: Beans and fried plantain.

Saturday

Breakfast: Beans cake with pap/oatmeal.
Lunch: Leftover Beans and plantain.
Dinner: A big pot of soup with any swallow of your choice.

Sunday

Breakfast: Your favorite cereal with milk and fruit.
Lunch: Rice and stew.
Dinner: Jellof spagetti made with some leftover stew base.

4. Have a prep day

This is where you do a little work upfront to save yourself a ton of time and stress when you’re tired after a long day.

You could try “Sunday Prep.” Now, on sunday afternoons, you dedicate just 1-2 hours, blend the stew base (tomatoes, peppers, onions) in bulk, wash and chop his vegetables, portion and marinate meats/fish for different meals, and sometimes even boil the beans halfway if you don’t have a pressure pot.

You can also prepare snacks, wash fruits, peel oranges, or make a batch of kunu or zobo for the week

That way on days you are tired or work late, you can just make something quick with what you already have.

5. Be flexible with your plan

Don’t be afraid to adjust. Life happens, and your meal plan should be a helpful tool, not a strict dictator.

I remember a time I had my meal plan perfectly mapped out. We are meant to have okro Soup for Wednesday. But then my boss called an emergency late meeting, and I got home late and exhausted.

Instead of feeling guilty or stressed, I just swapped Wednesday’s okro soup with Friday’s planned indomie stir-fry and fried eggs. It was quick, easy, and everyone was happy. The okro soup just moved to a day when I will have more time.

The most important part of meal planning is creating a system you can stick with for months and years, not just a few weeks. so start small and build up.

Don’t get discouraged, if one week goes completely sideways, don’t throw in the towel. Just dust yourself off and start fresh next week.

Be patient with yourself as you figure out what works for your family.