365 Day Meal Plan with Free Templates & Grocery List

How simple would it be if you had a meal plan for the full year? Last year I tried (and failed) to cook at home 365 days, but have renewed passion for this idea as well as a new plan that will make it easier.

It’s rather simple. I put together 4 weeks of meals and they will repeat over and over throughout the year with some minor tweaks. Like replacing roasts with salads or burgers on the grill in the summer.

I’m including my meal plan below in PDF format, as well as templates for you to use to make your own meal plan in the same format.

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Steps to making a 365 day meal plan:

1. Identify the meals that are easy, and well-received by your family. I made a list of meals, and many of them repeat over and over. I’m ok with repetition since we can try a new recipe with an old standard to see how it’s received before I add it to the regular rotation. I also choose meat at most meals since we typically have meatless breakfast and dinners.

Meal Planning Tip:If your family is looking to save money on meals-go meatless for two or more meals a week for a huge cost savings.

2. Use my template to fill in the meals on a 4 week calendar. Make sure to include any activities that may interrupt dinnertime such as after school sports or evening activities. Meals on those nights should be simple to throw together or reheat if everyone is eating at different times.

3. Print it out, and you’re set!

I also put together a grocery list you can use-which is helpful week after week since you can repeat the same grocery list and over and over again.

Meal Planning Tip: Cereal or sandwiches count as dinner too! If an ER visit or crazy after school schedule keeps you from making dinner one night don’t toss the whole plan out-just serve some cereal or toasted peanut butter sandwiches for dinner and start again tomorrow.

Download the templates and my model menu plan by clicking below.

Menu Plan 2012-PDF example

Menu Plan 2012 Template

Menu Plan 2012 Grocery List Template

Kelly

About Kelly

Kelly Whalen is the founder of The Centsible Life, a blog where motherhood and money meet. Her goal is to help readers live well on less. Kelly is a mom to 4, and loves that she can stay at home with her kids, and still pursue her passions for writing, personal finance, and social media. You can often find her on twitter and Facebook talking money and motherhood.

Tagged as: 365 days of meals, food, meal planning, menu plan Monday, organization

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http://DivaDietitian.com/ Kristie

Thanks for the resources- just pinned them too! I have been using PepperPlate.com- check it out! I just posted How To Use this website/app instructions on my website as well. http://divadietitian.com/nutrition-technology-meal-planning-app/
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Jackie Walters

Thanks Kelly for this great meal planning idea. We tend to cook the same meals and alternate them from week to week.

http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/ Kelly Whalen

It makes things so much easier doesn’t it?

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http://anexactinglife.wordpress.com/ anexactinglife

I made monthly meal plans for about 6 months before I figured this out I got my family to vote on their favourites and we slot those in regularly. Then my spouse and I each try 2 new recipes a month. Now that we are empty-nesters, we can have anything we like!
Pam Margolis

this template and other resources are great helpers but what concerns me is that you’re “cooking” every night and to be honest, sometimes (hahaha all the time) i want a little break!

http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/ Kelly Whalen

On my own menu I don’t cook every night. One night is clean out the fridge night. Special occasions and celebrations I’ll definitely consider it.

Personally while I love the break too, I often find it’s not worth the value I get from buying takeout. I’d much rather spend on a special night out with my husband, or a girl’s night out than spending money on last minute takeout.

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http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/ Kelly Whalen

It’s not a ‘new’ idea necessarily, but one I’m hoping will keep me on track.
Misti

This is so awesome! Thank you for sharing and I love that your menu is basic and everyday food. I plan on implementing your templates – it sure will help.

http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/ Kelly Whalen

Thanks Misti! I prefer ethnic and spicy food, but we try to keep it simple so our more ‘plain’ eaters can eat, and I can always add some pizazz with sauces, etc.

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Afford Anything

Meatless Mexican-themed food is my favorite quick-easy-healthy meal. I just keep a steady supply of black beans, cheese, sour cream, salsa, rice and tortillas around — plus guacamole from CostCo (it’s cheap there). It can be combined a zillion different ways (soft tacos, burritos, hard tacos, quesadillas) and it’s healthy and cheap and it makes grocery shopping simple.

http://www.thecentsiblelife.com/ Kelly Whalen

Great tip! My kids love ‘mix night’ since everyone can have their own spin on Mexican food, but they still don’t like beans. Beans are a great way to save and go meatless though-so I may have to offer them more frequently.

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Cristie Ritz King

This is so awesome of you to share. I just spent the day doing this yesterday. I finally tried (and am now obsessed with) Plan to Eat but if I’d found the KW Plan first I totally would have done that! Well done.