For those trying to follow healthy eating plans while still keeping up with work and everyday family responsibilities, it may help to create a worksheet outlining the weekly meal plan. It’s very easy to create a free weekly meal plan worksheet that can be used to organize grocery lists, plan meal preparation, and ensure that caloric intake and other dietary restrictions are closely monitored. This project shouldn’t take more than ten minutes and, when completed, the weekly meal plan worksheet will make following healthy eating plans much easier and less time consuming.
Organizing a Weekly Meal Plan Can Help Dieters Adhere to Healthy Eating Plans
Goal-setting research shows that plans are more effective when put on paper. When a written weekly meal plan is in place, posted in a visible location, there is less chance that temptation or convenience will disrupt established healthy eating plans. Aim for organizing meal plans about once a week. If done thoroughly and regularly, a weekly meal plan can also make grocery shopping a less frequent necessity.
To help make the process easier, this worksheet can be used each time a person sits down to plan the week’s meals.
Create a Weekly Meal Plan Worksheet
This worksheet can be created by hand or set up in a computer program such as Word or Excel. The page should be divided up into four columns.
- Start by listing the days of the week in the first column on the left-hand side of the page. Many people find it helpful to organize their weekly meal plan on Sunday evenings. If this is the case, begin with Monday at the top and proceed down the page with the following days of the week.
- Then, list a healthy meal next each day of the week in the second column. (If using this worksheet to outline more than one meal each day, use a letter to distinguish which meal is which – B for breakfast, L for lunch, and D for dinner.)
- Next to each meal, in the third column, outline the groceries that need to be purchased in order to make the meal.
- Next to that, in the last column, describe any preparation that needs to be done to make the meal a success (For example, will meat need to be pulled out of the freezer the night before? Will veggies need to start marinating earlier in the day?)
Use the Weekly Meal Plan Worksheet and Easily Stick to Healthy Eating Plans
Once the weekly meal plan is created, it can be used to create a complete grocery list. For help making smart food choices at the grocery store, check out Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping. Post a weekly meal plan on the refrigerator to let everyone in the family know what to expect for meals throughout the week.
When a plan is written out, it’s much easier to follow. Especially when it comes to healthy eating plans, it’s critical to make the process as mindless as possible. Once the weekly meal plan is established, there’s no more thinking required. It’s just a matter of working the plan!
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Christine Scivicque - Chrissy has been a passionate student of personal development for over 15 years. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration ...
