Build a weekly meal plan with a shopping list

1. Count the meals you need

Mark the days when you will eat at home and the days when lunch or dinner is already arranged. Decide whether the plan needs to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, or just a few meals. This prevents buying for meals you will not cook.

2. Choose recipes around your schedule

Check both preparation and cooking time. Put your quicker recipes on busy days and keep more involved dishes for days when you can cook comfortably. Review the ingredients and method before adding a recipe, especially if it requires equipment or ingredients you do not normally use.

3. Set portions before making the list

Decide how many servings you need for each meal. Recipe quantities and the shopping list need to reflect those servings. In LeanMeals, portion adjustments and meal swaps are available with the appropriate membership; the public recipe page also lets you adjust the amounts you prepare.

4. Combine ingredients and check your cupboards

As a simple example, if two recipes need 150 g and 200 g of the same rice, your combined requirement is 350 g. If you already have 100 g, you need another 250 g. Check units carefully: a quantity in grams cannot automatically be combined with a count of whole items.

Use your shopping list to identify what you need, then check pack sizes before buying. Your required amount and the amount sold by the shop may differ. LeanMeals shopping tools can show basket estimates where product and price data are available; confirm actual prices and availability with the retailer.

Save quantities you already own in My kitchen. The compact shopping list subtracts unexpired stock when units match. It groups items by aisle, saves checks and prints the current view; choose Still needed to leave out ingredients already at home.

5. Keep the plan flexible

If your week changes, update the meals and review the shopping list before your next trip. Record meals as eaten in the food diary rather than assuming that everything planned was consumed. After the week, note which recipes fit your time and tastes.

A simple weekly planning checklist

• Check your calendar and meals already arranged.
• Choose recipes and read their methods.
• Confirm servings and dietary preferences.
• Combine ingredient quantities and check what you own.
• Review the list before shopping.

For cost planning, continue with our budget meal planning guide.