A Helping Hand with Mealtimes: Free Weekly Meal Planner for Families
Hello, it’s Natasha here.
If family mealtimes feel a little hectic (or a lot!), you’re not alone. Personally, I find it one of the biggest parts of my mental load as a mum. Between packed schedules, picky eaters, getting the kids to school and myself to work, I often feel completely overwhelmed and out of ideas when it comes to planning mealtimes.
One of the best tips a dear friend ever gave me was to start a weekly family meal plan.
At first, the idea of finding an extra 30 minutes each week to plan meals felt like such a big ask, but honestly, it’s saved me so much time, stress, and those last-minute panic buys. Not to mention, we now have hardly any food waste!
So I created my own SFY meal plan template for you to download and not only that but I'm going to share some of my go too weekly meals!
So start by downloading your meal plan template here, you can print it or screen shot it and type away on it on your device!
How to Use Your Weekly Meal Planner
- Download your free meal planner here
- Take 20–30 minutes at the start of the week to plan.
- Check your family calendar so you can plan around activities or busier days.
- Use the grocery list section to make a list of what you need as you go.
- Stick your plan on the fridge, notice board, or wherever works best for your family. They can also read it!
A Tip from One Parent to Another...
I’ve got two very fussy eaters at home, and I’ll be honest, mealtimes can be testing. Trying to get the right food into them, especially after a long day, sometimes feels like an uphill battle.
But something that’s made a real difference (not a miracle, but a real help!) is involving them in the process. When we sit down together to plan the meals for the week and especially on the weekend when there’s a bit more time, I get them involved in prepping some of the food too.
It doesn’t always work, but every now and then, they’re actually more open to trying what they helped plan or prepare. It’s even given us the chance to introduce the occasional new dish. Letting them feel like part of the decision-making makes a big difference, it gives them a little ownership and takes some of the resistance away.
Two big wins in our house are Pizza Party Night (veggies hidden in the sauce), where they decorate their own bases with their favourite toppings, and Fajita Night, where they get to build their own wraps at the table. It’s fun, it’s messy, and they love it!
Meal Ideas...
1. Fajita Night (Family-Friendly Style)
Why it’s great:
Fajitas are quick and great for involving kids in dinner prep. Everyone gets to build their own, less fuss, more fun!
Ingredients:
- Sweet Corn
- Chicken Breasts (I cook mine plain in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper and a whole clove of garlic)
- Carrot Sticks (mine only eat raw)
- Tortilla wraps
- Grated cheese
-
Rice (long grain goes down the best)
Little Tip:
Set it up like a mini DIY fajita bar at the table so everyone can choose their own toppings. Even picky eaters love the freedom!
2. Pizza Party
Why it’s great:
Super fun for a quick meal, pop some music on and if you want to enjoy yourself more prep buy a pizza base or pizza dough.
Ingredients:
- Tomato sauce (I hide veggies in mine)
- Pizza dough (ready made)
- Grated Mozzarella
Little Tip:
You can have extra fun by making animals or shapes with the pizza dough!
3. Roasted butternut squash soup
Why it’s great:
It's so easy to make and also if you have fussy eaters like me you can get so many vegetables into this recipe and they love the sweetness of the butternut squash!
Ingredients:
Little Tip:
If you double or triple the recipe you can batch cook and freeze in portions!
4. Banana Pancakes
Why it’s great:
We have pancakes for breakfast and dinner as they are super easy to make!
Ingredients:
Little Tip:
You can freeze the pancakes and pull them out of the freezer for after school snacks or breakfast!
Here’s to a bit less stress, and more “wins” at the dinner table.
With love,
Natasha x