How to Use Printables for Meal Planning & A Free Printable

Meal Planning

Mar 11

Meal planning is one of the most important components of a healthy diet. Many people are too busy to prepare multiple healthy meals during the day.

Instead of resorting to junk food or other quicker options, it's beneficial to have meals prepared and planned beforehand. This allows people to have greater control over their diet.

Although meal planning can have great results, this strategy takes some organization and preparation. Printables are a great way to simplify this process.

How are printables related to meal planning?

Meal planning is no different than any form of preparation. You'll need some way to organize and remember the information that will be used to prepare meals in the future. Printables are a great way to organize this information in a digestible and easy-to-read format.

Many printables will be divided into seven different sections denoting each day of the week. There may be divisions below these individual sections for each meal of that day.

In addition to these categories, there may be a section for a grocery list or even a calorie counter.

How should you print your Meal Planning Printable?

Once you've found a printable to use with your meal planning, it's time to print it.

For everyday printables and planners I normally use Hammermill Printer Paper, 20 Lb. I love that you can get a small box of 3 reams instead of having to buy one at a time or a whole case of 10.

If I want something a little nicer, I like this laser paper which is incredibly smooth and has very little to no ghosting on the other side. This is perfect if you like to use pens/markers that are prone to bleeding through to the other side.

If you're interested in reusing a template week after week, you can place the printable in a protective sleeve or laminated shield. Then you’ll have a protected template, and you can write on top with an erasable marker.

More Printing Tips:

How can you use your printables effectively?

Using a meal planning template effectively is as simple as remaining consistent and determined.

You should start each week by writing down your intended meals for each day. If you have to purchase items from the grocery store, add these products to the grocery list section.

If you want to take your planning to the next level, here are a few tips for Planning Your Meals A Month Ahead.