How to Make a Simple 2 Week Meal Plan

Whether you are trying to keep track of what you eat, how much you spend or you just want to put more effort into knowing what you are eating, create a simple two-week meal plan to keep track of your dietary habits. Once created, you can choose to repeat it after two weeks, or come up with a different plan with different dishes for the next two weeks. The meal plan can also serve as a guideline for other family members who might be in charge of making dinner while waiting for others to return home. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Instructions

1

Determine what meals you would like to eat over the course of two weeks. If you don't plan meals that you enjoy, there is a good chance you'll stray from your plan because you'd rather be eating something else. Whether it is pizza, pasta, burgers or steaks, write down a list of items you enjoy eating.

2

Balance out those items with fruits and vegetables. The CDC has a website, fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov, that has an interface on the home page. Plug in your age, gender and approximate physical activity. In turn, the website provides a recommended amount of fruit and vegetable servings per day. List types of fruits and vegetables you like to consume alongside the items you enjoy.

3

Determine a goal for your menu. Some two week meal plans will be about restricting calories, while others will be about staying on a budget. Determine what you want to achieve with your meal so you can proceed with an actual daily plan.

4

Write down the days of the week. Alongside, leave spaces for the amount of meals and snacks you are going to consume. Some people eat strictly three meals, while others may eat six smaller meals. Place your desired meal quantity next to each day.

5

Fill in each meal with what you would like to consume next to each day. Keep in mind your fruit and vegetable consumption as well so it remains balanced. You may also repeat favorite meals, or come up with new combinations. For example, if you have steak and mashed potatoes for dinner, you might plan steak and egg whites for breakfast. This allows you to use steak purchased or cooked the night before in your following meal.

6

Balance out any pertinent information for your meal plan. For example, if your meal plan is all about keeping on a budget, place the cost of each meal next to it. Then add up your entire day, week and ultimately two weeks worth of expenditures. Remember to multiply the cost by the servings you need for your family. For example, if a recipe makes four servings, but there are six in your family, multiply the recipe cost by 1 1/2 to get the actual cost.

If your meal plan is about calories, use a calorie counter to add up the calories in each meal and then the calories for the entire day. If your are over or under your desired intake, adjust accordingly.

7

Review your two week meal plan. Make sure that you are looking forward to the meals you have planned on the list so you stick to it. Make any necessary changes before you head out to the store.