No two people or families eat alike. So, there’s no reason that everyone should meal plan using the same goals and techniques.
No matter what you are trying to get out your meal planning, there's bound to be a free menu planning printable that caters to exactly what you need.
We’ve rounded up our favorite free meal planning templates in a wide variety of categories to help you find perfect the free meal planner calendar to keep dinners organized to a T!
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Jump to:
- Recommended products
- Best All-Around Meal Planning Template
- Budget Meal Planning Printable
- Simple Meal Planner
- Family Meal Planner
- Monthly Meal Planner
- Biweekly Meal Planner
- Meal Planning Printable with Grocery List
- Meal Planning Template for a Healthy Diet
- Holiday Meal Planner Printable
- Meal Planner for Meal Prep
- Conclusion
- More Kitchen Tips
Recommended products
- Complete guide to meal planning*: planning menu, groceries, recipes, and more
- Tear off meal planning sheets*
- Magnetic dry erase menu planner board*
Best All-Around Meal Planning Template
We took the most popular meal planner features & improved on common complaints to come up with the ideal overall meal planner template that’s super easy to use.
Our meal planner printable is designed for weekly use, since that is the time frame that most people plan around.
Then, we made sure each day of the week has its own box for you to write your meal choice. Some templates combine or omit days, but we decided against that since you gotta all seven days a week!
Next, we made separate sections for produce & non-produce ingredients because that’s how grocery stores are naturally arranged, so your shopping trip can go much smoother.
We also added fill-in quantity bubbles so that instead of having to cross out and update quantities every time your recipe calls for an ingredient already on the shopping list, you can just fill in additional bubbles to keep track of the total quantity you need.
This meal planner template is available in either printable or fillable versions.
Budget Meal Planning Printable
This smart meal planner template helps you use up what you already have on hand in your kitchen so it doesn't go to waste.
Then you can plan out your grocery shopping. Since the boxes are by day, you can keep track of what groceries are needed for each meal.
Grab this budget meal planner. (via Mommy Over Work)
Simple Meal Planner
Sometimes you just want something simple to jot down your thoughts, no bells and whistles needed.
This meal planning template with its clean, straightforward design has exactly what you need and no more to plan for the week. (via Family Fresh Meals)
Family Meal Planner
Planning meals for a busy family sometimes means more than just deciding what food to eat.
This family meal planning template is perfect for those who need to figure out who will be home for dinner, when dinner will actually be, who is doing what to help prep, and more. (via Design Lass)
Monthly Meal Planner
Some people like to plan out for a whole month, rather than just the week. This colorful monthly meal planning template is whimsical yet functional. (via Picklebums)
Biweekly Meal Planner
If you find monthly planning to be too much to do at once but think weekly planning is simply too often, then the Goldilocks spot for you is to plan your meals biweekly.
This templates has space for you to work out meals two weeks at time, but provides two grocery lists sections since most produce won’t stay fresh for that long. (via Christine Holder Home)
Meal Planning Printable with Grocery List
If you tend to create dishes that need a wide variety of items, this template is the one for you. This meal planner template makes the grocery list section their main focus, with a section for every category you can think of.
It also has lots of space for each category, so you can rest assured that you’ll be able to fit everything on this template.
It even has sections for non-food items so that you can put literally everything you need to get on one sheet. (via Our Handcrafted Life)
Meal Planning Template for a Healthy Diet
This template includes a section listing all the major food groups for each day.
As you plan your meals, you can make sure that you’ve incorporated something from each food group, such as dairy, vegetable, grains, etc. (we just scratch out the chicken icon for the "protein" category and draw in a tofu block). (via Printable Crush)
Holiday Meal Planner Printable
One of the joys of the life is when we have holidays or special events, which means planning more elaborate meals. However, most meal planner templates are designed for single-dish lunches or dinners.
This special meal planner is designed specifically for multi-course special meals and includes a cooking schedule as well. (via Small Stuff Counts)
Meal Planner for Meal Prep
This template includes a section to make notes for which items can be prepped in advance. (via Eating Bird Food)
Conclusion
Whatever you have in mind for effective meal planning, you're bound to find a free meal planning template that's right for you.
Whether you're planning dinners for busy weeknights for your entire family or sticking to your diet plan for weight loss, these free menu planner printables will keep you on track.
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