This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. Thanks for supporting The Little Frugal House!
Looking for sample meal plans for inspiration to make your weekly meal plan? In this post, I’m sharing five simple sample meals plans to try this week for quick, easy, and budget friendly dinners!
Meal planning is one of the very best ways to eat at home more often and save more money.
But… it can be really stressful and exhausting to think of what meals to make each night of the week.
These sample meal plans can be followed exactly like they are, or use them for inspiration to make your own unique meal plan.
Sometimes, we just need some new ideas and a fresh perspective to help us get through meal planning!
5 Simple Sample Meal Plans to Try This Week
These sample meal plans are very simple, so you won’t find any meals that take hours to make. Because that is not realistic with our busy schedules. And who wants to spend hours in the kitchen every night?
Also, since I’m not a recipe blogger or recipe creator, you won’t find exact recipes in these meal plans. Rather, I’m putting together ideas and simple meals you can add to your meal plan.
You can use your favorite family recipe for the meals or do a quick Google or Pinterest search for a quick and easy recipe to follow.
Tip: I almost always type “quick” or “easy” into the search bar before the recipe name I’m looking for!
5 Sample Meal Plans:
These sample weekly meal plans will help give you inspiration to make your meal plan, when you are stuck wondering “What should I make for dinner this week?”
Sample Meal Plan #1:
This meal plan uses theme nights as a starting block for making your meal plan. This is an easy way to plan different kind of meals throughout the week, and have some kind of idea of what to make each night.
You can read more about theme night meal planning here.
- Sunday: Crockpot: Chili with toppings, Cornbread
- Monday: Italian Night: Chicken Alfredo, Breadsticks
- Tuesday: Mexican Night: Burrito Bowl Bar, Chips & Salsa
- Wednesday: Soup + Sandwich/Salad: Grilled sandwiches and Chicken Noodle Soup
- Thursday: Instant Pot or Sheet Pan Dinner: Roasted Chicken and Vegetables, Salad
- Friday: Pizza Night (homemade or takeout): Homemade Flatbread Pizzas
- Saturday: Grill something: BBQ Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Salad, Bread
Sample Meal Plan #2:
This meal plan is kid friendly and great for picky eaters!
- Sunday: Pizza and salad
- Monday: Chicken or beef tacos, chips and queso
- Tuesday: Homemade chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, green beans
- Wednesday: Slider burgers, sweet potato fries, veggies and dip
- Thursday: Spaghetti (or favorite pasta), garlic bread, salad
- Friday: Grilled cheese and soup
- Saturday: Hamburger macaroni pasta (like homemade Hamburger Helper), rolls
Sample Meal Plan #3:
This meal plan would be great for a couple that enjoys nicer meals, but still needs dinner to be done quickly.
- Sunday: Spaghetti and meatballs, bruschetta, Caesar salad
- Monday: Grilled chicken, scalloped potatoes, roasted vegetables
- Tuesday: Chicken Piccata, rice, steamed vegetables
- Wednesday: Lemon Pepper Tilapia, Jasmine rice, steamed vegetable
- Thursday: Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken, salad, roasted potatoes
- Friday: Chicken fried rice, egg rolls
- Saturday: Steak (split a larger steak to save money), baked potato, grilled asparagus, bakery rolls
Sample Meal Plan #4:
This sample meal plan would be great to have the main entrees prepared ahead of time and stocked away in the freezer. You can pull the meal from the freezer and put in the fridge the night before, then just quickly heat up for an easy dinner.
- Sunday: Crockpot chili (make a big batch and freeze leftovers), corn muffins
- Monday: Chicken teriyaki, rice, steamed broccoli
- Tuesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread, Caesar salad
- Wednesday: Chicken fajitas, black beans, corn
- Thursday: Stir fry chicken, rice, vegetables
- Friday: Beef taco bar with all your favorite toppings, chips and salsa
- Saturday: Grill burgers (burgers patties from the freezer), corn on the cob, mashed potatoes
Want to learn more about freezer cooking?
Be sure to check out these top freezer cooking posts!
- Free Freezer Meal Planner Worksheet
- How to Plan a Freezer Cooking Day + My Best Freezer Cooking Tips
- Beginner Freezer Cooking
Want to make more freezer meals to fill your freezer with ready to go meals?
Check out these awesome freezer cooking plans!
- Make Ahead Freezer Slow Cooker Meals
- Make 111 Meals in 3 Hours
- 19 Make Ahead Freezer Meals to Save Time & Money
- 10 Easy Freezer Meals for Beginners
- 7 Easy Ground Beef Freezer Meals
- Weekly Freezer Cooking Plan for Expecting Moms
- 5 Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas
Sample Meal Plan #5:
This meal plan is perfect for families that love homestyle cooking, and husbands or teens that have to have plenty of meat! 🙂
- Sunday: Chicken, broccoli, and rice casserole, garden salad, croissants
- Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls
- Tuesday: Taco bar (can stretch meat with beans), taco toppings, chips and dip
- Wednesday: Chicken fettucine alfredo with broccoli, Caesar salad, garlic bread
- Thursday: BBQ grilled chicken, baked potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans, rolls
- Friday: Lasagna, Caesar salad, bakery rolls, roasted veggies
- Saturday: Oven baked fried chicken, sweet potato fries, corn on the cob, green beans
I hope these sample meal plans help you make your weekly meal plan quickly and easily.
Sometimes we just need some fresh ideas to help us make our menu for the week, when you can think of what to make for dinner tonight!
Pick the meal plan that best fits your family’s taste and search Google for quick and easy recipes for that meal, or use a recipe you know and love from a cookbook or family recipe.
If you often get stuck wondering what to add to your meal plan, it may be helpful to make a list of your family’s favorite meals to use as inspiration and ideas when you sit down to make your meal plan.
My Meal Planning Starter Pack has some great resources, including a favorite meals list you can use, to help you conquer meal planning. Check it out on sale here!
Here are some more cheap meal ideas to help you make your own frugal weekly meal plan:
20 Things to Eat on a Tight Budget
Easy Two Week Rotating Meal Plan on a Budget
10 Pantry Meals: When the Menu Plan Doesn’t Happen
Theme Nights Meal Planning: Easy Dinner Ideas for Every Night of the Week
Good luck making your meal plan, and remember to keep it simple! You don’t need to make a five star meal every night to feed your family well and stay on budget.
You might also enjoy…
