If you've never planned your meals before, the whole concept can seem a bit... much. Spreadsheets? Calendars? Colour-coded systems? Life's complicated enough without adding another admin task to the pile.
Good news: meal planning doesn't have to be complicated. At its simplest, it's just answering one question in advance: what are we eating this week?
Here's how to get started without overthinking it.
Step 1: Pick your meals
That's it. That's the first step. Sit down for five minutes and decide what you want to eat for the next few days.
You don't need fancy recipes. You don't need to scour Pinterest for inspiration. Just think about meals you already know how to cook, or meals you'd like to try, and write them down.
Start with dinners only. Breakfast and lunch can stay spontaneous for now. You're not trying to plan every morsel—you're just trying to answer the 6pm "what's for dinner" question before it arrives.
Step 2: Check what you have
Before you write a shopping list, have a quick look in your fridge, freezer, and cupboards. You might already have half the ingredients you need.
This isn't about conducting a full inventory. Just a quick scan to avoid buying duplicates and to use up anything that needs eating soon.
Got some chicken in the freezer? Build a meal around it. Jar of passata that's been there for months? Sounds like pasta night.
Step 3: Write your list
Now go through your planned meals and note down what you need to buy. Be specific—not just "vegetables" but "2 courgettes, 1 aubergine, bag of spinach."
Group similar items together if it helps: all the fresh stuff, all the store cupboard bits, all the meat and fish. This makes the actual shopping faster.
Step 4: Shop once
The magic of meal planning is that it lets you do one big shop instead of multiple smaller trips. This saves time, reduces impulse buying, and means fewer moments standing in a queue wondering how you ended up here again.
Whether you shop in person or get a delivery, having a complete list means you're in and out efficiently. No wandering. No "I'll just grab this in case." Just purposeful, focused shopping.
Step 5: Actually cook the meals
This sounds obvious, but it's where many meal plans fall apart. You planned spaghetti bolognese for Tuesday, but Tuesday arrives and you don't fancy it. So you order pizza, the mince sits unused, and by Friday it needs throwing out.
Two things help here:
Flexibility. Your meal plan isn't a contract. If you don't fancy Tuesday's dinner on Tuesday, swap it with Wednesday's. The meals still get cooked—just not necessarily in order.
Realistic expectations. Don't plan seven elaborate meals and then wonder why you're exhausted by Thursday. Mix it up: one or two more ambitious dishes, and the rest quick and simple.
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
Planning too many new recipes. Try one new dish per week maximum. The rest should be meals you could cook on autopilot.
Ignoring your actual life. Got a busy day on Wednesday? Plan something quick or prep-ahead. Social plans on Friday? Don't buy ingredients for a meal you won't cook.
Being too rigid. Plans change. That's fine. The goal is to have options, not to stick rigidly to a schedule.
Forgetting about leftovers. If you're cooking a roast on Sunday, factor the leftovers into Monday's plan. Free meal, minimal effort.
How Supermenu helps
Everything above can be done with a notebook and some discipline. But if you want to make it even easier, that's what we're here for.
Supermenu lets you browse recipes, add them to your weekly plan, and automatically generates your shopping list. No spreadsheets required. You can compare prices across supermarkets, adjust portions, and send your list straight to your preferred store.
It's all the benefits of meal planning with none of the admin.