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    How to meal plan for the week in one sitting, step by step

    Count the meals, note who eats what, pick a recipe for each, then write one shopping list. Here is each step, worked through for a household of three, with the Tesco list it ends with.

    Richard Swainson, founder of Susten · Updated · 4 min read

    Key takeaways

    • Count the meals you need before you pick any recipes. Nights out and leftover nights cut the number.
    • Write down each person's portion size and anything they avoid before you choose.
    • Put the quickest recipes on your busiest nights.
    • Write one list from every recipe, sorted by shelf, so you shop in one pass.

    To meal plan for the week, do it in one sitting, in this order: count the meals, note who eats what, pick a recipe for each meal, match the recipes to your nights, and write one shopping list. This post works through each step with a real week. It's for a household of three, Susten planned it on 21 October 2026, and it ends with the Tesco list.

    BBC Good Food surveyed over 2,000 UK adults and published the results in June 2026. In it, 42% said they plan their meals in advance to save money. However, 76% said they had felt decision fatigue when planning meals. In one sitting, you make those decisions once for the whole week.

    The household in this example

    PersonPortionEatsAvoids
    YouSized to a 2,200 kcal targetEvery meal, and some snacksNothing
    AlexLargeDinnerNothing
    EllaMediumDinnerNuts

    Alex and Ella join you for dinner, and you eat breakfast and lunch on your own.

    1. Count the meals you need

    Start with the week you'll have, not the week you'd like. Cross out nights out and takeaway nights, then count what's left. Next, count the leftover nights: a dinner you cook once can cover two nights.

    For this household, the count looks like this:

    meals and snacks for you
    24
    portions, with Alex and Ella's
    38
    nights you cook dinner
    5
    different dinners
    5

    This week, Susten planned 5 nights of cooking and 2 leftover nights. You cook dinner on Days 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7. On Days 2 and 5, you eat what you cooked the night before. Four of your lunches are leftovers from a dinner too.

    2. Write down who eats what

    Before you pick a single recipe, write down each person's portion and what they can't eat. In this household, Ella avoids nuts. So every dinner the three of you share has to leave nuts out.

    Portion sizes change how much you buy, not which recipes you pick. For example, Alex eats a large portion, which is twice a small one. For how to cook two sizes in one pan, see meal planning for two.

    3. Pick a recipe for each meal

    Start with dinner, because it's the meal you share. Then fill breakfast and lunch. These can repeat: in the BBC Good Food survey, 61% of UK adults said they eat the same breakfast every day.

    For each portion's calories, protein and Tesco cost, browse Susten's recipes.

    To find your own calorie and protein target, use the macro calculator. To plan to a target, see a 2,000 calorie high-protein week. For the most protein per £1, see high protein on a budget. Here is the week Susten picked for this household. It uses 8 recipes, plus one shop-bought snack, for 24 meals and snacks.

    The week

    Targets: 2,200 kcal and 138 g protein a day

    The week, day by day
    Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5Day 6Day 7
    Breakfast
    Lunch
    Dinner
    Snack
    kcal2,3062,3062,1732,1382,2712,2472,242
    g protein148148138138148144137

    Dinner · Day 1 · Make 7 portions

    Thai Green Curry with Chicken, the recipe, opens in a new tab

    Your portion: 943 kcal · 37 g protein

    Susten planned this week on 21 October 2026. Day totals are your own portions. Alex and Ella's portions are on the shopping list.

    4. Put the quick meals on your busy nights

    Next, match each dinner to its night. The quickest recipes go on the nights you get home late, and the longest go on the nights you're in early. Here are this week's dinners with the time each one takes:

    DayDinnerTime to make
    Day 1Thai Green Curry with Chicken35 minutes
    Day 2Thai Green Curry with ChickenFrom day 1's dinner
    Day 3Turkey & Black Bean Burrito Bowls30 minutes
    Day 4Lentil Bolognese80 minutes
    Day 5Lentil BologneseFrom day 4's dinner
    Day 6Ginger Beef & Green Bean Stir Fry28 minutes
    Day 7Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry35 minutes

    Then move the days around to fit your week. If you cook a double batch one night, the next night needs no cooking, so put it on your busiest evening. To cook the whole week in a few batches, see high-protein meal prep.

    5. Write one list, in the order of the shop

    Go through every recipe and add up each ingredient across the week. Then round up to whole packs, because shops sell packs, not grams. After that, sort the list by shelf, so you walk the shop once or fill an online basket in one go. Finally, cross off what you already have.

    For this week, the list has 65 items. Of those, 17 are cupboard items you might already have.

    sustenYour Tesco list · 65 items

    To buy · 48£131.28

    With Clubcard prices£126.88

    Lettuce & Salad bags

    Spring Onions, Radish & Beetroot

    Celery

    Fresh Chillies, Herbs, Garlic & Ginger

    Peppers

    Courgettes, Aubergines & Squash

    Onions & Leeks

    Carrots & Root Vegetables

    Broccoli & Cauliflower

    Mushrooms

    Peas, Beans, Sweetcorn & Asparagus

    Sausages

    Fresh Chicken

    Mince & Meatballs

    Soft & Spreadable Cheese

    Grated & Sliced Cheese

    Specialty & Continental Cheese

    Eggs

    Fresh Vegetables & Fresh Flowers

    Thai

    Japanese

    Mexican & Latin American

    Pulses, Lentils & Beans

    Tomatoes, Passata & Puree

    Cooking Ingredients

    Cereals

    South Asian

    East & South East Asian

    Eastern European

    Meat Snacking

    Plain Nuts & Seeds

    Peas, Sweetcorn & Green Beans

    Might already have · 17Show£41.41

    Oils & Cooking Fats

    Stock Cubes & Pots

    Salt & Pepper

    Seasoning, Herbs & Spices

    Rice

    Pasta & Spaghetti

    Sugar

    Honey & Syrups

    Every item, cupboard included£172.69

    Clubcard prices take £4.40 off this shop.

    Tesco's prices as listed on tesco.com between 14 and 21 October 2026, with each Clubcard price where Tesco has one. Whole packs, without delivery. Each item links to its Tesco page, which shows today's price.

    At those prices, the items to buy come to £131.28. With the cupboard items, the whole list comes to £172.69.

    6. Keep the plan where you'll see it

    Stick the plan on the fridge, or keep it on your phone. Then at 7pm on a Tuesday, the decision is already made.

    Make next week quicker

    Keep a list of the recipes everyone liked, and start next week's plan from it. The steps stay the same: count, note who eats what, pick, match to your nights, then write the list.

    If you used Mealime for this, see the Mealime alternatives for UK shoppers.

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