Weekly Meal Planning to Eat Well, Save Money, and Reduce Food Waste

Weekly Meal Planning to Eat Well, Save Money, and Reduce Food Waste

Planning our weekly menu has become one of the most helpful habits in our home. Each week, we sit down and plan meals based on what we already have in the freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s to reduce food waste, save money, and make everyday life a little easier. Next week, the kids will still be on break, so we will mostly eat leftovers for lunch or make something simple like sandwiches or salads. In the following weeks, the kids will be back at school, and I will be working full-time, so I’m already planning to do meal prepping ahead of time.

When meals are planned ahead of time, we avoid last-minute grocery runs, impulse purchases, and the stress of figuring out what’s for dinner. It helps us eat well, stay on budget, and make the most of the food we already have.

Below is our weekly meal plan for the upcoming week.

Our Weekly Dinner Menu

Monday

Meatballs with potatoes, broccoli, mushroom sauce, and lingonberries

Tuesday

Goulash soup (made with textured vegetable protein, crushed tomatoes, bell peppers, and homegrown potatoes) served with homemade bread

Wednesday

Smashed black bean tacos

Thursday

Chickpea stew with couscous

Friday

Homemade sourdough pizza with homemade tomato sauce from homegrown tomatoes, foraged mushrooms, and homegrown dino kale or topping of once liking:)

Saturday

Enchilada casserole

Filling:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable broth
• 2–3 tablespoons of salsa
• 1 cup yellow onion, minced
• 5 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1 cup spinach or kale, chopped
• 1 (15.5 oz.) can black or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 11 corn tortillas

Homemade cheese sauce:

• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp salt, maybe more if you want a saltier.
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup Almond milk

Homemade Enchilada Sauce:

• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Topping:
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1. Make cheese sauce first: Cook carrots until soft in water and drain. Mix everything until completely smooth and creamy in a food processor or high-speed blender.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F
3. Prepare the filling: In a medium pan over medium heat, heat the vegetable broth and add the onions and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to become translucent. Add in the corn and greens and continue to sauté for 3 more minutes. Add more broth as needed to prevent burning. Mix through the black beans and then set aside.

4. Prepare the enchilada sauce: In a high-speed blender, add in all the ingredients for the sauce except for the salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Set aside.
6. Assemble the casserole: Evenly distribute a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of a 10×8″ baking dish. Dip a tortilla in the sauce, being sure to cover both sides, and then layer it into the bottom left of the dish. Repeat with more tortillas until the bottom of the casserole dish is covered. Add in a layer of the vegetable mixture and about 3 tablespoons of cheese. Repeat these layers until you reach the top of the dish, and then add a final layer of wet tortillas. Spread the remaining sauce on top, and add cheese sauce to the top of the casserole.

7. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes.
8. Top with cilantro, chopped tomatoes, and green onions.

Sunday

Leftovers — the easiest and most underrated meal of the week

Breakfast & Snacks

Breakfast:

Oatmeal or homemade granola with milk

Snacks:

Rice cakes with peanut butter and fruit

“Nicecream” (banana ice cream)

Sandwiches made with homemade bread and fruit

Why Weekly Meal Planning Works for Us

Planning our meals around what we already have at home helps us:

• Reduce food waste
• Save money on groceries
• Avoid unnecessary shopping trips
• Create calmer, more predictable weekdays

It doesn’t need to be complicated. A simple weekly menu makes a big difference—for our budget, our time, and the environment.

Meal planning isn’t about restriction; it’s about using what you have intentionally and making everyday life a little more sustainable.