Meal Planner Shopping List

Take the time to make your list.

Planning meals with a detailed shopping list helps eliminate the headache involved with food preparation because you already know what's for dinner throughout the week. A detailed list can ensure you get everything you need, which can also save you from having to make extra trips to the grocery store. Write down what meals you want to serve for breakfast, lunch and dinner and include room for snacks, drinks, dressings and even treats. Find recipes for certain meals and get all the needed ingredients on your list or already in your cupboard.

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Breakfast
- Enjoy a wholesome breafast every day.
  
  Include plenty of breakfast options on your list. Some common staples include oatmeal, cereal, eggs, turkey bacon and bagels. Also buy fresh blueberries, strawberries and honeydew melons. Buy enough food to last the entire week. Purchase cream of wheat, pancake mix, old-fashioned syrup, yogurt, potatoes or frozen hash browns.
Lunch
- Pasta salads sound good for lunch.
  
  Plan lunches based on the needs of your family. Set aside money so you and your spouse can go out to lunch on your break at work, or decide what types of meals to bring to the office. Find out what your children want to bring to school, or take advantage of the school lunch program. However; if you spend your days at home with small children, buy lunch items to feed everyone in the household as well. Chicken salad or turkey sandwiches along with apples, carrot sticks and other fruit also work well for lunch. Crispy green or Cesar salad with croutons make healthy lunches along with pasta salad, frozen macaroni and cheese, egg rolls, chicken strips and buffalo wings.
Dinner
- Plan dinners for the entire week before heading to the grocery store. Common meat staples include ground beef, steak, chicken, salmon and other types of fish. Use ground buffalo or beef to make spaghetti with wheat or spinach noodles one night and serve roasted lemon salmon the following day. Chicken works well with potato wedges and side vegetable dishes such as green beans, peas and carrots. Baked potatoes, pasta salads, mashed potatoes and green salads are tasty dinner side dishes. You can find all sorts of pasta salads at grocery store delis, or buy the ingredients and whip up your own homemade pasta dishes.
  
  Buy frozen pizza, lasagna or other frozen dishes for quick dinner options during the week. When planning dinners, include all the items on the list needed for the recipe. Lemon chicken might call for lemon wedges, marinade, onions and garlic. Make a list of all the vegetables needed for a green salad and include condiments on the list, if you plan on serving buffalo burgers. Don't forget the buns and side dish options. Buy steak sauce, spaghetti sauce, tarter sauce and other types of marinades for various dinner dishes. Check your cupboards to see if you have spices and herbs, along with salt and pepper.
Snacks
- Keep the kids happy with sweet, yet healthy snacks.
  
  Choose snacks to curb your hunger between meals, or keep kids satisfied after coming home from school. Fruit such as watermelon and honeydew melon work well as breakfast options along with after school treats. Buy carrot sticks, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers and other chopped veggies along with your favorite honey mustard or ranch dip. Pocket pizzas, muffins, chips and salsa, popcorn, scones, snap-pea crisps, grapes, raisin bread and veggie chips.
Beverages and Treats
- Decide what types of beverages and treats you want to feed your family. Limit sodas and desserts if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, a few treats now and then such as chocolate cake, brownies or soda can make everyone in the household happy. You can also focus on featuring healthy beverages such as organic orange juice, milk, almond milk or coconut milk. Many grocery stores now offer a range of options, from sugary to healthy and delicious. Buy teas with organic sugar packets if you want something sweet without going overboard. Other beverages include apple juice, cranberry, grape, apple cider, raspberry iced tea and lemonade.