The content on this site may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that, at zero cost to you, we will earn an affiliate commission if you click on one of the links and buy something.
These Bullet Journal meal plan ideas will help you eat healthy and save money on your grocery shop! Includes helpful tips and layout inspiration!
Bullet Journal Meal Planning
Planning your meals ahead of time is the best way to take the stress out of busy days and make sure your family eats healthy food. Quite often the hardest thing about meal planning is having a system and making it a habit which is why today we’re exploring clever Bullet Journal meal plan ideas to help you get into the swing of things!
If you think about it, meal planning consists of a list full of lists: a list of meals to prepare for this week, recipes for those meals that are composed of a list of ingredients and a list of steps, a separate list of the ingredients you need as opposed to those you already have, and a list of where to get certain ingredients that you can’t find in your usual supermarket, and, finally, a list of how much it all costs.
Wow! With all these lists it makes total sense to use your Bullet Journal for meal planning right??
Psst… need a new notebook for your meal planning bullet journal? Check these out!
How to turn your meal plan ideas into a shopping list
Let’s take a look at a quick and easy way to plan a week’s meals for your family using a blank page in your journal.
Think of a typical week’s worth of meals you would like to make. Choose meals you have been craving, meals you already have a bunch of ingredients for, or whatever else works for you.
Start with your first meal and list all the ingredients.
Use a distinct bullet symbol (like a *) for those you need to purchase more of.
Repeat for all other meals, but only use the distinct “buy more” bullet point once per ingredient.
When all your meals and corresponding ingredients have been listed, make a note of quantity needed for each ingredient you need to buy next to the distinctly bullet pointed items. That way, you can quickly see which items, and how much of them, you need to purchase.
Here’s how your list might look:
Chicken Fajitas:
*Chicken Breasts (4)
-Tortillas
*Chicken Broth (4 cans)
*Olive Oil
*Cumin
-Paprika
-Frozen Bell Peppers
Broccoli Chicken Bowls:
-Chicken Breasts
*Frozen Broccoli
-Olive Oil
-Cumin
*Soy Sauce
-Chicken Broth
*Carrots (Big Bundle)
Snacks:
-Carrot Sticks
*Celery Sticks
-Ranch Dressing
When you’re at the grocery store, or ordering your food online you can see exactly what you need to buy right there in your Bullet Journal!
How your Bullet Journal can help you save money with coupons
If you spend the weekend cutting coupons but forget to bring them to the store it’s time to put your BUJO to work!
As you cut your coupons go back through your list and note down which ingredients you have coupons for. Then store them inside your journal. Now when you’re at the store and you open up your shopping list your coupons are right there where you need them!
You might also want to start a tracker spread of the brands you prefer, the stores where you can actually find the ingredients you need and also the price of the items you buy most often so you can stock up when they’re on offer.
Write your recipe versions in your journal
You probably have a bunch of go-to recipes that you use regularly and it’s worth taking the time to write these out in your Bullet Journal.
You can detail the substitutions that you’ve made due to allergies or intolerances, as well as the temperature and length of time things actually take to cook in your own oven!
The major advantage of using your Bullet Journey for meal planning is that you get to tailor it to your own organizational style, and you have everything you need in one place.
It puts an end to wondering what you did last time to make the sauce thicker or standing in the middle of the supermarket, searching through multiple recipes on your phone to figure out how much butter to get!
Trust me. The more you use this system the more ways you will find to use your journal!
Bullet Journal Meal Plan Inspiration
Ok so you’ve got the theory, but if you’re like me you need to SEE some examples of spreads and layouts before you can formulate your own meal plan trackers right?
Well don’t worry because I’ve been pulling together all kinds of creative bullet journal ideas to help you create your own weekly meal planning spread.
From keeping a master shopping list to journaling favorite recipes and then of course planning out your meals week by week, there are so many ideas here to help you pull together a Bullet Journal tracker that will help you plan your meals like a pro!
21 Day Fix Menu Plan
I like how this menu plan spread is laid out, it’s perfect for planning out your 21 day fix meals but you could use it for regular meal prep in your meal plan bullet journal too.
Clean Eating Spread
Here’s a good idea for keeping track of which foods you’re allowed to eat if you’re trying the Clean Eating lifestyle.
Diet Plan Spread
You don’t have to be on a diet to use a spread like this in your Bullet Journal, I really like the idea of a goto list of ideas for the different meals during the day.
Family Favorites Meal Ideas Spread
Or try this spread to capture your family’s favorite meals to refer to when you’re planning your week ahead.
Recipe Spread
And why not go one step further and journal those recipes so they’re always at hand when you need them!
Food Habit Tracker
If you’re not sure how many times a week you actually eat takeout try this food tracker spread for a week to see!
Freezer Inventory Tracker
If your meal planning includes batch cooking and filling your freezer then you’ll definitely need a freezer inventory spread like this one in your Bullet Journal. It will help you keep track of the tasty meals you’ve already prepped and make sure those leftovers don’t go to waste!
Master Grocery List
Recording your master shopping list split out by aisle in your bullet journal meal planner makes going to the store a lot less stressful!
Ingredient Substitutions Cheat Sheet
This printable is designed to be stuck inside your pantry but I think keeping a copy of this food substitutions list in your Bullet Journal is a genius idea!
Intuitive Eating Tracker
If you want to keep track of how the food you eat affects your body and your emotions try an intuitive eating spread like this one as part of your weekly meal planner.
Keto Meal Plan Spread
You can meal plan for your keto diet in your Bullet Journal too.
Kitchen Cheat Sheet
If you’re like me and you never seem to have the right sized cup or spoon when cooking or baking stick a copy of this printable in your journal to help you!
Pantry Staples Meal Ideas Spread
I love this layout to help you choose recipes based on the staples you have in your pantry.
Meal Plan Spread
Here’s a clever way of combining your meal plan with a calorie tracker.
Quick Meals for Busy Days
If you don’t want to plan your meals for every day of the week why not designate one day as Quick Meal day. You can choose what you really feel like eating from the list knowing it won’t take long to actually pull together.
Post It Recipe Bank
Ooh love this idea of using post it notes so you don’t have to keep writing everything out over and over!
Restaurant Bucket List Tracker
Just because you meal plan doesn’t mean you can’t eat out ever again. Use a bucket list tracker like this one to decide where you what to go when it’s time to treat yourself!
Slimming World Food Tracker
If you’re doing Slimming World or anything else that requires tracking points for each meal you can do it as easily as this.
Smoothie Recipe Tracker
Here’s a great idea for tracking all the new smoothie recipes you want to try!
Water Tracker
Ok so it’s not specifically meal planning but while we’re talking about tracking all things food we need to remember to drink our water too!
Whole 30 Shopping List
If you’re embarking on the Whole 30 you will not want to miss this shopping list spread!
