Meal-planning printables
A family favorites list
A favorites list is the antidote to staring into the fridge. Every time someone says 'this again,' add it. That list becomes the rotation.
Planning · 4 min read · Updated 2026-11-05
In the portions written below, protein is about 30–34 g, calories about 340–480, and sodium about 110–430 mg. Those are rounded kitchen estimates before extra cheese, bread, or a heavy pour of sauce.
Favorites nobody will cook do not belong on the list. Write the meals you will actually make.
How to run it
- Ask each person for three dinners they are glad to see.
- Write them on one page with a note about leftovers.
- Star the ones that fit the grocery budget.
- Use the page when the week feels blank.
Cook these
Ginger chicken congee
60 min · serves 4
- Protein
- 30 g
- Sodium
- 110 mg
- Calories
- 340
Protein, sodium, and calories are rounded kitchen estimates, not a lab test or a medical plan.
Congee is supposed to be soft. Add water until it is a porridge, not a tight risotto. Skip soy sauce at the table if sodium is the reason you made this.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw white rice
- 8 cups water
- 1 pound boneless chicken thigh
- a 2-inch piece of ginger, sliced
- 2 scallions
- black pepper
- a few drops sesame oil, optional
Method
- Rinse the rice. Combine rice, water, chicken, and ginger in a pot.
- Simmer 45–55 minutes, stirring now and then, until the rice breaks down into porridge and the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Shred the chicken and stir it back in. Top with scallion, pepper, and sesame oil if you use it.
Fridge 4 days. It thickens in the cold; loosen it with water when you reheat. Freezer: best quality within 2 months. If you serve it hot, reheat to 165°F with a food thermometer.
Storage times are general guidance, not a lab test of this recipe. A shorter package or recipe instruction governs. Freezing and reheating do not rescue food left out too long, or a heat-stable toxin that already formed. USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety and USDA FSIS: Freezing and Food Safety.
Chill cooked rice promptly. Vomiting-type Bacillus cereus illness is generally tied to rice and other starchy foods, and that emetic toxin can survive heat that kills the bacteria. FDA Bad Bug Book: Bacillus cereus.
Also used in A lower-sodium holiday plate, A once-a-month cooking day, Easy meals for seniors.
Shrimp and soft grits
25 min · serves 2
- Protein
- 34 g
- Sodium
- 430 mg
- Calories
- 480
Protein, sodium, and calories are rounded kitchen estimates, not a lab test or a medical plan.
Shrimp plus any salty stock is how this dish gets away from you. Water or unsalted milk keeps it in a range you can see.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces peeled shrimp
- 1/2 cup dry grits
- 2 cups water or unsalted milk mixed with water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 lemon
- black pepper
- a handful of spinach
Method
- Simmer the grits in the liquid, whisking, until creamy and soft, about 15 minutes. No salt.
- Sear the shrimp and garlic in oil 2 minutes a side. Wilt the spinach in the same pan.
- Spoon the shrimp over the grits and finish with lemon.
Fridge 2 days. Grits set up firm when cold; loosen with a splash of water. Do not freeze the finished plate. If you serve it hot, reheat to 165°F with a food thermometer.
Storage times are general guidance, not a lab test of this recipe. A shorter package or recipe instruction governs. Freezing and reheating do not rescue food left out too long, or a heat-stable toxin that already formed. USDA FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety.
Also used in Easy meals for seniors, High-protein lunch meal prep, High-volume meals for a calorie deficit.
Details that matter
- A grocery list sorted by aisle saves more sanity than a prettier font.
- Pencil beats pen. Plans change and that is not a failure.
- Check the freezer and pantry before the list, or you will buy a third jar of cumin.
Easy mistakes
A list that is just meal names
Translate two dinners into the actual groceries, including oil, lemons, and tortillas, or the plan dies in the store.
No 'already have' column
The pantry list and the freezer log exist so the grocery list stays short.
Grocery starter
- 1 cup raw white rice
- 8 cups water
- 1 pound boneless chicken thigh
- a 2-inch piece of ginger, sliced
- 2 scallions
- black pepper
- a few drops sesame oil, optional
- 12 ounces peeled shrimp
- 1/2 cup dry grits
- 2 cups water or unsalted milk mixed with water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
Questions
How should I store ginger chicken congee?
Fridge 4 days. It thickens in the cold; loosen it with water when you reheat. Freezer: best quality within 2 months. If you serve it hot, reheat to 165°F with a food thermometer.
How much protein is in a serving?
Ginger chicken congee is about 30 g; Shrimp and soft grits is about 34 g. These are kitchen estimates, not a lab analysis.
What is the easy mistake here?
Favorites nobody will cook do not belong on the list. Write the meals you will actually make.