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Published September 20, 2013 | Last Updated September 27, 2022 By Barbara Bianchi 38 Comments

4 Steps To Easy Meal Planning (Includes Weekday Breakfast & Lunch Plans)

Follow these steps to easy gluten free meal planning so you can prepare each meal stress-free and relax, enjoy cooking, with time to spare for doing what you love.

Today, I am delighted to share four steps to an easy gluten free meal plan because preparing three meals each day for your family can become tiresome. Add to the mix the issue of food intolerance and Mom quickly becomes overwhelmed.

Many years ago, I realized that if I wanted to serve my family with grace and a smile on my face, I would need to take control of the meal planning or it would take control of me.

Serving my family when they’ve been told “No, you can’t eat this and you can’t eat that.” is challenging. Often times they would be disappointed in their meals simply because they missed eating a particular forbidden favorite.

Indeed, that’s why I made a concerted effort to adapt their old favorites using gluten free ingredients.

With a little planning, you’ll be able to complete the bulk of your food shopping in one day, prepare each meal stress-free and relax and enjoy pleasant family time.

Step 1. List your meals

First I made a list of our favorite breakfasts and assigned each one to a day of the week.  4 Steps to an Easy Gluten Free Meal Plan

Just in case someone balked because “I don’t want to eat pancakes.”

I could respond, “That’s o.k. because every Monday we’ll have your favorite: frittata.”

When I first showed my list to my children, they were fascinated. They could look forward to a different scrumptious breakfast each day of the week.

I could prepare my shopping list to be sure that I had all the ingredients I would need for the week. Moreover, I wouldn’t have to be stressed in the morning trying to decide what to make for breakfast.

Monday: begin the week with a delicious frittata.

Gluten Free Broccoli Frittata
Take your breakfast or brunch to the next level. This delicious broccoli frittata is quick, easy to prepare, and delicious.
Check out this recipe

Tuesday: sausage wrapped in a pancake is easy to make.

Gluten Free Pigs-In-A-Blanket
Pigs-in-a-blanket are fun and so delicious!
Check out this recipe

Wednesday: french toast for the middle of the week.

Gluten Free French Toast
You'll love this cinnamony gluten free french toast cooked until golden and slightly crisp on the edges. It's easy to make and so delicious.
Check out this recipe

Thursday: this frittata is a great way to use up leftover ham.

Gluten Free Frittata With Ham (Keto And Low Carb)
A frittata is an Italian style omelette that's perfect for brunch, luncheon, and even dinner.
Check out this recipe

Friday: bacon and eggs! It’s easy when you cook your bacon in the oven. 

How To Cook Bacon In The Oven
Here's how to cook bacon in the oven in less than 25 minutes. No fuss, no mess, just delicious perfectly done bacon.
Check out this recipe

Similarly, I listed lunch options.

Monday: you can spice up your favorite sandwich by serving it on a garlic bread roll.

Gluten Free Quick Garlic Bread
Gluten free quick garlic bread is easy to make beginning with frozen crusty Against the Grain rolls.
Check out this recipe

Tuesday: sloppy joe tastes great in a sandwich or stuffed in peppers.

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
This is always a great go-to meal on busy days because it comes together so quickly.
Check out this recipe

Wednesday: Philly cheesesteak is also good on a roll or wrapped in lettuce.

Philly Cheesesteak Lettuce Wraps
Indulge in these Philly cheesesteaks made with thin sliced roast beef in place of steak and tossed with peppers and onions, topped with real cheese (no cheese whiz here) and a special Russian dressing style sauce. Yum.
Check out this recipe

Thursday: burgers with the best toppings!

Bacon Cheeseburger with Caramelized Onions and Peppers on a Gluten Free Bun
Juicy bacon cheeseburger with caramelized onions and peppers on a fluffy gluten free bun. This is one of the best burgers you'll ever have.
Check out this recipe

Friday: paninis are a fun way to end the week.

Gluten Free Panini Sandwich
Originating in Italy, the panino is Italian for "small bread roll." Fortunately, they can be made with your favorite filling and gluten free bread!
Check out this recipe

And for dinner, I have enough recipes for a whole month so we would not get bored. If plans changed, I’d simply move an already scheduled meal to a new date.

Printable Meal Plans

Would you like the
free meal planning bundle?

Would you like the

free meal planning bundle?

This handy bundle includes a printable breakfast meal plan, lunch meal plan, grocery shopping list and freezer checklist so you can keep an inventory of the food you have in your freezer.

 

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Step 2. Complete your grocery list

I keep a comprehensive shopping list. Checking off the items I’ll need against the week’s meal plan is a snap.

Certainly include wholesome snacks such as fruits, carrots, celery or try hummus that can be spread on gluten free crackers, gluten free power bars, gluten free pretzels, nuts and raisins or popcorn, or gluten free chips and salsa.  Additionally, I include ingredients for healthy smoothies.

If you’re low carb, choose recipes for your meal plan from this collection of low carb recipes.

Step 3. Go shopping

Get the bulk of your shopping done in one day. You’ll have all the ingredients you need for the week because there’s nothing more frustrating than missing one ingredient when you start to cook. Then if you’re feeling especially energetic, you’ll have everything you need for meals that you want to cook ahead.

Step 4. Start cooking

Cook up those meals without missing a beat. With your quick and easy gluten free meal plan: the answer to the question, “What’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?” is as easy as 1,2,3,4.

I hope you find these meal planning tips helpful. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email, and I’ll respond ASAP!

More meal plan resources

Review: Against the Grain Rolls Here’s my review of gluten free Against the Grain rolls including recipes for three savory and simple gluten free meal plan sandwich ideas.

30-Minute Dinners weeknight meal plan This gluten free weeknight meal plan checks all the boxes for easy, variety, and deliciousness. I think you’ll love these choices.

Easy Dinners weeknight meal plan This easy meal plan is sure to please everyone at your table. No more weeknight scramble to get dinner on the table. Each recipe is easy and so delicious.

  • About the Author
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About Barbara Bianchi

Barbara loves to bring fun into the kitchen and healthy food to the table. She also enjoys drinking coffee, eating a little chocolate, reading a good novel, going for walks and spending time with her family and friends.
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Filed Under: Breakfast, Dinner, Fabulous Freebies, Lunch, Meal Plans

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dana (@DragynAlly) says

    September 20, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    I think these tips are great! Not just for the gluten free set but anyone trying to make a meal plan that’s healthy for their family.

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      September 21, 2013 at 12:03 am

      Dana,
      Thank you for your encouraging comments. I appreciate it.

      Reply
  2. Karl E Bennett JR says

    September 21, 2013 at 12:48 pm

    Great article, thanks for the tips and the printable PDF’s. Very good ideas on how to eat healthy, and stay full engaged by mixing up the menus. I like the way you post this article together. The best thing about it, the steps are simple and easy to do.

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      September 21, 2013 at 1:13 pm

      Thank you, Karl.
      I’m so glad you found it helpful.

      Reply
  3. Elizabeth says

    September 21, 2013 at 2:38 pm

    I am very aware these days of what I eat…probably too aware. I downloaded your app. Will be curious to see what goodies I might find. So awesome that your son could create it for you. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      September 21, 2013 at 3:36 pm

      Terrific, Elizabeth.
      I’m delighted that you downloaded my app. I do hope you enjoy the recipes.
      My son is working on our first update, as I write this, so you can look forward to over 20 new recipes on the app very soon. (He said the update could take a week to process)
      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Lillian Moffitt says

    September 22, 2013 at 11:00 am

    Barbara,
    I’m so glad you visited and commented on my blog. If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have know your beautiful and informative site exists.

    Having been domestically challenged most of my life, this seems like a fantastic resource.

    Be well,
    Lillian

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      September 22, 2013 at 5:19 pm

      Thank you, Lillian. I’m so glad you stopped by.
      All the best with your new blog.

      Reply
  5. D Herman says

    October 9, 2013 at 7:16 pm

    tried downloading the Dinner Plans PDf. Cannot read URLs under dinner title, all in yellow.Bottom indicates a Click here for a link, no link at all. Plus I can hardly read the text in these fields!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      October 9, 2013 at 8:42 pm

      Thank you for letting me know. I have fixed the problem. The yellow URLs under the dinner titles are special short links and even though you cannot read them, hovering over them will lead you to the corresponding recipe.

      Reply
  6. Nancy woodcock says

    October 11, 2013 at 10:56 am

    Sharing with many friends that have gluten issues so glad God is using you with your talents. Love you dear friend give us a call

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      October 11, 2013 at 4:11 pm

      Thanks for sharing, Nancy! You are a blessing. I hope your friends will join in the discussions on my new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheGlutenFreeHomestead.

      Reply
  7. Anna Jeanine @ Mystic Comfort says

    October 11, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    Oh my goodness! I just realized what I need as I read your post. I need a master shopping list that I can make copies of and then check off what I need each time I go to the store. I’m on it!! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      October 11, 2013 at 4:15 pm

      You’re welcome, Anna.

      Reply
  8. Andrea says

    October 14, 2013 at 8:26 am

    Some great tips here for menu planning, even if you’re not gluten free. It’s what I already do. We live quite a distance from the nearest shop so I’m used to being organised when it comes to our menu for the week. Add to that my partner is wheat and dairy intolerant and you really have no choice than to be organised and adaptable. Great article, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Barbara says

      November 3, 2013 at 4:14 pm

      Good for you! Thanks for commenting.

      Reply

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