Family of 4 Weekly Meal Planner Printable

What’s different from the standard version

The standard Weekly Meal Planner has columns for Day, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, and Notes. This Family of 4 variant adds:

• A kid-friendly section — space to note child-friendly versions of each meal (deconstructed tacos, sauce on the side, etc.)
• Portion columns for 4 — calibrated so you write amounts for a household of four (e.g., “2 lbs chicken,” “4 servings rice”)
• Same Monday–Sunday layout and Notes column

Everything else matches the pillar. If you’re cooking for one or two, the standard version is simpler.

Field walkthrough

Kid-friendly section: Use this to document what works for your kids. “Chicken cut in small pieces,” “no onions,” “butter noodles separate”—these notes save you from reinventing the wheel each week. Over time you’ll see patterns: certain meals get eaten, others get pushed around the plate. Plan more of what works.

Portion columns for 4: When you write “chicken stir-fry” for Tuesday, note “2 lbs chicken thighs, 3 cups rice, 2 heads broccoli” in the portion row. At the store you know exactly what to buy. At home you know you’re not over- or under-cooking. For a family of 4, a typical dinner protein is 1.5–2 lbs; grains scale with that.

Notes column: Same as the standard planner—thaw reminders, leftover plans, grocery flags. With a family, you might add “kid 1 tried new food—success” or “double this for lunches.”

How to use this planner — 2 real scenarios

Family of 4 planning Sunday dinners with kid preferences

You sit down Sunday morning with your partner. You pick 4–5 dinners for the week. For each dinner you note the kid-friendly tweak: tacos become deconstructed (meat, cheese, tortilla separate), pasta gets a plain option for the picky one, stir-fry is served with rice and sauce on the side. The portion columns tell you how much to buy—2 lbs ground beef for tacos, 1.5 lbs chicken for stir-fry. You fill the grocery list from the planner and shop once. All week you know what’s for dinner, and the kids have something they’ll eat.

Working parents batching lunches and dinners for four

Sunday afternoon you batch-cook: 2 lbs chicken, 1 lb ground turkey, a big pot of rice, roasted vegetables. You plan lunches (school + work) and dinners using the same components. The portion columns show “pack 4” for lunches—you’re making 20 lunch portions for the week. Dinners reuse the same proteins: Monday chicken stir-fry, Tuesday turkey tacos, Wednesday chicken bowls. The planner keeps you from over-preparing or running out. By Friday you’re on leftovers; the Notes column tracks what went where.

Example fill-out

Monday: Breakfast — Oatmeal with berries (×4). Lunch — Turkey wraps + apple (pack 4). Dinner — One-pan chicken and veggies. Kid version: chicken bites, plain veggies. Portions: 2 lbs chicken, 3 cups rice, 2 heads broccoli. Notes: Use leftover chicken for Tuesday salads.

Tuesday: Breakfast — Scrambled eggs + toast (×4). Lunch — Chicken salad from Monday. Dinner — Spaghetti and meatballs. Kid version: butter noodles, 2 meatballs each. Portions: 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb pasta, 1 jar sauce. Notes: Kids ate 3 meatballs each—adjust next time.

Common mistakes (and how to fix them)

1. Planning separate kid dinners every night. That’s two full meals. Plan one family dinner with small tweaks—deconstructed, sauce on the side, plain option. Sustainable beats perfect.

2. Underestimating portions. Kids eat. A 10-year-old can match an adult portion. Use the portion columns honestly so you don’t run out by Wednesday.

3. Skipping kid-friendly notes. “No onions for Sarah,” “cut chicken small”—write it down. You’ll forget. The planner becomes your family food memory.

4. Not planning leftovers. A family of 4 creates leftovers. Plan Tuesday lunch as Monday’s dinner. Plan Thursday as “leftover buffet.” Reduces waste and cooking time.

Customization tips

Different ages: Note “3 full portions, 1 half” in the portion column if one child eats less. The planner adapts to your household.

Google Sheets: Copy the layout, add allergy or restriction columns. Share with your partner for co-planning.

Lamination: Laminate and reuse weekly with dry-erase. Family plans repeat—same structure, different recipes.