DIY Menu Planner and Tracker: Organize Your Meals and Stay on Track

Are you looking for a creative and practical way to stay on top of your meals and health goals? A DIY menu planner and tracker might be just the solution you need! In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to create your own personalized meal planning system that’s not only functional but also fun to make. And if you’re looking for a ready-made, reusable meal planning solution, I’ve got something special for you at the end of this post!

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This post is in collaboration with Culinary Schools. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Why Use a Menu Planner?

A meal planner helps you:

Save time by organizing meals in advance.
Stick to a budget by reducing food waste.
Maintain a balanced diet by planning nutritious meals.
Follow your dietary preferences – plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, Keto, Paleo, etc
Track your health goals, like calorie intake or weight management.

With a little creativity, your meal planner can also be a source of inspiration and motivation.

Materials You’ll Need For A Menu Planner

Menu Planner Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Choose Your Layout

Decide how you want your planner to look. Consider sections for:

Weekly meal plans
Grocery lists
Recipes
Health tracking (e.g., calories, weight, or fitness goals)

You can create these sections with printable templates or design your own pages.

Step 2: Decorate Your Planner

Make your meal planner visually appealing by adding decorative paper, stickers, or drawings. Use the free clipart from CulinarySchools.org to add fun and colorful elements.

Step 3: Add Functional Features

Weekly Meal Plan Pages: Create a simple grid with days of the week and spaces for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Grocery List Section: Dedicate a page for jotting down ingredients you’ll need.
Health Tracker: Include pages for tracking your progress. For example, link to the workout calorie calculator to estimate how many calories you burn during exercise.

Step 4: Assemble Your Planner

Organize your pages in a binder or notebook. Use adhesive tabs or dividers to separate sections for easy access.

Bonus Menu Planner Tip

I like to slide my pages in page protectors, then I can use a dry-erase marker on the pages. When I’m done, I wipe them clean so I can use them again!

Looking for a Ready-Made Meal Planner?

If you love the idea of having a comprehensive meal planner but don’t have the time to create one from scratch, I’ve got you covered! I sell a beautifully designed printable meal planner PDF that includes:

Daily, weekly, and monthly meal planners
Grocery and shopping lists
Recipe planner
Freezer, fridge, and pantry inventory trackers
Workout log and hydrate tracker

You can print these pages, slide them into page protectors, and use dry-erase markers to make it a reusable system. It’s perfect for staying organized and achieving your health goals in a sustainable way.

Click here to grab your reusable meal planner now!

food education games and tools offered at culinary schools

Bonus Tips for Success

Involve Your Family: Make meal planning a family activity. Use the kids’ games from CulinarySchools.org to teach children about food and nutrition while they help plan meals.
Track Your Goals: Stay motivated by using tools like the body fat calculator to keep your health and finances in check.
Stay Inspired: Refresh your planner regularly with new decorations, recipes, and layouts.
Plan Ahead: Making a weekly menu plan will help you write everything that you need at the grocery store ahead of time. You’ll go in and buy exactly what you need, no impulse buying trying to figure out what you need and want to make. This will also save you time and money when you’re grocery shopping.
Meal Prep: I like to buy my food and prep it all on Sunday. This helps me make the meals faster on those busy nights.

Are you looking for a creative and practical way to stay on top of your meals and health goals? A DIY menu planner and tracker might be just the solution you need!

Why I Love This DIY Meal Planner

This project not only keeps me organized but also allows me to express my creativity. Whether you’re planning meals for a busy week or working toward a fitness goal, this planner will keep you motivated and on track. What are your favorite tips for menu planning? Share them in the comments below.

A special thanks to CulinarySchools.org for this collaboration and don’t forget to check out the resources.

And as an added bonus I’m having a special offer if you buy the meal planner you can get my Fitness panner for 25% off! Grab your very own reusable meal planner here!