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Smart Shopping
Menu Planning
Menu planning may seem hard at first, but taking the time to plan ahead can save you money. After a bit of practice, you’ll be a pro! Get started with the resources below.
Meal Planning Guide (424 K PDF) — Save money, reduce stress, and spend time with your family by planning your meals for the week.
Thinking Ahead — Planning Guide (415 K PDF) — Easy-to-use template for planning your meals for the week.
Planning Meals on the Go (336 K PDF) — Planning is an important step when eating away from home.
Other Recommended Resources
Spend Smart, Eat Smart — Iowa State University Extension Service — How to navigate the three easy steps to healthy meals: plan, shop, and eat. Includes recipes in Spanish.
Stretching Your Food Dollars — Oregon State University Extension — Online resource to help provide healthy meals for your family on a limited budget.
Meal Planning: Stretching Your Dollar — University of Missouri Extension — Suggestions to help stretch money used for food, as well as simple ways to save at the supermarket. In English and Spanish.
Ideas for Planning Thrifty Menus — The University of Maine Cooperative Extension — Tips to help you stick to your food budget.
Better Meals with Better Planning: Plan Menus — eXtension.org — A step-by-step guide for planning a weekly menu.
Menu Planning — Healthy Meals Resource System; United States Department of Agriculture — Resources for planning menus, ensuring nutrition in meals, using seasonal produce to stretch food dollars, and more.
Food Shopping and Meal Planning — Nutrition.gov; United States Department of Agriculture — Resources to utilize the MyPlate guidelines, find local farmers' markets, plan healthy meals, and more.
Fruits and Veggies More Matters — Information on the benefits of fruits and vegetables. Includes planning and shopping tips, recipes, and more.
Lists of Fruits and Vegetables — Find a new favorite with these lists of different fruits and vegetables by color.
List of Whole Grains — Learn more about the different whole grains that are available.
Menu Planning — Menu planning worksheets, a sample cycle menu, recipes and more from the Great Trays™ toolkit.
