MyFamilyClub - Money Saving Made Easy

It’s summer time, it’s holiday time, and if we aren’t careful it could be a very expensive time. Summer is typically a period when eating out and tempting takeaways are always high on the treat list. But use this family meal planner for some quick, cheap family meals that won't cut into your time enjoying the great outdoors.

About our family meal planner
This week's family meal planner
Shopping list

Did you know that you can save up to £200 over the summer when you plan your meals? What’s more, the family gets to eat delicious fresh foods regularly, instead of the high calorie, low nutrition foods and snacks you're likely to purchase outside the home.

We want to help you avoid that extra spending and unhealthy eating by doing the thinking for you. Seven out of 10 of us already plan one or two meals each week, so you are more than likely to know that happy feeling when mealtimes run smoothly. Everyone is eating healthy foods and it hasn’t cost you the earth.

MyFamilyClub has teamed up with home economist and meal planning expert Sian Breslin to create delicious, nutritious and easy weekly meal plans for you and your family.

Each weekly meal plan will consist of five main meals and the shopping list. All you have to do is shop, cook and enjoy your family meals together - summer will be a whole lot easier!

About our family meal planner

All the meals included in our weekly meal planners are child friendly, form part of a daily balanced diet, and will provide nutrients from each of the food groups (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals), says Sian.

They include plant and animal protein such as red meat, white meat, fish, and eggs along with cheese, chickpeas, nuts and seeds for meatless days. Sian says the secret to stress-free, low-cost healthy meals is to plan what you’re cooking to make sure you have the right ingredients in the right amount in your kitchen ready cook.

Every week, Sian puts together five easy recipes for the week's family meal planner. You can choose to make them on whichever day of the week suits you best. She also puts together a shopping list (below) that you can print out and take with you to the supermarket.

This week's family meal planner

• Chicken and vegetable pasties
• Asian noodle salad
• Beefburger stack
• Fishermans pie and mash
• Boiled bacon, champ and parsley sauce served with cabbage and grated carrots

Shopping list

Meats and fish

Chicken breast - 2
Ham shank - 1.5kg (alternatively buy 8 slices of ham)
White fish - 500g (boned and skinned)
Salmon - 200g
Minced beef - 500g

Dairy and eggs

Milk - 480 ml
Eggs - 7
Cheddar cheese  - 300 g
Butter - 50 g

Fresh vegetables and fruit

Lettuce leaves - 1 packet
Cabbage - 1
Carrots - 10
Red pepper - 1
Yellow pepper  - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Spring onions  -  3
Lime - 1
Lemon - 1

Herbs and spices

Parsley - 1 packet
Fresh coriander - 1 cup

Store cupboard (check before you go shopping)

Frozen

Puff pastry - 150 g (alternatively make your own shortcrust pastry)
Prawns - 200g
Garden peas - 50g

Stored veg

Onions  - 4
Red onion - 1
Potatoes  -  1 kg

Baked goods

Sliced bread -  6 slices

Dried goods

Medium egg noodles - 200g (one portion per person)
Flour - 2 tbslp
Fine breadcrumbs - 2 cups

Herbs and spices

Nutmeg - 1 pinch
Turmeric -  3 pinches
Paprika - 1 tsp
Bay leaf  - 1
Black peppercorns - 1
Chilli flakes - 1 pinch

Cans and bottles

Chicken stock - 1 cube or pot
Sweet chilli sauce - 3 tbslp
Worcestershire sauce  -  2 tblsp
Tomato ketchup  -  4 tblsp
Rice vinegar - 2 tsp (normal vinegar will do)
Soy sauce - 1 tblsp

Sian is a home economist with over 25 years experience as a secondary school teacher and now running her own private cookery school with a focus on meal planning. After years of seeing people struggling to provide healthy meals everyday for their families, she created her own meal planning system at Siansplan.com.