This is a Coda version of the Google Doc I’ve been using for my personal meal planning & shopping for several years. It’s helped me feel more organized and less overwhelmed, reduce food waste, and (honestly!) have a ton of fun.
This doc is similar to a Word or Google Doc, with a list of meals, and a checkbox shopping list (that you can actually check off on mobile while you shop!)
For something with a few more bells and whistles, check out the
, which gives you the option to keep a pantry inventory, save recipes in a database, and have AI suggest what to make with what you have on hand.
How I use this template each week
Create a page – Press the button below to “Add this week”. It will add a page to this doc with today’s date in the title. feel free to title it whatever you want. I usually do this a week in advance, so my husband and I can add items to my shopping list as we think of them. You can do this on the Coda mobile app.
Check my kitchen. Write anything that needs to be used up (especially produce or expiring items) under “To Use” in the template. Add staples, like breakfast items, snacks, and beverages, to the shopping list.
Plan meals. For inspiration about what to make, I:
Look at my “To Use” items
Look at the Pinterest boards where I save recipes I’ve tried and want to try
Check ads for the grocery stores I frequent, as well as coupon apps like
Write in what I’ll make for dinner each night, and add the ingredients I need to my shopping list below. If there’s a recipe, I link to it. I usually plan about 4-5 dinners I will cook per week, leaving the other nights open for snack dinners, dinners with family/friends, leftovers, and improv with what we have on hand.
Under “To Make”, note anything you’ll want to make in advance of dinnertime, such as meal or ingredient prepping.
Optimize my shopping list. I usually visit two grocery stores per week – Aldi for the best prices, and Giant for everything I can’t get at Aldi. For each store’s segment of the shopping list, I order items in roughly the order I’ll encounter them. I often reference the stores’ online shopping portals to see what’s in stock or for prices. If you are new to planning like this, know that it may take some time before you have a good sense of each store’s stock and pricing, but it will become second nature before you know it.
Shop. I keep this Coda doc open on my phone (on the Coda app) while I shop. I check items off. If something is out of stock and I need to get it at another store, I move it to the other store’s list literally while standing in the grocery store aisle.
Share the doc with others in your household. With a shared doc, you can all add items to the shopping list, to take some of the mental load off you.
The best part is, this template is completely customizable, so you can modify it however you want to make it work for you!
New to Coda?
You’re going to love it. It’s totally intuitive like your favorite doc, but it brings in the best parts of apps like interactive buttons and checklists. You can see your information as a calendar, spreadsheet, or task planners – and make time-saving automations. Get ready to get addicted!
Get Started
Go ahead and get started!
Copy doc
Then,
Customize the buttons below to go to the links you find useful. You can right-click to customize a button, or delete it and just paste a link.