Easy Weekly Meal Plan

Here’s your easy weekly meal plan, packed with perfect back-to-school recipes and festive specials for Vinayaka Chaturthi. Let’s see what’s cooking this week!

As the new school year kicks off in our region, many of us are working to settle back into our routines. This week also brings a break for Labor Day and the celebration of Vinayaka Chaturthi, so I’ve put together a slightly more elaborate menu. Feel free to adapt it to your schedule and traditions. I’m also sharing daily meal inspirations on my WhatsApp and Instagram channels, so be sure to join in for fresh ideas each day. If you’re a fan of journaling and need a meal planner, check out my VVK Meal Planner.

A few of you mentioned wanting light yet filling soups for dinner, so I’ve included a few this week. These are great for everyone, and you can easily pair them with a simple sandwich or pasta for the kids.

Do I stick to my meal plan exactly?

This is a common question: Do I follow my meal plan to the letter? The answer is both yes and no. Some weeks go smoothly, and I follow the plan exactly. But other weeks, like the last one, things don’t go as planned. I intended to make chow mein and pasta, but when some family members weren’t feeling well, I opted for rasam and a mild kootu. Plans may change, but having prepped ingredients on hand is always helpful.

VVK Meal Planning Tips:

Prep your veggies ahead of time and store them.
Keep versatile veggies like mushrooms, brinjal, zucchini, or root vegetables like potatoes or sweet potatoes on hand for quick roasting when needed.
Stock up on freezer-friendly items like burger patties, which can be used for burgers, tikkis, or even a deconstructed burger salad. Having a few backup options allows you to whip up simple homemade meals rather than relying on takeout.

This week’s meal plan-

Here is this week’s visual meal plan chart. Most of the recipes are on the blog; find the links below. If it’s a new recipe, I will share it on Instagram first, so follow me there.

Monday-

PS – I’ve planned some more elaborate meals since we have Monday off. However, if you’re observing a no-onion, no-garlic diet due to the new moon day, check out my Amavasya thali.

Green smoothie
Veg biryani with biryani chamanthi and raita
Idiappam with kadappa

Tuesday-

Apple almond butter sandwich
Tomato rice with potato curry
Sweet corn soup with steel-cut oats and bread

Wednesday-

Thursday-

Friday-

Since it’s Vinayaka Chaturthi, you can take inspiration from my Vinayaka Chaturthi Thali. We usually enjoy raw rice idli for dinner on this day.

If you’re not observing the festival, you might want to try arisi paruppu sadam with spinach , and for dinner, roti with kurma would be a great choice.

I hope this menu planner provides some inspiration for your meals. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. I’ll share daily updates on my Instagram and Facebook groups, so stay connected!

Happy planning & cooking!

Vidhya