When we were still kids, whenever we went home, it has been a routine to ask mom, “Ano ang ulam?” or “What’s our meal or food for today?” Now as adults, we understand that deciding what to cook or what food to prepare for the family can be a little stressful for parents. To help you with that struggle, we have prepared a sample Filipino meal plan for a week.
You can use our sample meal plan or use it as a guide in creating your own. But let us discuss first why it is important to have a meal plan. What are the benefits of having a Filipino meal plan for a week?
Talaan ng Nilalaman
Importance of meal planning for the family
Meal planning is an act of jotting down or keeping a note of meals and snacks to prepare for the family for the whole week. Doing this can help you save money and time.
In addition, creating a meal plan for a week provides you the opportunity to prepare healthy meals. It gives you more control over the food you will serve with your Filipino family for a whole week.
A Filipino meal plan includes all the meals from breakfast to lunch to dinner that you will prepare for your family for the week. You can also include snacks since we all know that Filipino people love snacking. Including snacks in your meal plan is a great idea especially if you have little kids.
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Benefits of meal planning
Meal planning saves time.
During your busy days as parents thinking on the dot about what food to prepare is kind of frustrating. Creating a meal plan ahead of busy days saves you time.
Just pick your note and proceed with preparing your meal. You can also make your ingredients ready before the busy day, so you can just cook anytime!
It is better to choose simple quick meals or meals that are easy to prepare on the days you expect you will be busy.
In addition, if you prepare a meal plan ahead of the week, you can save time from roaming around the grocery. You already have the list of ingredients and a note of everything you need for a week. So, you can go directly to the grocery section where the ingredients you need can be found
Having a meal plan saves money.
Planning meals ahead of your busy days give you chances to think of affordable meals. With the growing economic crisis that Filipino families are facing, it is essential to plan a meal for a week that suits your budget.
Meal planning is also helpful in avoiding resorting to ordering from a restaurant. When you plan and cook the food you serve for your family, you can save money compared to purchasing the same food from a restaurant.
It is helpful to plan your affordable Filipino meal for a week. However, make sure to include healthy meals. No matter how much we want to save money, eating healthy food is still important.
Keeping your family healthy provides security from illnesses. Being sick may give you more problems that include spending money on medications or worst – hospitalization.
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Meal plan gives you control over food
In line with providing your family healthy balanced diet, having a meal plan allows you to think of healthy food combinations to prepare.
If you have a diet plan for your kids and even for yourself, planning meals ahead of time helps you incorporate your diet into your daily life.
It can help you avoid buying food from fast food restaurants. It is not healthy for you and your kids to eat fast foods on a daily basis. You can add fruits, vegetables, and other snacks that are healthy for your kids to your meal plan.
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Having a meal plan lets you eat healthy
You are more likely to consume anything you can obtain quickly when you are hungry. This is the reason why some of us opt for the nearby fast food restaurant’s unhealthy menu. When you have a balanced meal that is prepared and ready to go, full of nutrient-dense foods, meal planning avoids this problem. With meal planning, you can be sure that what your family eat is good for their health.
Through meal planning you can avoid wasting food
When you plan your meals, you go to the grocery store prepared and with an idea of how you’ll use each item. You won’t have to worry about food in your fridge going to waste when every food has a need.
It is definitely worth the time to prepare your meals for the upcoming week, whether you are cooking for your full family or just yourself.
Sample Filipino meal plan for a week: Healthy and Affordable
During the pandemic, celebrity mom Neri Naig, wife of Chito Miranda, shares her weekly family meal plan on her social media. Neri’s meal plan consists of affordable Filipino favorite foods such as tocilog, champorado, and monggo.
Her Filipino meal plan for a week is made up of simple and easy-to-prepare breakfast, same viand for lunch and dinner, and a list of snack items.
According to Neri, she writes down a weekly meal plan because thinking of what food to serve your family is definitely one of the most challenging parts of being a mom. And for her, it is really better to plan ahead of time and write it down.
Filipino meal pork adobo with egg (Photo by Fox from Pexels)
Now, we combined Neri Naig’s meal plan with some of our meal suggestions. You can use this sample Filipino meal plan for a week or it may serve as a guide in creating your own.
| Breakfast | Lunch | Snack | Dinner | |
| Monday | Tosilog (Tocino, sinangang, itlog) | Pinakbet and fried fish | Turon | Pork steak |
| Tuesday | Egg omelette with onions and tomatoes | Pork sinigang | Grilled cheese sandwich | Broccoli con carne |
| Wednesday | Champorado with tuyo | Fried chicken | Puto cheese | Chopsuey and fried fish |
| Thursday | Chicken Arroz Caldo | Pork nilaga | Ensaymada | Menudo |
| Friday | Daing na bangus with sunny side up egg | Smoked fish and Monggo | Pancit bihon | Chicken tinola |
| Saturday | Fried eggplant and sauteed ampalaya with pork giniling | Chicken Adobo | Oatmeal cookies | Beef caldereta |
| Sunday | Ham, bacon, and fried rice | Kangkong with Tokwa | Garlic toast pizza | Chicken lomi |
Mommies and daddies, whatever you want to cook for your family, always remember these two important things: keep your family healthy and stick with your budget.
May our sample meal plan help you create your own Filipino meal plan and ease your stress in preparing food for your family. You can also add fresh fruits and other desserts to your meal plan. It will always depend on your preference and family diet.
How to create an affordable Filipino meal plan for a week?
Photo by Cottonbro from Pexels
First, get your calendar or notepad. You can also use an app on your mobile phone or print meal planner templates from the internet. Afterward, list down all the meals you think you can serve quickly for your family for the whole week.
Start first with breakfast, then proceed with lunch, snack, and dinner. Next, review your list and check what should be bought in the grocery.
On a separate note, list down all the ingredients you need for a week. When you go shopping, make sure to stick with your plan. It will help you save money and time.
Lastly, proceed with your plan for the week. Cook whatever you plan to prepare for your family. Remember, you can make your meal plan as flexible as you want. You can also tweak your meal plan if you have leftover foods.