🍴 Meal Planning Templates — Simply Syd Style

If you’ve read my Osterloh Family Meal Planning post, you already know how much having a plan has simplified our evenings and brought more peace to our kitchen.

When I started meal planning, I didn’t want an over complicated system — I just wanted something simple, something that fit our Simply Syd style of living. A rhythm that made sense for our family, our schedule, and our kitchen.

I’m lucky enough to share kitchen duties with my husband, Austin. We’ve found that when we work together — planning, cooking, and cleaning as a team — it takes the pressure off both of us and makes mealtime something we actually look forward to.

I truly believe everyone should have a role in the kitchen, even the kids. It doesn’t have to be perfect — maybe it’s stirring, setting the table, or helping pick out meals. Sharing the work brings everyone closer and turns dinner into something we do together, not just something to check off the list.

Now, full honesty — I am a picky, bland eater, and I’ve learned to embrace it. I encourage you to take from and add to the Menu Ideas Template and make it your own. It’s been a total game-changer when it comes to grocery shopping. Having a list of meal ideas to glance at and pull from makes planning so much easier.

Whenever grocery shopping fits into my week, I open both documents — the Meal Planning Template and the Menu Ideas List — decide what we’ll make, note what ingredients we need, and then hop onto Walmart.com to order for pickup. It’s cut down on overbuying, saves us time, and helps me know exactly what we’ll eat for the week.

I usually do this on my computer or iPad, but if you’re working from your phone, I highly recommend downloading the Word Document app. It makes editing and navigating your templates so much easier.

Below are the templates I actually use — simple, practical, and Simply Syd-approved. 💛

Osterloh Family Menu.docx

Download DOCX • 21KB

Menu idea's.docx

Download DOCX • 18KB