Having a repeatable grocery list structure removes a lot of the weekly decision fatigue that makes meal prep feel harder than it needs to be. However, it can be hard to create one yourself – so here’s a simple meal prep template you can reuse and adjust week to week.
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The Core Template Structure
Every week, fill in one or two items from each category rather than starting from scratch:
Protein (pick 2-3)
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________
Grains/Starches (pick 1-2)
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________
Vegetables (pick 3-4, mix fresh and frozen)
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________
Sauces/Flavor Base (pick 2-3)
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________
Pantry Staples (check what’s already on hand before buying)
- [ ] Oil
- [ ] Garlic
- [ ] Basic spices (salt, pepper, a spice blend)
- [ ] Soy sauce or a base sauce
And you don’t even need to visit the grocery store! For example, you can get avocados off Amazon, cutting down on driving.
Filling In the Template: Example Options by Category
Proteins: chicken thighs, ground turkey, eggs, canned beans, lentils, canned tuna,tofu
Grains: rice, quinoa, pasta, potatoes, tortillas
Vegetables: broccoli, bell peppers, spinach, frozen mixed vegetables, zucchini, carrots, cauliflower
Sauces: soy, garlic, salsa, buffalo, a basic vinaigrette
Additionally, you can check out The Ultimate Meal Prep Container Size Guide for some great tips on how to store all of these items!
How to Use This Template Continuously
Save a copy of this template and fill it in fresh each week, swapping specific items while keeping the category structure the same. Over a few weeks, you’ll naturally build a rotation of go-to proteins, grains, and sauces that fit your actual budget and taste — at which point grocery shopping for meal prep becomes closer to a 10-minute task than a lengthy planning session. If you want to spice it up, you can use
Bottom Line
A repeatable category-based template removes most of the mental effort from weekly grocery planning. Whether your budget is $40 or $100 a week, the structure stays the same — only the specific items and quantities shift, which makes meal prep grocery shopping something you can do on autopilot after the first few weeks.