Plan a month of family meals with a shopping list

Intermediate Best once you’ve tried a few beginner recipes.

In short: Plan 4 weeks of dinners around your budget, dietary needs and busy nights, with a combined shopping list.

Level: Intermediate
Time: About 30 min
Privacy: Uses personal info
Last updated: 19 Oct 2026

Step by step

1. Fill in the square-bracket details.
2. Paste the prompt and answer its questions.
3. Ask it to swap any meals your family won't eat.
4. Ask for the week 2 shopping list when you need it.
5. Save the plan in your notes app.

Copy-paste prompt

Act as a family meal planner. Plan 4 weeks of dinners for [number] people. Budget: about A$[amount] a week. Dietary needs: [e.g. one vegetarian, no nuts]. Busy nights (meals under 20 minutes): [days]. Reuse ingredients across the week to cut waste. Give me: 1) a table with one row per night, 2) a shopping list for week 1 grouped by supermarket aisle, 3) two leftovers ideas. Ask me any questions before you start.

Open in ChatGPT

Opens in a new tab. You may need to sign in, and the prompt might not fill in if the tool changes. Fill in the [square-bracket] bits before you send.

Replace the [square-bracket] bits with your details.

Guide only. AI can get things wrong, so check the answer and use your own judgement. Disclaimer

Works with these free tools

ChatGPT (free)
Gemini
Claude (free)
Grok
Copilot

Check the answer

Check allergy and dietary needs yourself on every recipe and food label. Price the shopping list at your own supermarket, as AI price guesses are often wrong.

Example result

Example result (illustrative — your answer will differ)

Week 1
Mon (busy): Chicken and veg stir-fry with rice, 20 min
Tue: Vegetarian chilli (half batch frozen for Thu)
Wed (busy): Pasta with tomato, spinach and tuna
Thu: Leftover chilli with baked potatoes
Fri: Homemade pizzas

Shopping list (week 1)
Fruit and veg: 2 onions, garlic, spinach, capsicum x3, potatoes x6
Pantry: rice 1kg, kidney beans x2 tins, passata x2
...

General information only, not financial advice. Check important money decisions with a licensed adviser or accountant.

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