3 Ways to Fold Paper into a Meal Plan

Quickly plan your meals on a blank piece of paper with one of these 3 Ways to Fold Paper into a Meal Plan! If you like to handwrite your meal plan, need a quick spot for meals and groceries, or just don’t have a printer, this is for you!

What is meal planning?

Meal planning is the act of thinking ahead of time to decide what meals you are going to eat on specific days of the week. The exact method and amount of time you spend on your meal plan highly depends on your lifestyle, how many people you are planning for, and how detailed you like to be.

Some people prefer to incorporate a grocery shopping list, while some go super detailed by planning every meal, and others keep it simple by listing only some meals (usually dinners) for the week.

There are quite a few apps and resources out there that will provide a meal plan for you, but usually those cost money, which is not accessible for everyone. I love using my printable meal plan template, but this might not be feasible for everyone if you don’t have a printer.

This is why I thought it would be helpful to share 3 ways to fold paper into a meal plan. Your meal plan does not have to be fancy. In fact, using a piece of paper and pen can make it go faster because there are less distractions than on your phone or computer.

Why use paper instead of a digital planner or phone app?

If you ask five different people their favorite way to meal plan, it’s very possible you’ll get five different answers. One meal planning method is not necessarily better than the others – it all depends on your individual needs and preferences.

Here are a few reasons you might choose to use a piece of paper for meal planning over a digital version:

• You can keep the paper meal plan in a central location for the whole family to see, such as on the fridge!
• Some people prefer handwriting over typing!
• No special apps or tech knowledge required.
• No printer at home? No problem!
• Writing down a meal plan on paper is a better way to get younger household members involved in meal planning.

How do I choose which method works best for me?

If you’re just starting out with meal planning, there’s a chance you might have to try a couple meal planning methods to determine what works best for you. Here are some guidelines and ideas for which method to choose first:

• If you always have your phone on hand and love trying new apps, you should try a phone app first. Start with the notes app in your phone. Another option is Meal Board.
• If you prefer a high tech method with ideas already provided, I suggest checking out a paid application like Meal Plan Collective or Plan to Eat.
• If you want to keep a physical copy of your meal plan on the fridge, try one of my printable meal planning templates!
• If you want a physical paper meal plan but don’t have a printer, this list of 3 ways to fold a piece of paper into a meal plan is for you! ⬇️

3 Ways to Fold Paper into a Meal Plan

Bab’s Tri-Fold Meal Planner

Bab’s Tri-Fold Meal Planner is the original inspiration for this article. While I know it’s nothing new to write down food ideas on a piece of paper, Babs (@BrunchWithBabs) provided the inspiration to fold the paper to provide organization and structure. Here is the Instagram post where Babs talks about her Tri-Fold Meal Planner.

This folded meal plan contains 6 rectangles where you can plan meals for the next 6 days on one side, and then include a grocery list organized by store sections on the back.

If you prefer to have your grocery list in the same place as your meal plan, this is the foldable meal planner you should try!

How to fold this meal plan from a piece of paper:

1. Fold paper in half hotdog style (creates two long sections).
2. Fold into thirds. You can do this by forming a loose cylinder, aligning the edges, and flattening. It does not have to be perfect!
3. Unfold, flatten, and label.

The Easy Meals Planner

Some people prefer to keep things flexible during the week by creating a list of meals to choose from, rather than assigning every meal to a specific date and time. Others might focus on dinners, while keeping breakfasts and lunches loosely planned.

This folded Easy Meals Planner takes only two simple folds to create four quadrants: Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, and Grocery List. If you operate best from a list format, or if meals and activities are always changing around your house, this is the foldable meal planner you should try.

How to fold this meal plan from a piece of paper:

1. Fold in half hamburger style.
2. Fold in half hamburger style again.
3. Unfold, flatten, and label.

The Five Fold Every Meal Planner

Finally, if you want to plan out every meal, go for this Five Fold Every Meal Planner. I specifically designed this one to create small, landscape oriented rectangles – perfect for writing out meals! While there’s no dedicated location for a grocery list on this planner, the back of the paper is available to use!

This foldable Every Meal Planner takes five paper folds to make. While this is the most folds of the three options, I promise it’s nothing complicated. The end result is a 4×8 grid of rectangles, each the perfect size to write a meal. I use the top row to label meals and the first column for days of the week.

How to fold this meal plan from a piece of paper:

1. Fold in half hamburger style.
2. Fold in half hamburger style again.
3. Fold in half hamburger style again, then unfold only this fold.
4. Fold in half hotdog syle.
5. Fold in half hotdog style again.
6. Unfold, flatten, and label.

I’ve created a visual guide so you can see what each step looks like.

I’m always trying to make meal planning simple and accessible for all! Let us know in the comments which planner you folded up and how it worked out.