Five meals. One grocery list. Week sorted.

The quickest way to answer “what should we cook this week?” is to stop trying to plan a perfect week. Choose a handful of meals you would actually enjoy making, share a few useful ingredients and leave time for the nights when things change.

This is an illustrative plan for two people, not a claim that every recipe below appears under the same name in supperz. The shopping list is calculated from these specific five recipes. Use the whole example or borrow the approach for your own favourites.

Your five-meal week

The days are suggestions, not fixed appointments. If you buy fresh salmon, cook it sooner or freeze it promptly and thaw safely before cooking later. Keep Saturday and Sunday available for leftovers, eating out or a low-effort backup meal.

For a step-by-step explanation of adding quantities across separate recipes, see how to make a grocery list from recipes.

The combined grocery list

These are the total quantities for all five meals for two people. Check your pantry before shopping; there is no reason to buy more salt or oil if you already have it.

Produce

• 3 bell peppers
• 2 medium onions
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2 lemons and 2 limes
• 6 cloves of garlic (one bulb is plenty)
• 300 g broccoli
• 120 g baby spinach
• 250 g green beans
• 450 g potatoes

Meat, seafood & dairy

• 800 g boneless chicken breast or thighs
• 300 g salmon fillets (two portions)
• 120 g shredded cheddar or another melting cheese

Grains & canned goods

• 300 g dry rice
• 180 g dry pasta
• 4 medium flour tortillas
• 1 can black beans (about 400 g)
• 1 can chickpeas (about 400 g)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (about 400 g)

Check the pantry

• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• Salt and black pepper

The can sizes refer to packaged weight. Drain and rinse the black beans and chickpeas; use the chopped tomatoes with their liquid. You may need to buy the nearest available package size.

How to cook the five meals

The instructions below are deliberately straightforward and use the exact ingredients listed above. Times vary with equipment, cutting speed and ingredient size.

Monday: Lemon-garlic chicken, rice & broccoli

For two: 400 g chicken, 150 g dry rice, 300 g broccoli, 1 lemon, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.

1. Cook the rice following package directions. Cut broccoli into florets and steam or microwave until tender.
2. Dice chicken and cook with olive oil, minced garlic and seasonings in a skillet until the chicken reaches 74°C / 165°F in the centre.
3. Squeeze lemon over the chicken and serve with rice and broccoli.

Tuesday: Black bean & pepper quesadillas

For two: 4 tortillas, 1 can black beans (drained), 1 bell pepper, ½ onion, 120 g shredded cheese, 2 tomatoes, 1 lime, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp cumin, salt and pepper.

1. Chop the bell pepper and half an onion. Soften in the oil for 5–7 minutes, then add the beans and spices and lightly mash some beans.
2. Share the filling and cheese between the tortillas, fold and toast in a dry skillet until golden and melted.
3. Dice the tomatoes, squeeze the lime over them and season. Serve alongside the quesadillas.

Wednesday: Tomato-chickpea & spinach pasta

For two: 180 g dry pasta, 1 can chickpeas (drained), 1 can chopped tomatoes with liquid, 120 g spinach, ½ onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

1. Cook pasta and reserve a little cooking water before draining.
2. Soften the remaining half onion in oil and add minced garlic. Add tomatoes, chickpeas and Italian seasoning; simmer about 8 minutes.
3. Wilt spinach into the sauce, toss with the pasta and loosen with a splash of reserved water.

Thursday: Sheet-pan salmon, potatoes & green beans

For two: 300 g salmon, 450 g potatoes, 250 g green beans, 1 lemon, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.

1. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Cut potatoes into small even pieces, toss with half the oil and seasonings, then roast for 15 minutes.
2. Add salmon and green beans to the sheet pan. Toss the beans with remaining oil, minced garlic and some lemon juice.
3. Roast another 12–15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the salmon is safely cooked. Timing varies with fillet thickness. Serve with remaining lemon.

Friday: Chicken fajita rice bowls

For two: 400 g chicken, 150 g dry rice, 2 bell peppers, 1 onion, 1 lime, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper.

1. Cook the rice. Slice the chicken, peppers and onion.
2. Cook chicken in a skillet with oil, cumin, chili powder and seasonings. Add peppers and onion and continue until tender and the chicken reaches 74°C / 165°F.
3. Serve chicken and vegetables over rice, finishing with lime juice.

How the ingredients overlap

Ingredient overlap makes a combined list worthwhile, without turning every night into the same meal.

Use delicate produce and fresh seafood first when practical, or freeze portions promptly. Buying shared ingredients is useful only if you actually plan to use them.

Easy alternatives when the week changes

• Vegetarian Friday: Replace Friday's chicken with an extra can of black beans. Buy 400 g less chicken and one more can of beans.
• Not in the mood for salmon? Try another fish or suitable firm tofu. Adjust the protein quantity and cooking time, keeping the potatoes and beans.
• Cooking for four? Double every ingredient, including two cans of each canned item.
• Only three nights at home? Pick three meals and recalculate the grocery list for those recipes.
• Short on time Thursday? Part-cook the potatoes in the microwave before roasting everything together.

For a collection of even faster weekday ideas, see our 30-minute meal plan. For a more flexible approach that begins with your schedule, see How to Meal Plan for the Week. If you are cooking for a small household, our meal planning for two guide focuses on portion sizes, ingredient reuse and avoiding waste.

If price matters as much as choosing meals, our budget meal planning guide shows how to make a real shopping basket stretch across five recipes.

Cooking solo? See meal planning for one for a worked example with single servings, planned leftovers, and one grocery list.

Make your own version in supperz

With supperz, you can pick your meals or generate a starting plan around your preferences. Add recipes to your week, set servings and let the app create the grocery list from those exact recipe ingredients. Your own grocery items can sit alongside them.

This guide's list is hand-calculated for this example. A grocery list built in supperz will reflect the actual recipes and versions you choose. Learn more about meal planning and automatic grocery lists.

Frequently asked questions

Five-meal plan FAQ