Weekly Lunchbox Planner

Who this is for

A week of packed lunches on one page. Plan each person's main, fruit or veg, snack and drink for every school or work day, tick what can be made the night before, and work through the list of things to buy and wash.

Parents packing lunches for school, anyone taking lunch to work, and households where several people need a packed lunch on different days.

What this helps you track

• What goes in each person's lunchbox on each day
• Which lunches can be prepared the night before
• Allergies and rules that apply to each person or school
• What to buy and what to wash before the week starts
• What came back uneaten, to plan better next week

How to use it

1. Write the week beginning, the names, which days need a packed lunch and any allergies or rules.
2. Fill a row per person per day with the main, fruit or veg, snack and drink.
3. Tick the night-before column for anything that can be made ahead.
4. Work through the checklist at the weekend or the night before the week starts.
5. Note what came back uneaten at the foot of the page and use it for next week's plan.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How many people does the page hold?

The printed grid has two runs of Monday to Friday, so two people fit on one page. For more, print a copy per pair of people or add rows in the browser version.

Where do allergy details go?

In the allergies and rules field at the top, where they are seen every time the sheet is used. Check them against the school's own rules and each label; the planner does not supply allergy guidance.

What is the uneaten notes area for?

Writing down what comes home untouched. After a couple of weeks it shows which fillings and snacks to drop, which saves both food and money.

Can I plan different days for different people?

Yes. Leave a person's row empty on days they do not need a packed lunch, or write the day each person needs one in the school or work days field.