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Free templateChild Development & Programming
Weekly Meal Plan Template
Plan a week of breakfasts, lunches and snacks on one page, with a highlighted column for each day’s vegetarian option, so the kitchen, the classroom and the families all see the same menu.
- Format
- Printable PDF · US Letter
- Pages
- 1
- Best for
- Cooks · directors
- Updated
- Sept 2026
No sign-up required. Print it and share it with your team — it’s free for any child care program to use.
What’s inside
A week of meals on one page
- Monday-to-Friday gridA row for each day with a blank box for every meal — write the menu in by hand.
- Breakfast, lunch and snack columnsOne box per meal, per day.
- Veg. option columnA highlighted box each day for the vegetarian alternative.
- LegendA key showing that the highlighted boxes are the vegetarian option, plus a pre-checked ‘Nut-free facility’ mark.
- Posting-friendly layoutOne page, so it can be printed and pinned at the kitchen door and on the parent board.
How to use it
Four steps to put it to work this week
- 1Check the dietary list firstPull current allergies and restrictions from child files before planning — the sheet only has a column for a vegetarian option.
- 2Plan lunches, then snacksLunch drives the shopping; snacks fill nutritional gaps and use leftovers.
- 3Fill in the veg. optionWrite the vegetarian alternative for each day in the highlighted column, and note any other substitutions in the meal box.
- 4Post it and share itKitchen door, parent board, and the family app or newsletter — families with picky eaters will thank you.
Tips from operators
What centers that use this well do differently
Learned the hard way across 3,000 child care spaces — and from the directors and educators who join our Lunch & Learns and Learning Labs.
Print it in colour
The vegetarian column is highlighted yellow; in black and white it is harder to pick out in a busy kitchen.
Keep filed menus for reimbursement audits
CACFP and provincial nutrition audits ask for past menus. Date and file each week — you will need them.
Do it digitally in ChildFriendly Pro
Custom checklists and forms, time-stamped and filed for inspection
Build any checklist or form once in ChildFriendly Pro, assign it to a room or role, and every completion is time-stamped, signed and filed in your inspection binder — ready for licensing or public health.
- Form builder for checklists, incident and medication forms
- Assign by room, role or schedule with reminders
- Inspection binder export in one click
FAQ
Questions about the Weekly Meal Plan
Can’t find your answer? Chat with a real person who has run a child care center.
Read more FAQsDoes this template meet CACFP meal-pattern requirements?
Not by itself. The sheet is a blank menu grid with no food-component checklist, so check each meal against the CACFP meal pattern (grains, meat/alternate, vegetables, fruit, milk) or your provincial guidelines separately. It is a planning aid, not a claim form — record actual counts at point of service for reimbursement.
How do I handle a child with multiple allergies?
The sheet only has a vegetarian-option column, so write other substitutions in the relevant meal box with the child’s initials beside them. For severe allergies, many centers also keep a laminated ‘never serve’ card in the kitchen — the Regular Medication Form and Accident/Incident Form in this library cover the medical side.
Can families see the menu?
Print it for the parent board and share a photo or scan of the completed sheet in your newsletter or family app. In ChildFriendly Pro, menus and dietary alternatives are visible to families automatically and parents can update dietary needs themselves.
Is there a version for dayhomes?
The same sheet works for family child care — skip or relabel any column you do not serve.
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Related resources from the Academy
Directors & Admin Workshops · Recording
Supporting Regulation at the Table: Why Nutrition Matters in Child Care
Mealtime in child care settings can be one of the most challenging parts of the day.
Watch the recording
Blog · Health & Safety
10 Essential Tips for Planning Daycare Weekly Menus
4 min read
Read the article
Compliance guide · United States
USDA CACFP meal counts & 5-tier immunization tiers
Coming next year
Read the guideNewsletter
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