Overview Plan your monthly and weekly home menu to improve your physical and financial health. Home-cooked meals reduce the likelihood you will eat high-fat and high-sodium foods at restaurants. A dish made at home will make multiple servings and cost as much as one restaurant meal. Schedule a day to plan your menu, shopping monthly or biweekly for non-perishables and low-fat dairy products, and weekly for fresh meats and produce. Purchase your meats for the month at a warehouse club for a cheaper rate, and then bag your meats according to the size of your recipes and freeze for the month. Step 1 Write down 10 to 12 main dishes for the month. Prepare three of these dishes per week using them for lunch or dinner, repeating your favorite dishes two times in the month. Include one whole-grain pasta dish, one brown rice dish and one bean dish per week. For instance, whole-wheat spaghetti noodles with a lean, ground turkey spaghetti sauce, brown rice with grilled salmon or chicken breast and chili using black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans and lean, diced beef sirloin. Whole grains and beans have more fiber compared to refined grains, which helps reduce your cholesterol levels, according to the authors of "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance." Step 2 List eight to 10 breakfast meal combinations you can make using whole-wheat English muffins, sprouted grain bread, whole-wheat tortillas, old-fashioned oatmeal, eggs, natural peanut butter, skim milk and fruit. Include the occasional splurge of buttermilk pancakes or your favorite breakfast pastry once or twice a month. Make these favorites on the weekend when you can relax and truly enjoy your food. If you have children, make a large batch of pancakes you can easily reheat in the microwave with scrambled eggs for busy weekday mornings. Step 3 Create four to six healthy snacks or small-meal options, like natural peanut butter with a banana, unsalted cashews with an apple, olives with grape tomatoes and cheese, a small healthy bran muffin with skim milk, or a protein shake. Choose low-fat dairy products to reduce your intake of saturated fat, lowering your risk of obesity, according to a 2005 article by Gary Miller published in "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal." Step 4 Use a one-page monthly calendar to arrange and plan the meals and snacks you have created. Make a list of all the ingredients and foods you need to purchase for the entire month. Create another list of the foods you need to buy for the next one or two weeks. Shop for your foods on one day, such as on Saturdays, and start your cooking the following day. Step 5 Review the food pyramid at MyPyramid.gov to help you determine the quantity of foods you and your family need from all the food groups. This depends on your ages, activity levels and whether or not you or your family members want to maintain weight, lose weight or gain weight. Tips and Warnings • Use produce-saving containers and bags, which can keep your fruits and vegetables fresh for up to two weeks, reducing your number of trips to the grocery store.