Things to consider before planning a meal
1. Nutrition
2. How the meal fits with the day’s eating pattern
3. The people who will be eating the meal
4. Resource
5. Individual nutrition needs
6. Personal likes and dislikes
7. Food to be avoided for medical, personal or religious reasons
8. Age
Complete a chart that counts for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for each day of the week; as your complete the chart you can make your grocery list so you have all of the items you will need; this method is very efficient but it is very time consuming and is not very flexible.
For resources
Check the refrigerator, freezer, cabinets to see what foods are on hand, check newspapers/fliers for sales and specials, make a shopping list AND stick to it
don't go shopping when you are hungry
take advantage of store and/or brand coupons, buy only what you will use and have room to store and finally compare prices
Hope tbis helps.