Meal Planning

There are many different tips and techniques available on the subject of meal planning. Different things work for different people so I’m not going to say one tip or technique is better than others. Instead I’m going to try to put together a list of tips and techniques that you can pick from.

• Always make sure to have store cupboard essentials available as they are key to be able to cook a quick meal or as key ingredients in most dishes.
• Planning meals in advance is key as it helps to prevent food waste. Whether you plan for the week or a few days is up to your own preferences. In the beginning it might be good to start small and only plan for a few days at a time until you find what value works best for you.
• Be flexible in your planning as it will allow you to make some changes on the fly without wastage, for example you may have planned a dish that will take some time to prepare but something comes up to prevent you having this time. Make sure you can use the ingredients for something quick or else swap with another day of the week.
• Think about activities, meetings, late work etc before planning  your weekly menu. No point making something that doesn’t reheat well if everyone will be eating at different times! On football training days in my house we usually have pasta as I can have the sauce prepared and can cook pasta quickly for each person as they sit down to eat.
• When planning be flexible with your vegetable options – that way you can avail of any supermarket offers when you are shopping. Of course when shopping make sure to only buy fresh food on special offer if you know you can use it.
• Having a wide range of go to recipes means you can switch and swap at short notice. It also means you can keep variety in your meal planning.
• Keep your recipes in an easy to access place, whether online or printouts. That way you can grab them easily when needed. Obviously for meals you cook all the time you won’t need any recipes but they are great for things you cook less frequently or are new.
• Think about making extra and freezing (or eating for lunch the next day). Freezing extra portions of pasta sauces, chillis, curries and stews is great as you always have something available for a quick meal on busy days.
• Be sure to think about you will be eating with you when planning each meal. Having a meal plan and all the ingredients doesn’t help when you have forgotten grandad is coming to dinner.
• If you know you will have a really busy week make sure to use some of your frozen leftovers or spend a few hours one day making extra meals for other days.
• It is always good to have a back up recipe idea at hand in case a key ingredient isn’t available when you are shopping. That way your plans aren’t thrown into disarray.
• Some people like to have a set menu plan each week, ie roast on Sunday, curry on Monday. I personally don’t like this as I like more variety in my menu but if it works for you go for it.
• Always make a shopping list, that way you don’t forget anything and you won’t be tempted to buy things you don’t want or need.
• Check your fridge, freezer and store cupboard before you plan our meals to see what you already have. Often you can plan a meal around that.
• Use a shopping app, that way you can add items as you see them running out. If there is more than one person in the house who cooks or shops then have a shared app as that way you can both add items to the list and pick them up when at the shops.
• Check your fridge, freezer and store cupboard before finalizing your shopping list. No point buying something a second time or forgetting something you thought was in the cupboard.
• Frozen vegetables are great as they are picked and frozen quickly and retain most of their nutrients. You can keep a few bags of different vegetables in your freezer and therefore they are always available for use.
• When shopping think about the quantity of each item, ie if you buy a butternut squash for a curry make sure to use the excess in a soup. Similarly with other vegetables as they are often sold in quantities that are bigger than one meal.
• Good storage containers are a good investment as they can be used to store leftovers in the fridge, for freezing loftovers for another day or for lunches on the go. Try to get a variety of sizes and shapes. Make sure to get reusable ones.