Marvellous meal planning
Image source: Jperagine
Do you spend half an hour every day hunting round the kitchen, staring frantically into the fridge, wondering what you can knock up for dinner with three slices of ham, half a tin of beans and some lettuce that’s on the turn? Then it’s time to stop, take a deep breath and embrace the art of meal planning!
Be prepared
Before you embark on this dinnertime revolution, you need to side aside some time to actually do the planning side of things.
It’s a good idea to have a set time each week when you plan your meals - say, every Sunday afternoon - so that you will eventually get into the habit of doing it and won’t run the risk of forgetting. Give yourself at least 30 minutes to prepare your meal plan and make sure you're free from distractions.
Start by brainstorming all the meals you can cook and enjoy eating, then categorise them by roughly how long it takes to make them. This is a good reference to have when planning which day to have what, as you can pick the quicker meals for your busiest days and make life a bit easier for yourself.
You will need a notepad and pen and a big ‘ol stack of cookbooks for extra inspiration, or if you’re a two birds one stone kind of person, a laptop will do just nicely.
Get planning
Left image source: Dusan Zidar
Now for the fun bit: it’s time to pick your meals! If you’re a confident cook who can give Nigella a run for her money, then by all means go wild and include some fancy new recipes, but be realistic. If you don’t get home until 7 pm, are you really going to want to spend three hours making a Russian coulibiac? The chances are the answer is no, so remember to choose meals that work with your schedule. For days when you will be late home or have plans to go out, stick to classic dinner winners that you can make quickly and easily; save your adventurous streak for the days when you have plenty of time to cook.
Once you’ve decided on your meals for the week, you will need to make a shopping list. Make sure you check your kitchen for items you already have so you don’t double up on anything, and plan meals that will use up what’s already in your cupboards. Shop tactically: if you’re making something ingredient intensive on Monday, such as a roast chicken, plan meals later on in the week that can use up the leftovers, such as caesar salad or chicken pie.
Go shopping
Stick resolutely to your shopping list! The only exception to this is if you spot something heavily discounted that you can bulk buy and freeze for later on in the month. This is especially useful with meat, which tends to be an expensive part of the list.
If you’re too easily tempted by all the latest offers and treats available, why not try shopping online? Not only will you avoid walking past all those irresistible offers, it’ll save you time too. Win win!
Lastly, don’t be too rigid. If you’ve scheduled spaghetti bolognese for dinner on Tuesday, but come Tuesday you get a craving for pizza instead then just swap your meals. You don’t have to be a slave to your meal plan - after all, it’s supposed to make your life easier and give you more time to enjoy your food! Why not dedicate a drawer in your freezer to leftover portions of previous meals and easily heated frozen meals, to be prepared for those last-minute changes of heart?
It might take some to get used to meal planning, but after a while you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it!