Meal planning when working full time

[Thisismynewname123]

I'm starting a new job and going to be working full time. I will be stressed getting home and getting dinner ready. I'm also worried about what I'm going to take for lunches (and time preparing it). Could you give me some ideas of meals for the evening and packed lunches (for me only) that don't take too much prep. We are not generally a meat eating family. I don't the diet to fall away due to lack of planning. At the moment, I take it day by day and tend to go out during the day to get what I fancy making for that evening. Never been great at meal planning for the week.

[zigzagbetty]

I tend to make risotto or pasta bake for dinner and take leftovers for lunch. Also make syn free egg muffins and freeze for a quick lunch with some salad or couscous. If you have a microwave I like uncle Ben's flavoured rice pouches with mackerel in tomatoes sauce mixed in with cherry Tom's.

[Thisismynewname123]

Thanks @zigzagbetty. In the past I used merchant gourmet grain pouches for lunches. I need to check the syn values of different ones. I used to have them with some salmon or tuna and and salad bits. Never bought tinned mackerel so maybe I'll give that a try. Thanks

[zigzagbetty]

I like the sauce because it makes it slightly less dry and it is free food. The grain ones are normally only a few syns. I also take frozen fruit and 0% Greek yoghurt to snack on mid afternoon, but pack separately as the yoghurt goes watery.

[RoseyLentil]

I batch cook on Sunday afternoon so I don't have to cook much in the week and take lunch everyday - usually something to heat in the microwave. I've recently started meal planning properly ie writing it down as a list and putting it up on the fridge. That way I check the list in the morning, take the meal out of the freezer and it's ready to pop in the oven when I get home. Or I dump the pre prepared ingredients into the slow cooker before leaving and tea is ready when I get home this has definitely been saving us money and it's great for my sanity and keeps my SW efforts going 👍

[The8thMonth]

I meal plan every week, for the following week. So, I have two weeks worth of meals planned and get the coming weeks groceries delivered, so I don't have to go to the shops. I admit I really don't enjoy all the planning and online shopping, but with kids to feed and working full time I need to do this to have healthy food for us all.

I generally plan 1 meat meal, 1 veg meal, one fish meal, one soup meal and then a pizza/ burger meal (as like the junky meal for the week) or leftovers if there are any.

We cook all dinners from scratch and pack all lunches. So we try to keep it simple.

Dinner this week: chicken ceased salad, a squash and bean soup, spinach and penne pasta, fish pie and pizza. It's all done with a bit of prep on the weekend and evenings before bed, to minimise week day evening busy time meal cooking.

Lunches are fruit, raw veg, a carb (jacket potato, bread, rice, etc.) and cheese (many types) or some other non meat option, houmous, falafel, veg burgers, edamame beans, etc.), Maybe an egg...

[Thisismynewname123]

Thanks for the replies. Could you give me some more non-meat ideas of what might be on your meal plan... so meals that don't require lots of prep.

[iklboo]

I make the mini quiche muffins for lunches and have those with fruit.