Food shopping, cooking and eating - how on earth do people manage?

[Peasepuddingbloodycold]

After about 12 years of working from home and/or part time work I'm going to be in a situation were both DP and I are working full time out of the home, with a commute. I can't get my head round how to fit in the shopping and cooking of healthy, appetising meals on a budget.

Years ago, the last time I was in this situation, meant doing a big shop out-of-town every Sunday morning. Now I'm in the habit of walking to the shops at the top of the street and bringing home a couple of bags of shopping two or three times a week. Picking up whatever we fancy.

I just can't see how we'll manage to prep and eat healthy meals at the end of a long day at work and commute (in the dark). We're surrounded by takeaways and whilst DP is happy to live on vegetables I'm an emotional eater who is already overweight :(

To be honest, it sounds like you know exactly what you have to do but don't want to do it.

Absolutely!

I meal plan on a Saturday morning and we do a once weekly shop based on this.

Would usually plan at least one meal that can be eaten as leftovers so that's one less. Also for days when I know I'll be really tired something v quick like burgers or grilled fish.

Nigel Slater's book Real Fast Food is also brilliant.

We also always have some ready meals in the freezer for unexpected 'I just can't be arsed' days.

I cook in large batches for fridge or freezer. If I'm making mash I make enough for at least 8 portions (2 of us). Mash freezes very well or is fine in the fridge for a week.

We use the slow cooker a lot in winter, also do a lot of stir frying which takes 1/2 hour start to finish.

If I'm using the oven I cook off as much other stuff as I can to microwave another day.

I hated gousto and hello fresh etc. didn't work for us at all!
The slow cooker (especially this time of year) is a lifesaver and you use cheaper cuts of meat etc so it's fairly economical
In the summer I marinate things in the morning and do chicken kebabs with salad and potatoes or rice for example
Quick pasta dishes
Batch cooking, so things like cottage pie that can just be heated up
We have a roast on a Sunday so that leftovers on a Monday can be ready within about 20 minutes!

Code still valid,if any one else wants to try for free.

We always have some nice ready meals in the fridge eg Charlie Bigham's fish pie,chicken tikka etc just for those times when you walk through the front door starving,and literally can't be arsed to do much more than fling something in the oven/microwave and use no effort at all.A nice ready meal with some baguette,salad etc can be a life saver mid week.

I actually think a rice cooker might be a good option for you, OP. It means you can just set it and forget it while you defrost a portion of chili/stir fry a pack of ready chopped veg/sauté a portion of salmon. Many of them can do grains like quinoa too so are pretty versatile.

I was very sceptical of services like Gousto but it’s been wonderful for our eldest’s very time short young family. Lots of discounts available too and no waste.

I've never seen the point in a rice cooker. Like most people, I don't have enough worktop space for lots of gadgets to be out all the time, so that's one bit of faff, getting it out and setting it up. Then there's the cost of purchase. I cook long-grain rice (white or brown), Basmati for preference but all types work, by Delia Smith's recipe and it's always perfect. One mug of rice in a small pot with a good thick base and a well-fitting lid. Possibly a little salt, depending on what it's going to be served with. Two mugs of boiling water poured in. Bring to the boil, turn down to lowest possible setting, lid on, or mostly on with a little gap to let the steam out so it doesn't boil over, leave for 6 minutes (white), more like 20 for brown, (timer on), at end of time look at the rice and if almost all the water has been absorbed and there are little dips in the surface of the rice, it's done. Turn off heat, put lid back on, leave for a few minutes for final drops of water to be absorbed. Done.

I thought the same about a rice cooker but then DH wanted one for a passing his PGCE present. I splashed out a bit, ngl. But we use it most days, we eat a lot of rice. Mostly plain basmati but we also make other kinds of flavoured rice in it. Also porridge, rice pudding, I even made cake in it. You can put a timer on it so set it up and it will be ready when you need it.

Other gadgets have been way less successful so I get you - we have a bread maker that's sat in the kitchen unused for well over a year.

I've never really had a problem with cooking rice well, and I'm averse to kitchen gadgets.

Online shop and some stuff out of the freezer.
We don't fry anything and you can get some good meals that are just frozen.
Stuffed jacket potatoes are a quick filling meal.
Eggs,omelettes,poached scram or a frittata.
Filled ciabatta on occasion with brie and bacon or a couple of stonebaked pizzas with different toppings.
I know how you feel and I am a chef.
Pasta is your friend.😁

I am interested in getting a triple slow cooker that I have seen in aldi for 39.99.I am quite sadly excited by the prospect.

The 30 minute one tray recipe book is amazing. The idea behind it is that you prep the food (easy stuff, but lots of variety) and then shove it in the oven. Whilst it is in the oven you can do whatever you want like have a shower, change into PJs, put a wash on, take make up off or whatever.

I have a history of buying recipe books and just looking at them. But with the 30 minute one tray one, I’ve cooked six different things, which we have on rotation. It is unprecedented.

Curries are easy after work, especially an easy Thai green one. Ditto something like linguine with chilli and king prawns. Just takes as long as the linguine takes to cook. Or a stir fry with ready cooked chicken.

OMG,I saw this earlier and I was unreasonably excited about using it for Xmas Dinner.Really, really want it ngl.

I have spent today doing some proper batch cooking.I was all organised,like in my own production line and tbh am pretty pleased at how I should be set up for the week ahead 💪

Never heard of gado gado,just looked it up and it sounds great for in the week.🔥

I do 4x longer days to have a day off

Day off - shopping delivered or collected. Cook something more time intensive like chilli or spag bol (low and slow 😁), and batch tomato sauce and/or soup

wfh days - stir fry and noodles or stick a curry in the slow cooker (frozen onion, peppers and butternut squash, jarred paste, tin of chick peas, tin coconut milk. Pouch microwave rice) or cajun Quorn pasta (veg, Philly, spice mix) or burgers with halloumi and sweet chilli with either buns or chips, or frozen lasanges

office days - tortellini in either homemade batched sauce or jarred, or Quorn nugs, wedges and beans

Weekends - more batching or complicated stuff

Ooh,i saw these in the Aldi magazine,and I'm tempted as well.

Ocado shop. Takes 20 mins each week.

I have spent today doing some proper batch cooking.I was all organised,like in my own production line and tbh am pretty pleased at how I should be set up for the week ahead

Whereas I'm getting more and more persuaded by things like beans on toast 😭

I'm really struggling to see the issue based on providing your fairly basic veggie menu.
Shopping 2-3 times per week , was this a time to buy food treats you haven't mentioned?
What is your budget?

The basic structure of the veggie meals are easily cooked at the weekend.
Veg chilli
Veg curry
Soup
Spicy beans
Make extra portions to freeze so that it's a once a month job.

Order all the additional "bits" to make meals via online shopping. The soup could even be ready made posh soup if there are only 2 of you.
Other meals -eggs and 1 takeaway shared over 2 days sounds fine
Done.
I think the issue is the emotional eating here and the lack of treats?
Can you order something nice or go to a bakery at the weekend?

It's the thinking about it. I've been spoiled by being able to wake up, think, "what do I fancy tonight? Stir-fry" and then going up and buying the ingredients along with a bit of salad and breakfast stuff.

I detest batch cooking. And slow cooker meals. When I was 11 years old, it became my job to get in from school and cook tea. We didn't have a lot of money, and there was a lot of batch cooking mince and using up leftovers for a second meal. I really feel a resistance to it becoming a chore again.

Are you not going to be passing any shops in your lunch hour?

I would get a regular shopping delivery e.g. on a Monday evening with things like a couple of ready made pizzas, bags of salad, fresh pasta and fresh pasta sauce , stir fry vegetables, those Thai green curry/Phad Thai kits with whatever fresh meat you would usually use in a stir fries and curries, some nice fresh bread and some soup cartons and your usual rice/potatoes/ beans staples

then you have most of the stuff you need for very quick meals that aren't 'batch cooked mince 5 ways'

e.g
Monday fresh pizza and salad (10 mins in the oven)

tuesday Thai green curry kit with chicken/frozen prawns with microwave rice (8 mins on the hob, rice 2 mins in the micro)

Wednesday Fresh Soup and crusty bread (5 mins on the hob)

Thursday - fresh pasta and fresh pasta sauce (5 mins on the hob)

Friday - Takeaway

Is it just the two of you? What time do you get in? Unless it is super late it seems the problem is more shopping than cooking. If you have a well stocked store cupboard from your weekly shopping delivery then you could also pick up the odd fresh thing that you particularly fancy at least at weekends?