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Original poster

how do you organise/manage food/meals/shopping with teenagers in the house?

54 replies

MentholLoad · 21/07/2023 11:00

sorry this is pretty boring. and probably not complicated at all...but I'm overwhelmed and can't think through it clearly

my eldest daughter likes to cook the family meals. she better at it than me and it's one less job, so this is a lot good.

but, sometimes, she will use food/ingredients that I was expecting to be a family evening meal to make her lunch or breakfast for example. I can't buy double of everything but I am obviously buying for everyone to have all their meals/snacks/whatever

I just can't work out how to manage this/what to buy/how to approach grocery shopping

OP posts:
Atalanta1 · 21/07/2023 11:04

Could you have a particular shelf that dinner items go on? In fridge and cupboard? My adult daughter would just check with me re is it ok to have this item before eating anything other than a basic sandwich at lunchtime.

Original poster
MentholLoad · 21/07/2023 11:17

seperate shelf in fridge is a great idea. don't have enough cupboard space, but it's mostly about the protein and vegetables anyway. my DD doesn't eat sandwiches or any 'simple' food...she used to just eat whatever I made but it changes as they get older huh

OP posts:
StroppyTop · 21/07/2023 11:20

Get her involved in meal planning and shopping so she knows which ingredients are for dinner?

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Original poster
MentholLoad · 21/07/2023 11:23

StroppyTop · 21/07/2023 11:20

Get her involved in meal planning and shopping so she knows which ingredients are for dinner?

yeah, I think planning is key isn't it. I have never been good at that. I just walk around the supermarket and get what I think we will like for the week. it mostly worked when I cooked all the meals and they are what I gave them. doesn't work at all now

OP posts:
3dogsandarabbit · 21/07/2023 11:26

Plan your meals for the week in advance and then make it clear to your daughter what will be needed for each meal. I think it's great that she cooks the meals for everyone. Lucky you!

EversoDetermined · 21/07/2023 11:29

We tend to just wing it, as we have been doing our own breakfast and lunches for years and now quite often cook separately in the evenings too (we all go out to exercise a lot and want to eat at different times). If something gets used up we sub something else or get something out of the freezer. We keep a good stock of veg, salad, cheese etc so its only really meat or fish and we keep fish fillets, chicken breasts etc in the freezer. If I know something needs replacing in the morning I stop at the supermarket on the way home from work. I tried separate shelves in the fridge but we don't really have space and they forgot anyway.

calmcoco · 21/07/2023 11:31

You need to communicate with her - either verbally or in writing or by having separate areas for food that is to be eaten whenever vs. food that is designated for particular meals.

In our house everyone knows which food is fair game and which is off limits.

TreesWelliesKnees · 21/07/2023 11:34

I have a clear plastic box in the fridge with 'do not eat' on it. I put things like chorizo, ham, sausages in it. Things they might decide to cook up at midnight, basically.

mindutopia · 21/07/2023 11:38

It doesn't matter who is cooking surely. Meal plan. She plans what she is going to cook for the week before you do the shop. You buy a sufficient quantity of items and make sure it's clear which ones. It sounds like it's more an issue of disorganisation and not buying what's actually needed at the shop.

UsingChangeofName · 21/07/2023 12:16

We have a whiteboard on the fridge with what the meals are for the week, after the shop has been done, and people's diaries consulted about when they are in.

So it is obvious that the chicken / mince / sausages are there for that meal.
Other things (say bacon or cheese or chiritzo) are always there, and fair game unless it says "Chiritzo pasta bake" on the white board for tomorrow, for example.
I like @TreesWelliesKnees 's idea, although we usually only need that if food has been brought in for people coming round or to take on a trip or for a shared lunch or something.

BillyNotQuiteNoMates · 23/07/2023 10:54

Give her a budget for a meal, and tell her to make extra for her lunch the next day

i remember coming home one day, to find that my daughter had eaten three PACKETS of chicken strips for lunch 🙈 (the packs you used to get in the supermarkets 3 for £10)

Serenitymummy · 23/07/2023 10:56

Meal planning is key, I switched to this a few years ago and now shop accordingly. Bonus is that it saved me loads of money as well. Sit with her and plan the week's meals, so she knows what each thing is for then she won't eat chicken on Monday for lunch that's planned for Thursday's dinner for example.

BoldandBright · 23/07/2023 10:57

Could you ask her to plan her lunches in advance? Or at least a “let me know what sort of thing you might want for lunches this week so I can add it to the shopping list.” If she’s organised enough to be doing the family’s evening meals I don’t see it being a problem.

Sandysandwich · 23/07/2023 11:01

Sorry if I'm being dense but why does it matter if she uses food you thought was for an evening meal if you don't make the evening meals?

Or is she using all the available food too early in the week meaning you have to go out and buy more?

AsterixAndPersimmon · 23/07/2023 11:28

Meal planning and her being involved as she is the one who cooks.
So you still do the shopping but she tells you what to buy fir the meals she cooks.

AsterixAndPersimmon · 23/07/2023 11:29

At the very least, she needs to tell you what to buy fur her lunches and breakfast so whatever she needs isn’t coming from the ‘dinner food stack’ iyswim

BLT24 · 23/07/2023 13:20

Can you ask her to make the meal plan and order the food shopping online eg Tesco app. Give her a budget to stick to.

4weeknoalcohol · 23/07/2023 13:28

How far away are the shops? My teenager goes to Lidl and Aldi if we need anything. He’s not as keen cooking as your daughter but he’s expected to cook at least once a week.

2bazookas · 23/07/2023 14:35

You and DD could agree a weekly family menu.
Weekly shop provides the week's ingredients.
Cook of the day uses those ingredients to cook what they offered to cook .

Doone21 · 23/07/2023 14:47

Make a week meal plan with her, take her food shopping, get her to pick the ingredients needed. Shop together so she learns how to do it properly. Those 2 tasks go hand in hand because the you need to get right ingredients, space out the meals ( so not pasta 3 days in a row) use up stuff in fridge that is going off, make a plan so no food is wasted (use up the leftover veg etc), make use of what's on special offer, etc she can also add in breakfast and other items while she shop with you, learn to budget etc all at the same time

TheMummy9875 · 23/07/2023 14:55

I would say it is just conversation. This is for the meal I’m going to cook for the family, this is the stuff you can use as you wish

ChrisPPancake · 23/07/2023 15:12

We have a Google Keep list which we can all access/alter with meals for the week and rough ingredients needed for each. Plus a family shopping list - anyone using the last/next to last portion of anything is responsible for adding it to that list.

StormShadow · 23/07/2023 15:15

Doone21 · 23/07/2023 14:47

Make a week meal plan with her, take her food shopping, get her to pick the ingredients needed. Shop together so she learns how to do it properly. Those 2 tasks go hand in hand because the you need to get right ingredients, space out the meals ( so not pasta 3 days in a row) use up stuff in fridge that is going off, make a plan so no food is wasted (use up the leftover veg etc), make use of what's on special offer, etc she can also add in breakfast and other items while she shop with you, learn to budget etc all at the same time

That's a good idea. If DD likes cooking, it would make sense to have a discussion about what she wants to make and what will be needed.

GolgafrinchamB · 23/07/2023 15:16

Joint shopping list you can both access and meal planning conversations are a game-changer. DD adds stuff to the grocery list for the times she's cook,ing or wants something particularly for lunch.

Plasmodesmata · 23/07/2023 15:16

I have a sharpie and write NO in big letters on anything that isn't fair game.