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How do you plan your weekly meals?

37 replies

Bubb13Wrap · 05/09/2024 20:43

I find it such a chore.

OP posts:
Toohotandsticky · 06/09/2024 10:45

I start with weekend meals - I enjoy cooking and like to spend a bit more time, making something which either takes longer or feels a bit fancier. Don't get me wrong, nothing cheffy at all. It might be a lasagne with a properly made, slow cooked beef ragu, for example. Weekend meals are usually meat-based too. Then, I'll look at my shopping list for those meals and work out a weekday plan based on the leftovers - possibly a bit of leftover meat, almost always lots of veggies, and then decide on any supplementary shopping needed for those meals. I try not to buy any additional meat so weekdays are mainly veggie, unless using up meat from the weekend.

In the summer months, I try to make a (typically mumsnet) massive salad, which does two nights with some variation in toppings or sides. In Autumn/Winter, I'll aim for a big pot of soup most weeks, which again does two nights.

HowardTJMoon · 06/09/2024 12:34

CraftyGin · 06/09/2024 10:36

I don't meal plan.

I wake up and decide what we want for that day, and buy food for just the one day. No food waste!

Do you live next to a shop?

bifurCAT · 06/09/2024 12:42

brawhen · 05/09/2024 20:48

I use an app called Plan To Eat. It creates shopping lists from your plan. And you can repeat 'menus' - e.g. I have a four week menu that I use as a starting point and adjust to the specifics of the week (after a few months when bored I change the menu).

It costs, but they have a v good black Friday offer most years.

Go into Chat GPT, ask it 'compile a shopping list based on the following recipes', paste the links for the recipes you've found online you want to try..

Free :)

SkeletonBatsflyatnight · 06/09/2024 12:45

We plan on Sundays as a family. Dc1 always picks Mondays meal and dc2 gets Wednesday. Tuesday tends to be something low prep/quick due to extra curriculars. Fridays is often homemade pizza/tacos/kebabs.

This week as I'm trying to empty out one of the freezers to defrost it, we've eaten the following:

Sweet & sour chicken, garlicky brocoli and rice on Monday.
Chicken burgers with salad on Tuesday
Koftas with flat bread and sides on Wednesday
Homemade pizza on Thurs

And tonight we're having marmite & cheese pinwheels dipped in tomato soup because my inlaws gave me a bucket of tomatoes.

kitsuneghost · 06/09/2024 12:46

I select 2 cookbooks and sit with a cup of tea and write out what I fancy from them. I Usually pick 14 dinners and 5 lunches writing the shopping list as I go.

I don't allocate specific days. I just pick from the list the night before (in case I need anything from the freezer out). I do try to cook stuff with more perishable veg earlier though.

hopeishere · 06/09/2024 13:17

We have a shopping spreadsheet. There's about 10 meals my family are prepared to eat. I hate cooking.

mondaytosunday · 06/09/2024 13:48

Just the two of us do get hello fresh three meals a week. I found I was stuck in a rut and this gives us variety. Then I rotate a few other stock meals (chili, chicken curry, chicken Kyiv, fish and chips etc). I do an online shop for must food items and the ingredients come up in favourites so I don't have to think really.
It was harder when the kids were small and I cooked one thing for them and different for me and DH who came home after they were in bed.

RaraRachael · 06/09/2024 14:38

CraftyGin · 06/09/2024 10:36

I don't meal plan.

I wake up and decide what we want for that day, and buy food for just the one day. No food waste!

I'd be forever shopping!

@SidonieBaker what are DTS?

Georgyporky · 06/09/2024 17:38

I only plan if I have guests to feed.

I cook what I fancy, from whatever meat/fish is in the fridge, or at the top of the freezer list, & vary the carbs & veg with each meal.

I would not like to eat the way my parents & grandparents did, e.g. lamb chops Tuesday, fish on Friday

Cuwins · 06/09/2024 17:53

We have a 6 week rolling plan that I then adjust slightly each week based on DP shifts.
The aim when I wrote it was for:

  • a curry every other week
  • 1 quick freezer meal a week (fish fingers/pizza etc)
  • 2 cheap meals a week (beans on toast/jacket potatoes etc)
  • 1 slow cooker meal a week
  • 2/3 non meat days
Itsmeamandaberry · 06/09/2024 20:56

We get hello fresh and I just pick the most interesting ones!

ParrotPirouette · 06/09/2024 22:41

RaraRachael · 06/09/2024 14:38

I'd be forever shopping!

@SidonieBaker what are DTS?

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