So at risk of stating the obvious and being told everyone does this already, I’ve had enough conversations with friends recently to think they don’t so I am sharing my greatest time saving system that solves the constant and annoying “what’s for supper”* question (drives me nuts) and also saves time, money and reduces the mental load.
It’s not rocket science, basically a pre-planned rotating menu that everyone agrees to in advance Most things on it take about 20 mins to cook, and as we’ve been doing this for several years my teens can now make at least 70% of what’s on there.
- Sit down with your family and make a list of everything everyone will eat. This bit is really important because it means it’s not just on you but more importantly further on down the line no one can object to anything on because they’ve all agreed to everything in advance. “I don’t feel like it” isn’t a valid reason.
- Group by type eg beef, pork, chicken, veggie, cheap, shit (we’re all allowed to eat crap sometimes and planning it in means it actually happens less often) then, depending how many things you have on your list, plan out a 3-4 week menu. This means you don’t end up eating the same king of thing three nights in a row, you can plan for leftovers (eg roast on a Sunday, baked potatoes and leftover meat on a Monday) or evenings when kids have clubs. Eg my daughter has scouts on a tuesday so we need something fast and flexible.
- Stick it on the fridge so everyone can see it. This means when you’re having lunch and one of your children says “what’s for supper?” you can just point at the list.
Picture of my list on the fridge attached
FAQ’s
You don’t have to blindly stick to the list all the time. The other things at the bottom of my list are ideas for when we collectively agree we want something else or I’ve ballsed up the shopping or something
If you like to experiment leave Saturdays (for example) blank and that’s your day to try something new.
Anything counts - Baked potatoes, Sandwiches, Scrambled eggs, Baked beans, Ramen… keep it simple.
Shopping is SO much easier. Just look at what’s coming up in the week ahead and you know exactly what to buy. Also means less wastage.
I batch cook things like bolognese and meatballs.
I make most things from scratch - cheaper and better
My menu doesn’t specify veg but we have veg/salad with pretty much every meal
I probably revisit this once every six months
Yes, it can get a bit (very) boring sometimes but the energy and mental load is saves is massive and totally worth it
*supper/dinner/tea. Whatever. Who give a shit what you call it.