Planning Food

kali_vancleave

kali_vancleave

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I am a very busy person and I really like the "grab and go" aspect of some forms of food but I struggle to always make the best decision because of time and convenience. I decided I need to prepare food before I actually need to eat so I don't make too much or make something that isn't necessarily healthy.

I saw a blog on preparing and packaging food, on a Sunday, for the entire week. Essentially what I'm asking is if you think this is possible and if you do what could I make and save to get me through the week?
 
Hi Kali. Are you cooking just for yourself or for a family? I find it easy to do if you're doing it for yourself, but a lot of work if you have to prepare meals for a whole family. It's a lot of cooking on Sunday.
 
At least make a list of the things you want to eat during the week and shop for the ingredients. :wink:
 
I plan our meals (and shop to that plan) plus there is always something homecooked in the freezer as a back up in case life does not turn out the way planned, but I usually rig our meals so that there are days I cook and days I simply reheat yesterday's evening meal.

For instance, I knew I was going to be late home last night (I was over at my parents' home, I only have a bike for transport and it is a 22 mile commute each way), so before I left (I just got up earlier) I quickly prepared an indian curry and left it part cooked. The flavour always improves when it is left to mature, so this is not an issue. I left a hand written note to my OH on what needed doing to finish the meal but this could easily have been done by me when I walked in - simmer 30 mins til veg soft, add this & this, and also cook rice). 30 mins after cycling home and after I had cleaned the bike down, changed clothes and put the bike away, I sat down to our evening meal. That meal will now serve us for 2 more meals (so 3 nights in total). If needed I will add another tin of chopped tomatoes or throw in some frozen peas or a tin of beans to pad it out to a 3rd night - I need that 3rd night from it because I am back over at my parents' home on Thursday. Today I have a touch more time, so will serve it will jeera rice rather than plain rice and probably make some homemade naan or chapattis to go with it.

On Friday I will cook a homemade stew or leek & potato soup depending on what I feel like and put dumpling with that - that will cover us for Friday night and Saturday lunch (when we are back over at my parents) and we will have one of the 'freezer meals' for our evening meal on Saturday. Friday, because I have the time available currently, will see me make up some homemade bread or flatbreads to go with the stew.
 
I love to plan our meals! I like to make my menu based on my coupons. That way, I can make homemade meals without going over my budget. I look at the coupons I have for the week, and plan my meals according to the products on sale and what I have coupons for.
After I buy my groceries, I prepare anything I can in advance. For example, I chop my veggies right away so they will be easier to use when I am cooking later in the week.
I also utilize my slow cooker. When I know I am going to be gone all day, I like to put together a meal in the slow cooker so it can cook all day while I'm away. Then it is ready when I am home. I don't have to urge to stop and pick food up on the way home because I know I have a warm meal waiting on me. I will often times make a large beef roast in the slow cooker. I then freeze the leftovers and use it later to make beef vegetable soup. I try not to let any food go to waste.
I also freeze any leftover soups I make because those are great quick, fast and easy meals. I keep a few freezer meals as back-ups, just in case I need a easy meal.
I pack my husband's lunch for work. That way we save money from him stopping and eating out.
 
I guess it would depend on what food you are making! Some foods won't last for a whole week even in the fridge, so you would need to be careful with that. But many things would be ok to put on the fridge and have it ready for you throughout the week. I think it's a great idea. Something I got from my mother as well is to freeze some meals, so that when I'm in a hurry and don't have time to cook, I have it ready and will just microwave it and eat.
 
Actually this post has just reminded me of one the 'solutions' I came up with as a student. I would bulk cook jacket potatoes and freeze them once they were cold. then pull them out of the freezer as and when needed and reheat them with a filling (just direct reheat, no defrost, in a microwave). Just a thought.
 
It's definitely doable, but keep in mind that you will be using a lot of time on a Sunday to do the cooking if you want to eat a large variety of food during the week.
Just cook large batches and freeze them. You could also always make 1 extra portion of each food, this way after a couple of weeks you'll have a variety of food to choose from and you can skip most of the cooking for that week.
 
I tend to buy enough ingredients for a range of dinners and then decide what I want to make on the day itself as I'm someone who craves different meals from one day to the next. I do try to make sure that I start cooking before I get too hungry though, as like the OP, I'll be far more likely to eat unhealthy food if I'm starving.

Personally, for me it's quickly to cook on the day than prepackage a weeks worth of food on a Sunday, as then it would take a few hours to make 5-6 different dinners.
 
Hi Kali,

That is a difficult question to answer considering the fact that I wouldn't know much about your likings. Anyways, let me share what I do for my lunch at office. Dinner is usually made at home.

1. Some sandwiches with vegetable or omelette fillings on few days
2. Salads made out of cucumber, lettuce, tomato and potato
3. Cut fruits. Apple, orange, grapes and on certain occasions banana

I do not know how much of this helps.
 
The best things to prepare for days in advance meals would be - sandwiches, soups, stews, casseroles. Basically things that can be frozen and microwaved later, or just last a long time prepared in the fridge. It's probably best to only plan a few days in advance, not a full week - because you'll end up spending most of your time on Sunday cooking. Do you really want to do that the whole day? Do you really want only one meal the whole week? Going every few days before planning for some more at least lets you add variety.
 
Yes - you definitely can plan out a weeks worth of food. I did this while in college. On Saturday mornings, I would cook all of my foods except breakfast in preparation for the next few days. The process is simple and involves mainly Tupperware containers and plastic bags. the key is to write out everything FIRST before you go shopping.
 
I love to prepare foods in advance and stored it in the freezer. Every Saturday and Sunday is the time to do the groceries, plan and cook our meals for Monday to Friday. Since I am busy during the weekdays that is the best solution I did so that I will not be in a hurry cooking everyday. Different kinds of healthy soups with vegetables and menus with sauces for chicken and fish that can last for a week are the ones I am preparing. Then with pork and beef I always marinated it with seasonings then just fry or grill it when needed. I had been doing this for a long time already and it really works best for me.
 
I think it's great to plan and prepare all your meals for the week ahead on a sunday and it usually saves a lot of money and hassle too. It's something I would look at doing when I have my own place. I also love the thought of knowing what you're eating the whole week so you can get excited about coming home and having a certain meal! :P
 
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