Meal planning

[Nanto2girls]

Do you meal plan? On another forum some members meal plan and stick to it. Some have all the meals written down for a week, some for as long as a month.
I have meals planned in my head, but don't always stick to them. Some days I don't know what we are having until about an hour before we eat. On other days if we have to go out somewhere, we usually end up eating out. Nearest to meal planning I do, is when I take something out of the freezer for the following day, or if hubby asks for something.
Such as today, he asked if we can have a chicken salad tomorrow, so tomorrows meal is planned.

[Plantaholic]

I have it in my head what I am going to have according to the contents of the fridge and freezer. Sometimes I can be thrown a bit when I am out and see something I fancy. Today I am having cod loin with home made sauce and veg.

[Gemini]

Pretty much like you Nan2, some planning, but it's not rigid and can change. Generally I know what we are having for about 3 days ahead, Sometimes I am back too late to cook what I planned, so have to change to something quicker as I'm too hungry to wait/can't be bothered at that time!.

[Enfys]

Same for me too. I have a rough idea but it all can chop and change according to what we fancy at the time. I had some friends who ate the same meals on the same days of the week and it never varied. I couldn't do that, we do like some variety.

[Oma]

We decide on the morning but even then it can change , we have had two boiled eggs and toast for tea , neither of us fancied the chicken we took out of the freezer to make a meal with .we fancied something light it was going to be beans on toast but then OH said he wanted boiled eggs so that is what we had . very rare do we plan a day ahead only if its home made soup as its always nicer standing for a day ,

[Shemadee]

I used to be quite organised when the children all lived at home but no point now as I never know whether oh will be home or not. He prefers meals with gravy/sauce but always seems to catching up with whatever I made the previous day! My MIL used a a two week plan that was just repeated over and over. Her family (all males) hadn't noticed! I do wonder what I would do if I was on my own. I have a feeling I would live on baked beans, cheese on toast or poached egg.

[Elisi]

I used to plan when DD was younger and I worked outside the home. I found it essential then. But not now. We eat whatever is defrosted, or available, or I can make in a reasonable amount of time.

[ZIZI]

I always plan ahead. I do a menu for the coming week but shift it around according to what we feel we want to cook. Saturday I go to greengrocers, bakers and butchers. Sometimes though I just take stuff out of the freezer. This weekend as I was so tired and run down I didn't do a full shop but bought a chicken from Little Sainsbury in the high street. So we had chicken roast yesterday, chicken salad tonight, will have cauli cheese and ham with tomatoes tomorrow, steak slices and veg Wednesday (yes bought from the supermarket), home made chicken pie on Thursday and "IF IT" on Friday. That means IF IT is in the fridge we will eat it. I have tons of stuff in the freezer if we change our minds.

I do not like not having a plan BUT I am happy to change it if we feel like it.

[Qwerty]

I buy each week some fish, beef in one form or another, chicken breasts, and pork steaks so each day it varies one day a week we don't cook, live on sandwiches like prawns, eggs and such with the beef its either shepherds pie, chilli, steak, stew

[Gemini]

I couldn't do those same thing every day for a week or fortnight regimes.
Shem, I have given some thought to what I would eat if I lived alone. I think like you, there would be nights of cheese/eggs/beans on toast. Also baked potatoes with various fillings and salad. Chops and salmon fillets. All quite quick and I like them.
I think I would cook sometimes though. Shepherds pies, casseroles etc and freeze individual portions. Of course I would buy nice ready meals too

[Nana]

I joined a slimming group about a month ago. Hence I plan the week's meals & stick to the list, ie, I buy ingredients for the week's meal plan. I do shuffle them round to suit tho, so I'm not that strict in the order they're written. I've done this way of meal planning for years tho, so I'm used to it now.

[Daisy]

I usually have absolutely no idea what we're going to eat until I go into the kitchen to start cooking! I look in the fridge and sometimes I'll even start a meal without knowing exactly what it will be - I just add things as I go along. Tonight I did steamed potatoes and broad and runner beans, all from the allotment, and salmon fillets which come with a little sachet of chilli-type sauce. Quick and easy after a busy day with the GDs.

When OH does the supermarket shop I just put 2 x fish, 3 x meat or something on the list, and he gets what looks nice. I very rarely cook anything which need advance preparation except casseroles in the slow cooker in the winter. I do a lot of stir fries which lend themselves to my haphazard cooking habits. I'm very lucky that OH will eat almost anything!!!


I have however plananed what to eat for a couple of days next week when we will have a house full and I'm going to be very busy!

[Mimi]

I don't plan meals as such, the freezer is usually full of chicken, whole and breast , thighs etc; fish, chops, diced stewing beef and plenty of veg. I also have pasta, tin toms ( for sauce) herbs garlic etc; . I then decide from day today what we will have for lunch.
I do know that tomorrow we are having a lamb hot/ stew. I found the recipe on line when I was looking for ideas to use up left over tin tomatoes from the pasta sauce I made today, that's as far as my meal planning tends to go .

[ZIZI]

I have a very comprehensive store cupboard and freezer. I have lists of what I have stored (I know it is a bit obsessive before anyone says). I always have pasta and rice both frozen and packet, passata, tinned toms, soups, frozen veg., tinned veg (only kidney beans and baked beans I don't like tinned veg otherwise). Always have sausages, mince and chicken in freezer plus shortcrust, puff and filo pastry (because I am the most rubbish pastry maker in the world). We will never starve in this house! Always have eggs as well.

if husband is working a late shift I will usually do cheese Or beans or eggs on toast. I am so lazy. I don't like eating on my own so if he wasn't here I would probably be a stick insect!!! Would rather be a chub and have him here though if you know what I mean!

[Daisy]

Mimi - your 'system' sounds like the level or organisation I aspire to! Do you get meat out of the freezer the night before? I always forget!