Seriously though, what’s for dinner? Why can that one question be so hard to answer sometimes? Too much choice? Not made a plan? Fed up with counting the calories and the coins?
Even ardent foodies find themselves starring at a shelf or into a kitchen cupboard wondering what to cook. There’s that blank sheet of paper titled ‘shopping list’ that’s intended to tie up your shopping seamlessly with a parade of wholesome meals to nourish you and your family through the week.
Whether you’re an avid planner and a once-a-week shopper or an every day browser who cooks on a whim, I think it’s fair to say that there are times when every one of us can find ourselves stood there, drawing a blank. We’re wishing someone would either make the decision for us or magically present a plate of food so we didn’t have the effort of thinking about what to cook.
Sat at home with a cuppa and notepad in an attempt to ‘be organised’ this week, adding another thing to the mental load of all the things that need doing, all the time. It’s not helped by the fact that we can eat anything we want now. There is such a thing as too much choice. We’re spoilt for choice but short on time and sold an ideal of convenience.
So, if you’re looking for a bit of inspiration, I’ve rounded up a few ideas. Whether you’re looking to shave a few pounds off your waist or to save a few in your wallet, planning ahead will simplify your shopping trips and help you stick to your healthy eating goals or to stay tightly within a budget.
Healthy eating
BBC Good Food shares a new year meal plan each year. For 2020, their Healthy Diet Plan is aimed at reducing sugar intake, increasing energy and losing excess weight while supporting a healthy immune and digestive system. Email subscribers receive a plan with a selection of recipes and printable shopping lists. You can pick from a meat-eater’s plan or vegetarian, plus swap out and customise the plan to suit you.
If you’ve been watching Tom Kerridge’s Lose Weight and Get Fit and have been inspired, you can cook along at home as some of the recipes are available on the BBC site.
Budget bites
There are a tonne of resources online for budget meal planning and feed your family for a fiver type ideas.
Jack Monroe’s blog, Cookingonabootstrap.com, is packed with recipes that are worked out to the penny, per portion. There’s even a 9p burger made from kidney beans, carrot and cumin.
One Pound Meals from Miguel Barclay does exactly what it says on the cover with recipes at £1 per serving. There are some pretty fancy recipes in there too, proving that even on a budget you can create some amazing feasts including a £1 Christmas dinner. We’ve made the gyoza at home and the mushroom risotto so far.
Too busy to shop?
If you’re just too busy to shop, you could subscribe to one of the many food box delivery services on offer. Many of them have introductory offers or referral codes to take advantage of.
I’ve only tried Gousto, which I thought was pretty good. I loved that fact we were cooking different things and trying new recipes which encouraged other family members to get involved. From a convenience perspective, it couldn’t be easier. Plus, no food waste as you only get what you need. The downsides were the cost and the amount of packaging – so much plastic.
If all else fails and I’m still in a bit of a food funk, then a trip to a market does the trick and can be a good place to start for the week’s shop. Often the seasonal fruit and veg are cheaper than in the supermarkets. Convenience isn’t always king, after all.
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