planning meals

Cabbie 21 so good to know that's not just DH and I that like mushy veg. I suppose it's what we were brought up with. Crunchy Brussels sprouts..No thank you!!

I find it odd that retired posters say they don't need to plan any more. I certainly do or we'd starve - we are really busy!

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M0nica
All my daily shopping can be done within a 5 min max walk from these photos. Huge Sainsbury's, Waitrose (with outdoor seating), Homebase and daily markets of fish, fresh from Billingsgate (London) and fruit and veg plus bakeries.
Library, stationery, fabric shops...you name it, it's here.
Buses every 2 minutes and trains to London and Portsmouth under 1-5 mins away.
In warm weather, there's a converted vintage VW camper van which serves fresh coffee, ice-cream and grilled patties in home-made gaps with different accompaniments.
I often run along the tow path beside the River Wey in photo.
Sainsbury's and Waitrose open at 07.30 and fruit veg market at 8am so no problem to shop after morning run, grab a free coffee and paper from Waitrose and chat to the people on narrrowboats along the river.
Yes...I consider myself lucky to live here.

gaps baps (buns)

You are lucky GabriellaG54 you've got a shoppers paradise and beautiful countryside

MOnica DH did take over the cooking in December and January when I was unable to walk but we mainly ate pizzas , lasagne, egg and chips or bacon and egg despite there being plenty of meat and vegetables in the house.
Planning would have been pointless today as we ended up stopping at a restaurant that we have passed many times but never visited before. What a lovely surprise it was. So supper was egg mayonnaise and sliced tomato in a pitta bread. We were too full up from lunch to eat any more than that.

We plan at least half the meals in advance, Mostly I make dishes that improve by being left in the oven and we share the cooking and DH really does plan. He likes time to get his ingredients together.

I don’t have close access to shops or a market at all. Most things are within half an hours drive though, so I have to make some sort of plan, so I’m not forever driving somewhere for a couple of things.

I find shopping twice a week is more economical nowadays, as it makes the planning a bit more flexible. I always used to do one big shop when I was working, for quickness, but find if I do that now, things get thrown away, which I hate doing.

I’m not great at planning, but now it’s just me to cook for, it should be easier, once I overcome my apathy, and move away from the baked potatoes!

Gma29

I know exactly what you mean by meals for one.
I had to overcome my snacking and sandwhich habit after children left home and divorce.
This morning I had plain full fat Greek yogurt topped with Lizi's treacle granola, sliced banana and blueberries topped with a teaspoon drizzle of honey.
That's my lot food-wise until about 5.30 when I might have chilli eggs ( 2 eggs and chilli flakes on toasted muffin (or toasted sourdough) with some grapes and a pear afterwards.
I'll have a mixture of almonds and halved shelled walnuts to munch in mid morning.
Having eggs in and a bought quiche with salad stuff solves quick nutritious meal 'worries'.
I'm a vegetarian so I don't need the meat element of a dish, neither do I want to spend an hour in the kitchen making a meal which is devoured in 10 minutes...especially in good weather.
Happy eating ??

The phrase "cook from scratch" makes me smile. Until fairly recently there was no other kind of cooking.

There still isn't.

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Reported

This is yet another very old thread, though still relevant

I eat low carb as I am a reversed diabetic. I make a weekly menu plan and a corresponding shopping list. Works extremely well.

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Reported.

I do the menu planning, proper meals from fresh ingredients, if it was left to my wife it doesnt happen. Conversely she is an excellent cook, just shops on impulse and doesn't bother from day to day.
Because I'm retired it works well and we eat properly.

It’s an old thread resurrected by scammers

Fennel Following on from the 'Scratch meals' thread, do any of you plan menus in advance? Or just go from day to day?

We buy and stock refrigerator at least weekly, no plan.

Some meals don't change often.

Breakfast and lunch change little. Dinner chosen at the day.

Meals are cooked from scratch.

I like to plan dinners 3 days ahead. I don’t do a big weekly shop any more - I just get what I’m going to need for the next 2 or 3 meals (if anything) - plus anything we’re running out of. I usually walk, and get the bus back.

I leave it to dh (who typically takes my car!) to get really big or heavy items, like monster packs of loo rolls and mega bags of potatoes.