I don’t plan meal menus ahead, unless I’m expecting visitors for a meal.
If people are coming to stay for a few days, I may have rough meal plans in my head to make sure I get all the shopping I need before they arrive, but I try to choose food that I can be flexible with, rather than have a set meal plan, so my guests have more choice about what and when to eat.
If it’s just for me, I tend to shop for the basics and anything else I might fancy about once or twice a week - then I just wait until mealtimes before deciding what I fancy or what needs eating up from whatever is in the fridge, cupboard, freezer.
As I don’t eat meat, most of my meals consist mostly of veg and fruit, with a few nuts or grains and occasional eggs and cheese, so they are usually quick to rustle up and I don’t really need to plan ahead.
This year, I’ve been growing quite a bit of my own veg, so I have been eating quite a lot of salads or stir fries with whatever is ready to eat in the garden.
I’ve also been going through a phase of making frittata, using whatever veg need eating up.
When Winter arrives, I’ll probably go back to batch-cooking veggie casseroles and soup then freezing it in single portions for quick meals I don’t have to plan ahead.
Ahhh!
I thought it must be something to do with half but couldn’t think what!
I’ve seen folk use OH before but I couldn’t work out what the B might be! - Doh!
I don’t plan meals at all. Before the pandemic I would shop almost daily though not necessarily for that evening’s meal.
I eat out a lot but when I cook I tend to cook about five meals at a time and freeze them, also I buy pre-packaged frozen meals.
This arvo I drove back from Canberra so wanted something quick and easy so I got a wholemeal roll out of the freezer, fried a piece of bacon and an egg bunged them in the roll with some HP sauce and a dash of Tabasco. That was my evening meal. Easy as…
No never plan other than maybe make something that can be used the next day.
I rarely cook and use the oven very rarely since fuel prices became so high.
Same with me. My wife does the gardening, DIY, family accounts, shopping and cleaning. I make her a cup of tea on occasions, if it does not interfere with my TV programmes.
I buy a £1 bag of small potato’s and boil them all, in my fridge i have chicken,pork and steaks, while the spuds boil i deide which meat i’m having
when boiled i drain the spuds and plate how many i require, i then put the lid on the pot… the following day i boil the kettle and pour over the spuds, i then reboil them, as soon as the water boils the spuds are ready, so i drain and plate however many i require, then put the lid back on the pot…lol… the third day i half all the remaining spuds and fry them along with steak-belly pork or chicken, next i will do oven chips. as i’m sure you appreciate i dont spend a lot of time in the kitchen,then as soon as i empty my plate, i wash everything…i usually eat to ‘pointless’ and wash when the news comes on, then i check the date… i leave on the 12th of October…lol
I fully respect people who do not like to cook. (Get that out of the way.)
For me, cooking is one of the great pleasures in life. My five gas burner, twin oven range is a joy. Helped by my gas & charcoal barbeque and my outdoor wood fired oven. Supported by a double door / double freezer drawer fridge and a big chest freezer. Cooking old and new recipes is my definition of fun and fulfilment. (As is eating out. Never do takeaway.)
But - plan for the week? Nope, maybe plan 2-4 days ahead to try to avoid waste. And always try to use local or home grown ingredients. I’ve worked on my knife skills to speed the prep work and changing the veg cutting from drudge to a few minutes with a very sharp knife makes the creative part much more appealing. That’s my only bit of advice.
