WORDS: Deanna Zacharia, The Sorted Home
As a home organiser and busy mum, I’ve experienced firsthand the challenges of balancing work, family, life and the daily grind of meal preparation. The mental load of constantly thinking about what to feed everyone, shopping lists, food shopping, putting it away, prepping, cooking, the kids not even eating the food you make! And then the clean up afterward – EVERY.SINGLE.DAY for the rest of your life…can be totally overwhelming!
It certainly has caused stress and weighed heavily on my shoulders in my own home. It often feels like an endless cycle that leaves little time for relaxation or quality family moments. And as much as I absolutely love eating good food, the planning, prepping and cooking part really doesn’t spark joy for me. It takes a real effort, and I’d rather do ANY other chore in the house than this. In my own journey however, I’ve found that implementing meal planning has been transformative.
Sitting with my bestie Nabs (Supermarket Swap) and really talking through the stress of this process, she has given me the greatest advice and shown me a way of getting more organised in this space. She focused less on my capabilities as a chef, and more on the schedule and planning. And this has changed everything! One of the tools that revolutionised my routine the most is the Supermarket Swap app– that Nabula created! In her own quest to simplify this process, she found a way not only to share additive and preservative free ingredients and weekly specials, but to provide delicious recipes right at your fingertips that can be added on to your weekly meal planner and generate a shopping list based on the items you need. It’s been an absolute game-changer, simplifying the entire process from planning to execution.
Benefits of meal planning
Meal planning offers so many benefits beyond just saving time. It allows families to eat healthier, reduce food waste, and even save money by minimising impulse purchases and last-minute takeaway meals.
By carving out a little bit of time each week to create a solid meal plan, followed by a shop for the week ahead helps stick to your list and avoid waste! Online food shopping and click and collect or home delivery is perfect, you can cut down on stress, time and chaos during those busy weekdays!
Steps to efficient meal planning
Involve your family
Start by checking in with your family members for their meal suggestions. Gather everyone’s input on their favourite dishes, preferences, and any special considerations. This ensures that everyone is satisfied with the week’s menu, enjoys their meals, and may even make them more likely to participate in the meal prep process. (Well, here’s hoping!) Have fussy eaters? Same here…this gives them a sense of ownership over their meal choices.
Create your weekly meal plan
When I created my weekly meal plan, selected meals and viewed the week ahead, it was a huge weight off! I was relieved to realise that I only had to cook four nights out of seven. Knowing what those meals were in advance took the stress away immediately. In fact, I began looking forward to it!
- Set aside time for planning: Dedicate some time one day per week – perhaps over your morning coffee- to plan your meals for the week ahead. Consistency will help make meal planning a regular part of your routine. Consider using a meal planning app, a whiteboard, or even a piece of paper on the fridge will do!
- Check your calendar: Look at your schedule for the week to account for busy nights, special events or activities. Plan simpler meals or leftovers on those busy days.
- Take stock: Check what you already have in your pantry, fridge and freezer. Incorporate these into your meal plan to reduce waste and save money.
- Use a theme: Assign themes to each day of the week to simplify planning. E.g. ‘Meatless Monday’, ‘Taco Tuesday’ ‘Sunday Roast’. This can add some fun to the routine.
- Write it down: Write down your weekly menu. Display it in a visible place like the fridge, so everyone knows what’s on the menu
- Use technology: The Supermarket Swap app allows you to search recipes, add the recipe to your preferred day of the week in the meal planner, and generates a shopping list based on your meal choices and ingredients you need.
Shop smart
- Create a master shopping list: Have a reusable list of staple items that your family regularly consumes. This will always save time and ensure you won’t forget your essentials.
- Shop specials and seasonal produce: Check your weekly specials and plan meals based on what’s on sale and in season. This helps save money and incorporate fresh nutritious foods.
- Buy in bulk: For non-perishable items and your family’s favourites, buy in bulk when they’re on sale
- Use an app: Supermarket Swap app helps you streamline your shopping experience by organising your meal plan, creating a shopping list, and providing weekly specials.
- Stick to your shopping list: Make the most of your food-shopping trips by sticking to your planned list. You’ll be surprised at the savings when you’re not shopping on a whim!
- Online food shopping: Take it one step further by ordering your food online- and either click and collect, or have it delivered to your home on the same day and time each week. This saves so much time and frustration in the aisles and helps avoid the temptation of impulse buys.
- Check your pantry and fridge before shopping: Avoid over-buying and reduce waste by taking stock of what you already have before purchasing more.
- Use reward points and loyalty programs: Take advantage of store discounts, weekly specials, coupons and loyalty programmes to save money on your regular purchases.
Batch cooking and meal prep
- Set aside a dedicated prep day: Choose a day that works best for you to spend a few hours prepping meals for the week.
- Plan meals with similar ingredients: To streamline your prep work and reduce waste. For example, if you buy a bulk pack of chicken, plan multiple dishes that use chicken during the week.
- Invest in quality containers: Having a good set of reusable, microwave safe containers can make storing and reheating meals easier. Consider getting containers in various sizes to accommodate different portions sizes.
- Prep ingredients in bulk: Wash, chop and portion out vegetables, proteins and grains in bulk. This will reduce prep time during the week and makes it easier to put those meals together.
- Cook large batches and freeze: Make double or triple batches of your favourite meals and freeze them in portions. This is especially good for soups, sauces, casseroles and baked goods.
- Use a slow cooker: This saves so much time and effort, allowing you to cook large quantities of food with minimal hands-on time. Set it up in the morning and come home to a ready to eat meal. There’s nothing better than coming home to a delicious smelling house with just one pot to clean!
- One pan roasting: Roast an assortment of meat and veggies on a single sheet pan for a hassle-free way to prepare multiple meals at once.
Freezer meals
Stock your freezer with pre-prepared meals or ingredients that can be easily reheated or thrown in a slow cooker on hectic days. This way you will always have a backup plan when time is tight and will reduce the temptation to go for less healthy fast-food options.
- Choose freezer-friendly recipes such as soups, stews, casseroles
- Label and date your meals to keep your freezer organised and use meals within a safe time frame.
- Freeze in single and family size portions.
- Double your recipes: whenever you cook a meal that freezes well, make a double batch. Eat one portion fresh and freeze the other for a future meal.
- Assemble meal kits by prepping and freezing ingredients together. Eg. Marinated meats with chopped veggies for a stir fry or fajitas.
Pantry organisation
Having an organised pantry will simplify meal planning, shopping and cooking as you will always know what ingredients you have on hand.
- Declutter and clean regularly: Discard those expired items and clean out the shelves. Regular maintenance keeps your pantry efficient and hygienic.
- Group like items together: Grouping items together makes it easier to find what you need quickly. Organise items like snacks, grains, cans, and spices together.
- Use clear food containers: Transfer everyday items like pasta, rice cereal, flour and snacks into airtight containers. This keeps food fresher, reduces packaging clutter, and allows you to see when you’re running low.
- Invest in storage solutions: Use tubs, baskets and lazy susans to keep things contained and organised.
- Rotate your stock: Practise first in first out method by placing your newer items behind the older ones to ensure you use items before they expire.
What I’ve learned is that efficient meal planning isn’t only about saving time or being the perfect cook—it’s more about reclaiming control over your SCHEDULE and ROUTINE.
It’s being able to enjoy stress-free meals together because you are organised and your food and ingredients for the meals are on hand and ready to go. By integrating these very simple strategies into your routine and leveraging tools like the Supermarket Swap app, you can simplify your meal prep and create more meaningful moments with your loved ones.
Start small, experiment with what works best for your family, and watch as mealtime becomes a source of joy rather than stress! Don’t forget to give yourself some grace on the weekends, with easy meals or a pizza night!
And trust me, if I can transform my meal planning from chaotic, overwhelming and stressful… to organised, simplified and even joyful… then ANYONE can!
Deanna x
For more of Deanna’s home organising tips:
