Meal planning

SophieLoui23

I've had some really wonderful advice from this site recently so hope that someone can help me again now.

After facing up to my debt, being constantly rejected from job applications and watching the amount of money in my bank decline, I'm feeling a bit lost. I'm trying to keep going but I think it's finally time to admit I'm struggling and I can feel myself slipping back into a depressive state.

One of my biggest issues right now is food. When I get depressed, I either comfort eat rubbish food (chocolate, crisps, snack food) or don't eat at all. I have absolutely no appetite right now and I'm struggling to think of meals that will both be filling and nutritious.

I was wondering whether anyone had a template meal plan? My budget is £25 per week maximum and ideally I'd like to just do one shop per week rather than lots of little shops. I live by myself so only 1 person to feed. I know that once I've eaten, I feel better but I just can't seem to even think about food right now.

Thanks to anyone that can offer any advice.

suki1964

Personally when I'm in that frame of mind, I can walk around a supermarket,and walk out empty handed as I really can't focus on what to buy and when I'm home alone, crisps and bread is also my mainstay so I know where you are coming from

Is it just you to cook for?

When I'm home alone I can't be doing the meat and veg type meals so I have to be creative. My veg comes from soup or salads.

Leek and potato soup, carrot and coriander , pepper and sweet potato, curried parsnip. All cheap, filling, and a couple of litres made can be frozen in individual bags ready to take out

Mince - a mainstay. Lidl's here do 800g for 2.50. That I would split, make bolognaise with half and a keema curry with the other half. The bolognaise will be filled with mushrooms,peppers and lentils. Half again turned into lasagne. The keema will have lots of peas and potatoes in it Depending on appetite there is at least six meal portions there

Eggs are a great cheap easy meal. Soften some onions, peppers, mushrooms they you have already for the above dishes, and make a two egg omelette. Add grated cheese to make it more filling.

Tinned fish such as sardine and mackerel not only cheap, but so good for you. A fav tea for me would be a bag of kippers with a poached egg

Never buy a standalone meal. Look at what it is you are buying and look at what veg you need which can be used up with other meals Whatever you have wilting in the fridge becomes soup

Don't be afraid of walking into a butcher and asking for one chop, 2 slices of liver etc. Don't be afraid to shop in the yellow sticker aisle either. That when you get the treats, the expensive items your budget doesn't allow for all the time. I got a shoulder of lamb last week for £3 and slow roasted it fed four of us for dinner, and filled pittas the following day

Fruit, buy in season or buy from the lidl, Aldi special buys.

I do buy crisps and chocolate bars, multi pack, and once gone there is no more bought till the next shop

I'm lucky that I like pasta based meals as well as Indian and Chinese. All three are easy to cook and can be made for next to nothing. Even now I'm cooking for 3 or more most days, it's very rare it's a traditional meat and veg meal. Tonight's it's spatchcock chicken with the left over weekend spuds fried in the pan, salad and coleslaw. It's been chucking it down outside and more a stew night but the salad and spuds needed using

C_J

It sounds as though you are having a really miserable time of it just now - have you spoken to anyone about this? Your GP? Perhaps you need some professional support for your depression, as it can be the very devil to deal with alone.

It's difficult to be motivated about meal planning when you only have yourself to look after. Mister C J works shifts, and now that our girls have both left home there have been times when I was home alone in the evening and I simply couldn't be bothered to go to all the trouble of cooking just for myself. I love cooking, but it hardly seemed worth all the effort just for me. I often ended up grazing on crusty bread, cold meats and cheeses, or hummus but that's not really the right way to live long-term, from either a health or a financial point of view.

Suki's idea of soup is an excellent one, as it doesn't take much effort, is good for you, and a panful will last a couple of days. I always used to batch cook huge meals when the whole family was at home, so I've gone back to doing that but freezing things in individual portions so I can take out the relevant number depending on how many are coming for dinner Things like chilli, bolognese or curry are dependable staples.

You can also make one main meal stretch over several days - perhaps roast a chicken one night, then strip the remaining meat from it to have either as a second 'mini roast' heated up the next night, or to make a chicken and veg stir fry, or the basis of a couple of chicken and mushroom pies (eat one, freeze one for another night). Use the chicken carcass to make stock as the basis for some tasty soup, and you are really getting your money's worth

If you have a freezer, make it your friend. A day or two a month bulk cooking and freezing things will mean you have fresh, nutritious, home cooked dinners with little-to-no effort for weeks - your very own ready meals.

Good luck with the job hunting, I hope you find what you are looking for soon. You've taken a massive step already, in reaching out on the forum for help with the things which are getting you down and I'm sure lots of lovely people will be along soon to give you wise advice. Take care

dingdongsaving

It sounds like you are doing a really brave thing opening up on here, and a sensible one by looking to plan meals and shops to keep on track with your budgeting.

The advice already given is great. Think of what you enjoy to eat and look for common ingredients to help you plan meals that share these back-to-back to save money and stretch food/pennies further. I'm sure if you have ingredients you like folk on here will suggest ideas for meals to go alongside your favourites to ensure nothing's wasted, but if you have a freezer and don't want to eat endless days of the same thing you can always just freeze portions to use at a later date in the same or a different meal.

Remember your gp is there if you need support and can refer you to many outlets of free depression/anxiety support.

SophieLoui23

Thank you all so much for your suggestions and kind words.

I'm feeling more positive this morning, so am going to try to make two separate weeks meal plans using all of your suggestions (with shopping lists) so if and when I'm having a down day, I can refer back to the meal plan to ensure that I eat properly.

I think I may also make an appointment with my GP. I've been to the dark places that depression can take you and I'm desperate not to go there again!

FairyPrincessk

I'm so pleased you're feeling a bit more positive this morning, but do get in touch with your GP.

I'd suggest you try to keep it simple. It can be hard to start cooking even with a plan and all the ingredients sometimes. Here are a few ideas that require less than 15 minutes of actual cooking time (although they may take longer in hands off time)

Jacket spuds with tuna/cheese/bean whatever you like and some salad--bagged salads don't last very long, but you could make yourself some nice chopped salads--cucumbers, radishes, carrots, cabbage etc. are all nice diced up. You can add different dressings--vinegar, lemon/lime juice etc. for variety.

-Scrambled eggs with a few tinned tomatoes, herbs, mushrooms, courgettes or whatever takes your fancy with toast

-Roasted veggies (aubergines, courgettes, peppers, onions, garlic and toms are nice this time of year). Do a big batch drizzled with olive oil and then keep them in the fridge. Stir them through cooked pasta, put onto sandwiches with hummus, add to cous cous with a bit of cheese etc.

SophieLoui23

FairyPrincessk wrote: »

I'm so pleased you're feeling a bit more positive this morning, but do get in touch with your GP.

I'd suggest you try to keep it simple. It can be hard to start cooking even with a plan and all the ingredients sometimes. Here are a few ideas that require less than 15 minutes of actual cooking time (although they may take longer in hands off time)

Jacket spuds with tuna/cheese/bean whatever you like and some salad--bagged salads don't last very long, but you could make yourself some nice chopped salads--cucumbers, radishes, carrots, cabbage etc. are all nice diced up. You can add different dressings--vinegar, lemon/lime juice etc. for variety.

-Scrambled eggs with a few tinned tomatoes, herbs, mushrooms, courgettes or whatever takes your fancy with toast

-Roasted veggies (aubergines, courgettes, peppers, onions, garlic and toms are nice this time of year). Do a big batch drizzled with olive oil and then keep them in the fridge. Stir them through cooked pasta, put onto sandwiches with hummus, add to cous cous with a bit of cheese etc.

Some lovely ideas. Thank you!

C_J

If you have an Aldi nearby, I'd recommend shopping there. Their fortnighly Super 6 fruit and veg offers (and special prices on meat) are almost always great and you could definitely plan a few meals around those.

For example this week they have cherry tomatoes, little gem lettuce double pack, Jersey Royal new potatoes, small Galia melons and white mushrooms for 49p a pack, and British pork sausages down to 99p. Add to that a bag of pasta, a tin of chopped tomatoes, a dozen eggs, a pack of streaky bacon, a bag of onions, a pot of single cream and some cheese and you could have

cheese and mushroom omelette with salad
Sausage, cheese and creamy tomato pasta which would easily do two meals
Tartiflette (new potatoes, onion, cheese and bacon baked with grated cheese) which would easily do two meals
Bacon, sausage, mushroom, fried potato and egg for a lovely fry-up brunch
Mushroom and sausage pasta

with slices of melon for pud. All the above will come to just over £10 for the best part of a week's main meals, and they're all quick and easy to throw together.

SophieLoui23

Just wanted to come back and thank you all for your suggestions. I've managed a much more balanced diet this week and it's helped me to eat regular meals, even when I haven't really felt like it.

I've woken up this morning with a tight chest, yet again, from the anxiety. I've finally got an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow. However, the doctor I'm seeing is known to be quite apathetic, so we shall see...

On the job front, I pushed myself to send out lots of CV's for both full time and temporary work. Had a few agencies call about permanent positions, which is great but a little nerve wracking. Cannot wait to get this anxiety under control, although not really sure what to expect. Has anyone gone to their GP for anxiety, who can give me an idea of what to suggest?

Thanks to all again

suki1964

SophieLoui23 wrote: »

Just wanted to come back and thank you all for your suggestions. I've managed a much more balanced diet this week and it's helped me to eat regular meals, even when I haven't really felt like it.

I've woken up this morning with a tight chest, yet again, from the anxiety. I've finally got an appointment to see the doctor tomorrow. However, the doctor I'm seeing is known to be quite apathetic, so we shall see...

On the job front, I pushed myself to send out lots of CV's for both full time and temporary work. Had a few agencies call about permanent positions, which is great but a little nerve wracking. Cannot wait to get this anxiety under control, although not really sure what to expect. Has anyone gone to their GP for anxiety, who can give me an idea of what to suggest?

Thanks to all again

Hey great news on getting balanced regular meals into you. It really is tough when you are in that type of head space

Anxiety, well that's a tricky one tbh. Depends on the doctor. Here all I get is amitrptyline and that's it. Last GP I had was fantastic and I got counselling sessions then follow ups with the GP, 20 min appointment every 4 weeks just for support and encouragement

I find I need routine to keep the anxiety at manageable levels. As soon as routine goes askew, I start getting worked up or become so lethargic I can barely function. For me the most important thing is not to isolate. Start isolating and that's it, I can go from anxiety to deep depression.

Whilst you aren't working, can you volunteer anywhere? Having a role in society really does boost self esteem and helps keep those feelings at bay. Even a couple of hours a couple of days in a charity shop keeps you out there socialising

FairyPrincessk

It is great to hear that your small steps have worked!

It might help to prepare for your appointment ahead of time. I'd suggest making a note of your symptoms, how your anxiety is affecting you day to day and a list of things you would be interested in trying to resolve the anxiety. Your GP is likely to ask some questions, often this comes in the form of a questionaire or rating system where you respond to questions about how you've been feeling for awhile. They'll then use this to decide what action to take, so it is worth being aware of how long the problems have persisted and how severe they have been. You're also within your rights to suggest things you'd like to try. For example, are you happy to try medication, are there any you've been on before that have worked (if you know the dosage even better)?, what about counselling (including group, online and face to face), or bibliotherapy (reading books that can walk you through some steps to feel better, some surgeries have agreements with local libraries where they can 'prescribe' particular books which will be set aside for you to collect) The treatments on offer vary significantly unfortunately, so I'd suggest going in open to trying one of several things.

Going in with this information should help you feel equipped to express how you're feeling and what you'd like to do about it, which usually helps. If you don't get any help or feel your appointment didn't offer the support you need then ask to see another gp. Alternatively, you can also research the other surgeries local to you and see if any of them have onsite mental health facilities. These are rare, but it means counselling staff visit the site on particular days of the week and you're more likely to get counselling quickly at one of these surgeries.

This website is useful:
http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/GP/LocationSearch/4