Meal planning tips

VfM4meplse

elliesmemory1 wrote: »

I need to plan my meals better. Both to save money and eat more healthy and lose weight.
Im a vegetarian and live alone. I have a small freezer and a slow cooker.
Im fairly busy with work and when i get in im often to tired to cook and end up eating junk.
Id like to lose a stone and save money. Any tips please

I'm in the same position as you - but with a standard-sized freezer and no slow cooker (because I wouldn't use it). Soup is your friend, so batch cook it and freeze in takeaway sized containers. I take one out in the morning to defrost and find it does me for a couple of nights, with some bread / couscous / bulgar wheat / quinoa.

When I want to lose weight I find that going for a walk in the evening is a good alternative to eating dinner. Although on those occasions I do make sure I have something filling as a late lunch. If you take a route that passes a supermarket at the right time in the evening, you can often find YS items in the f&v (recommended) and bakery sections (not a such good idea if you're looking to lose weight, 5 jam donuts for 30p is usually an offer I can't pass up on!), so that can help with other meals. I generally always have baby spinach, salad leaves and chopped / spiralised carrots , hummus and wraps in the fridge so making something edible with them is super-quick. Max out on the carrot if you wish to feel full quickly.

I'm lazy in the kitchen and see no shame in eating cereal as an evening meal if I need one. Perversely I love entertaining at weekends, tend to make big meals to be shared "home-style" so again can graze on leftovers for a couple of nights at the start of the week before I need to consider diving into the freezer.

Prinzessilein

I am omni - but I often eat veggie (I was veggie for a while)...but a few basic ideas are easily worked around for any choice of diet...

Firstly...I would make a list of food you like to eat,,,healthy food is only going to do you good if you actually eat it!

Then see how these can be adapted to be healthier...less saturated fat in the cooking , lots of fibre, plenty of veggie protein and a helping of 'good' carbs.

If you like lentils then they are a great boon! Just as omnis batch cook mince, you can batch cook lentils in a tomato and onion sauce (in the slowcooker!)...freeze in individual portions and you just defrost, adjust seasoning and heat...add some fresh herbs and you have a pasta sauce...lots of black pepper and some nutmeg and you have the base for a shepherdess pie, just top with mash (which can be frozen too)...add some chilli and tinned beans and a chilli topping for rice/baked potato is yours for the eating!

Keep some good quality veggie sausages and burgers in the freezer...home made veggie burgers perhaps? (I admit I have yet to home make a decent veggie banger...burgers and rissoles I can manage)

A jar of peanut butter is great for quick snacks when you come in starving...not just on toast, but as a dip for apple slices or carrot and celery sticks....and I always have baked beans (small pots) on the shelf.

Cheese is really useful, but I know that I can eat FAR too much in one sitting...so it can be grated, packed in individual portions and frozen. (Try not to buy ready grated as this is generally MUCH more expensive)

For a quick breakfast-in-a-hurry then soak a portion of oats overnight - in water/milk/nutmilk/juice and then in the morning it just needs a little fruit adding (grated apple...frozen berries...raisins...sliced banana)...and maybe a pinch of cinnamon.

Hopeless_Case

Some great advice already given

Planning is vital, and I agree about bulk cooking on your days off, and I'd say keep it simple, build up a list of basic regular meals which you love, which helps when you're meal planning and your mind goes blank, and avoid recipes which are too elaborate or full of expensive (or calorific!) ingredients. I make vegetable soups, and I'm happy to have that for lunch every day for a week, or it freezes well depending on how much room you have in your freezer

Humous is also a life-saver for me, can be a quick snack on a cracker, lovely in a salad or salad-filled pitta, or on a jacket potato

Bulk-cook jacket potatoes, saves power and then they are easily reheated and can be jazzed up with quite simple fillings

Alexxaa

i do shopping once a month, if it would be hard to take all to your place try once in two weeks, on weekends you could find some low prices