Reverse Meal Planning

Pyxis

I had to google gyoza! Japanese dumplings? 

I like those.

Bluegreen143

I’ve sat and read this thread over the last day! Loads of inspiration. Hope it’s ok to join in

I actually have a meal plan “structure” stuck to my fridge (Monday soup for lunch, pasta for dinner for example - but the actual soup and pasta can vary). Which has the advantage of taking away some of the thinking stress I have around mealplanning (I’ve got two very young children so sometimes it’s a scramble getting all the meals on the table on time!). But I feel the need to go off plan more and more as I definitely agree the forward planning/more rigid method makes it easier to waste food. 

Like many of you we get veg and fruit boxes delivered (in our case it’s from a local greengrocer) so I really need to have that flexibility to use up the produce. We don’t always get notice of what we will receive either (we used to pre lockdown though you can’t swap items ad hoc but they are very stretched now understandably). 

I just find it’s such a project trying to get four varied, balanced and nutritious meals out every day at set times - the kids (1.5 and 4.5) have quite a set routine and we all eat as a family, so we eat breakfast about 8, lunch by 12, an afternoon snack (often just for the kids) at 3.30ish, dinner has to be on the table by 6. I keep thinking that some perfect meal plan must exist to make it easy but I don’t think it does!

Baileys_Babe

The perfect meal plan, the nirvana for all parents

joedenise

I think your meal plan "structure" is probably the best you can get at the moment Bluegreen.  It's flexible enough to use up the fruit and veg you get and set enough for you to know roughly what you're going to make so cuts down the thinking and stress.

There's only DH and I now so I write our meal plan partly with what I've got in the freezer plus whatever we might buy when we go shopping.  I type it out on the PC and print it so I can stick it up on the fridge so DH know what we'll be having so he doesn't need to ask and I also don't have to think about it every day!  I just check it at the end of the day to see what I need to get out of the freezer for the next day and on shopping day I check what I need to buy that isn't already in the freezer.

rtandon27

Finally got around to making the chicken mushroom & leek pot pie! - YUM!!! - and two portions for freezer meals. Used up all our mushrooms and all but one monster leek!

Bluegreen - we too have a weekly structure & also some fail-safe recipes that we make over and over again when not feeling creative or are pressed for time. Roughly our weekly dinner theme is...
Meat Free Monday - the day I convince OH that vegetarian is delicious
Fish & Veg on Tuesday
Pork, Veg & potatoes on Weds
Thursday used to be take-away but at the moment it's become our day for being adventurous
Friday has turned into fake-away Pizza night - often with a store-bought crust - and a big salad on the side
Saturday is usually when we CBA so end up eating bits of this & that or make a use it up stir-fry
Sunday - roast something with veg
...then we rinse & repeat 😁

Baileys_Babe

In our house, once a week we have 'no food' what this means is we use up leftovers, those half portions, tiny scraps to clear out the fridge. If there isn't enough we have single portions of homemade meals in the freezer. Usually, everyone has something different and everyone is happy. Bonus no waste.

Bluegreen143

Thanks everyone! I think you’re right, I do like the structure, it maybe just needs tweaked a bit. I did have everything from breakfasts etc included but actually I find I vary the other meals more depending if I’ve made a fresh loaf etc. I think I’m going to keep the structured plan for dinners and just have a list of ideas for breakfast and lunch.

After much experimentation I’ve at least nailed the afternoon snack, and just alternate. First day I’ll give them something sweet home baked from the freezer or toast & jam with fruit, veg, maybe some nuts/seeds for the big one. And the next day a more savoury picky plate with cheese, hummus or egg and crackers/oatcakes/bread and of course fruit and veg. 

Sometimes the fruit is homemade puree/compote (the toddler can be a bit picky with fruit and the preschooler, who will eat all fruit, likes it pureed too occasionally despite it being a bit babyish!). Great way of emptying the fruit bowl before the next fruit box is delivered. Even better is to use the purée to make ice lollies. I actually made HM lollies today with the juice of satsumas that weren’t terribly nice to eat so that saved a bit of waste

candygirl

I've just done a rough meal plan, by looking in the freezer n cupboards. It's unreal that I've potentially got 40 meals in the mix😯😯😯

natlie

Hi
I'm new to this thread, but its just fascinating. I suppose we already do this but could be better at it. I am vegan, My children are all veggie and my husband eats fish so mealtimes can be awkward sometimes (most of the time they just eat what I make). Last night I used up all the sad parsnips in the fridge on a Sunday roast, we had veggie sausages with it. 

I have loads of pasta from a bulk order pre-lockdown and lots of vegan pesto so there's a few meals I have a full freezer and store cupboard and lots of onions, carrots, potatoes and pulses and cauliflower, salad stuff and peppers. We don't really eat dessert. Going to try not to shop this week except for bread, cheese and milk. 
Nat

greenbee

I've had a week off from veg boxes to try to run down the fridge (not something I'd have contemplated earlier in lockdown!) as I've been struggling with fatigue and as a result not using everything up. I need to tidy the freezers and have a sort out, as Boris's announcement of 'bubbles' means that my mum is coming to stay . So I will be feeding two of us instead of one, and while I'm low-carb, she isn't (which means I can use up some of the carbs ) but she is low-fodmap, so need to check what not to feed her. As I'm still reliant on veg boxes and the milkman, I will need to make lists of what I've got and then meal plan when the veg box arrives (although they're getting better about sticking with what they plan to put in it now).