Our food system is a mess

-taff

why are you cooking three different meals? If there is genuinely a need for it, such as gluten intolerance for example, then cook everything the same. If it's kids being picky, there's no reason not to go back to I've cooked it, you'll eat it or go hungry. They won't starve for doing that a few times until they learn. Sounds harsh but you are the adult, not the slave.

Sounds like you need some easy foods to cook, so one pot wonders and tray bakes are the simplest, even the slow cooker. Stews, soups, curries, chillies can be done in one pot, make a spag bog sauce, you need one more pot for pasta...Pasta bakes are quite easy if you throw enough liquid in there to cook the pasta at the same time so you don't have to do it seperately. When I make lasagne I make both of the sauces really runny and don't cook the pasta at all, I just shove it all in. Some chuck it together and see dishes are worth it too. Mince and gravy is an easy one, add veg, or mash or both...

Sounds like you're a bit overwhlemed...Maybe have a word with someone if you need some help?

maman

I'd definitely start working on an inventory for the freezer. Personally I use paper and pencil but you could use a spreadsheet. I list contents under: Meat. Fish, Ready Meals (some HM), fruit and vegetables and then Miscellaneous for bread, ice etc. Then do the same with cupboards. Do the fridge first as the items there are shorter life.

When you've done all that (not all at once), you need to 'shop' from your stocks before making a list of absolutely essential items that go on your shopping list.

I don't know how old your children are but they could help choose meals from what you have in.
I'm sure you'll feel better when you have a plan in place. Good luck. 😊

couteaux79

Hi
I'm home educating my youngest too. How old are your children? I agree with the idea of getting them involved as a bit of an activity if possible. Depending on their age, maybe they could help to come up with some ideas going by the ingredients you find, research recipes etc? It could be a little project that brings in a few subject areas  (I need to take my own advice on that one!!)

I often feel pretty overwhelmed by the amount of food we have and have a total mind blank for meal ideas whilst looking at very full cupboards!  One thing that has helped me is menu planning during quieter times, I have a look at what we have in the fridge/freezer, jot some of the main ingredients down, and then plan out some meals that I can make (big money saver too!) Also cooking extra over the weekend so that I know we have some meals all ready go for the week ahead.
Maybe make a list of the meals you know everyone will eat so that you can reduce the amount of cooking you are doing, at least for a few times a week anyway
Good luck! 

KxMx

Organisation of the freezer can help, into whatever catagories work for you.

We have a tall 5 drawer freezer and from top to bottom the contents are:
Potato items
Meat, portioned out butchers items in a basket and any coated items on the side
Personal food of Mum's
Personal food of mine
Vegetables.

The odd personal item does occasionally get put elsewhere but you get the idea 😉

gettingtheresometime

If it's any help I'll never rival Delia in the kitchen but I find the pinch of nom recipes easy to follow as well as being healthy.

the other thing I'd do is write a menu from which you can create a shopping list of stuff you actually need to cook the meals

elsien

Do you live with a partner? If yes, where’s their input into all of this ? 

Apintplease

GeorgieLou said:

Hello. 
I posted last year and received some really good advice. I ended up getting overwhelmed with lockdown, and all that it brings. 
However, now we seem to be getting past that now, Id really like to pick up again.
The short story is that we are spending far too much, and wasting a lot too. We all end up with different meals. We are trying to save up for a mortgage as well. I can't cook, not really. I used to love it, however that's not the case any more, at all 

Any advice would be so very appreciated. 

First of all, lockdown would overwhelm anyone so dont beat yourself up for starting and stopping

You are now ready to try again - a huge positive

You say you cant cook, but used to to love it, but not now. Why is this do you think? is it because you see the whole food management so huge you just cant face it?

Food management, budgeting and actually cooking are three different skills and just because you haven't got the hang of one, dont let that stop you getting the hang of another. You are a home schooler, you know how to get the best from your children, turn those skills to you

Cooking is just like every other skill you have - it just needs practice and the only way to get that practice is to try. It may go tits up, it may be a success. But you will get more successes with the more tries

Im 57 and have been family cooking for 45 years and I can still !!!!!! it up. I also cooked for a living for 10 years so its not like I haven't had enough practice, but hell I can still !!!!!! it up.

Delia Smith is now seen as a tad old fashioned but that woman can write a recipe, include a list of tools required, right down to the size of a cake tin, and you know that if you follow her to the letter, you will turn out something edible. Even with all my years of experience , I still keep her cook book to hand 

Yes indeed do all the inventories of what you actually have in the house. Split them up - dried goods, tinned goods, herbs and spices, meat, fish, etc - they are your shopping lists

You shop from those, only buying the extra fresh ingredients required

Then pick one dish that the family will all eat - lets say beef mince - then google a Delia mince beef recipe and go for it - even if its Shepherds/ Cottage pie and you have to remove onions say as little one won't eat them, or miss out on Worcestershire sauce because you dont have it, just follow the recipe as best you can for ingredients and to the letter for timings. Just getting that one dish on the table that everyone eats will boost your confidence. Years ago, I used to have to go out one night a week and leave the kids and husband to sort their tea out. The one dish they would all eat was shepherds pie and baked beans and they could heat up the pie in the oven and the beans in the microwave. Shepherds pie was different every week for them, different veg chucked in, sliced potatoes on top instead of mash, turnip and mash topping, different flavourings - more tomatoey one week, a bit of a curry kick another. It was always lapped up.

But I had learned to make mince into a shepherds/ cottage pie first from a cook book. The experimenting came along with confidence and knowing what the family would or wouldn't eat - and time

MrsStepford

When I moved in with husband as a college-trained ex chef and with him being the son of a chef, we thought it would be dead easy. We bought lots of food then couldn't think of anything to cook. an food got wasted at first. 
So I would suggest by starting with listing the things which people won't eat. Then asking what they really like and looking online for recipes for those. Get them involved, so it doesn't all fall on your shoulders. 
If you end up with lots of  unused veggies, four things work well - frittata, pot au feu, bubble & squeak and soup. 
A slow cooker and a soupmaker are brilliant gadgets. 
Roasts are pretty simple and leftovers can be used for sandwiches or salad with pickles. 
If you buy yellow-sticker stuff, it's really best to buy actual stuff like meat and veg not  chips and chocolate mousse because too much of that stuff ups blood glucose and can lead to diabetes. 

SootySweep1

Hi
I'm guilty of going to the butcher / being in the supermarket and thinking that looks nice / is cheap taking home & putting in the freezer and end up with a full freezer.
I try to look in the freezer close to the end of the week & plan some meals for the following week & buy necessary ingredients.
Jen