How to make life easier with menu planning

Part of my quest for a simpler and more intentional life includes quite a bit of planning. I find that if I can organise some things in my life it means I can be more impulsive with others. I also like the reassuring comfort that comes from knowing what to expect and having a plan in place. So when you are thrown a curve ball that might threaten to derail your week, at least some part of it is within your control.

The daily pressure of finding something to cook can be a lot for many people to cope with and it's especially true of those of us with families and children. I am not going to say women, because it's just as likely to be men who are doing the cooking. But particularly if you are working long hours or having to travel to and from work, add to that the odd picky child and it can be a tad stressful!

My three kids are 15, 14 and 7 years old and have very different tastes and expectations for meals. So to make life easier I discovered that menu planning was the perfect way to go. Each week I plan the menu for the following week, write it down and stick it on the fridge. Everyone knows what to expect and I no longer have the endless questions of "what's for dinner" or find myself becoming a short order chef as each person decides that they want something different to the others.

I am a trained cordon bleu chef (I trained at a famous cookery school just outside London) and spent many years first working as a chef and then as an international event manager, where my culinary training was vital in planning menus for complex important events. Many of them were crucial to the success of the companies I worked for and a dodgy menu would be the make or break of an event. So menu planning has been part of my life from the age of 18 and although I no longer plan menus for hundreds of delegates coming from all over the world and expecting to have their tastes, cultures and specific diets catered for, I still use that knowledge and experience in my day to day life.

I thought I would share my tips for menu planning to get you started on the journey and make it seem like a less daunting task than it needs to be.

These are some of the little tricks I use to make life easier with a spot of menu planning:

Create a Weekly Menu

Plan your meals for the week ahead. Include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Try to do this the weekend before. Take some time to sit down quietly with something inspiring such as a favourite cookery book, a cooking website or a few magazines that contain recipes. Don't rush it, take your time and consider each day carefully making sure you don't duplicate meals too much. I usually do this on a Friday evening or Saturday and then head out to do my shopping for the week.

Consider Dietary Needs

Take into account any dietary restrictions or preferences when planning your meals. This can also include foods that we simply don't like. You don't have to eat things that you absolutely hate. Eating should be fun and one of life's simple pleasures, not a horrible chore. Or maybe you have someone in the family with an allergy in which case be careful with your planning!

Make a Shopping List

Once you have your menu planned, create a shopping list with all the ingredients you need for the week. Don't forget to check your store cupboard for staples before buying them again. Top tip: don't go food shopping on an empty stomach. I promise you it always ends up with a trip down the cookie aisle!

Preparation can make cooking so much easier and faster.

Prepare Ahead

Prepare ingredients in advance, such as chopping vegetables or marinating meats, to save time during the week. If there are complete that you can prepare then go ahead and do it when you are relaxed and have the time such as at the weekend. Take a few calm hours to get ahead. Your future self will thank you for it when you are feeling a little pressured during the week.

Practice Batch Cooking

I love batch cooking! I always prepare more than I need to of every meal and freeze some food in individual portions so that I can just pull it out of the freezer and reheat when I am in a rush. It's a clever way of having ready meals without going and buying the ones that are full of additives, salt and are ultra processed.

Use Leftovers

Plan to repurpose leftovers into new meals to reduce food waste and save time on cooking. In my house very little is thrown away. I usually find some way of turning leftovers into another meal. After a little practice no-one will even know that you are doing that! Well done, you!

Stay Flexible

Be open to making adjustments to your menu plan based on your schedule or unexpected events. This also means being a little more French or Italian when you are shopping. French women are very good at going to a market seeing the most delicious and best quality seasonal products and using them in that weeks meals. We can all learn a little from that and by being more flexible if we see something that is at it's best and in season we can easily add it to our menu for the week.

Seasonal eating is an important part of the Nordic diet

Consider seasonal eating

We can do this when planning ahead. But allow yourself to be flexible when you arrive at the supermarket or market. Be like the French and choose the freshest and nicest looking ingredients. No self respecting French woman would buy something that wasn't completely fresh and at it's best.

And finally my gift to you is my own menu that I use every single week. Click here to download it or print it straight from your screen.

It's time to grab a few cookery books, get a cup of your favourite hot drink and let's get planning.