Weekly shopping do you make menus for the week?

We don’t shop but rely on a weekly delivery, and so I have been forced to plan meals weekly in advance in order to have the ingredients that I need and no waste. I would rather do as I used to (in the “olden days”). Much rather be spontaneous ie chaotic, and try out new things.

* Monica* I totally agree however having worked in a voluntary role with young people and in a secondary school I realised that cooking from scratch in the home is a rare thing now.

Our children are fortunate that they have had this foundation but it’s becoming a rarity.

Our son of 26 is temporarily living with us, he’s just sat down to a lunch of homemade bread, pate and soup.
He takes it for granted, my SIL however was fed on take aways and ready meals, he is blown away by our daughters culinary expertise and care.

I have always decided what we are going to eat on which day before shopping for food. It’s easy, especially as we have always tended to eat the same dishes most weeks. It means you only order what you need so there’s virtually no waste and you save money too. I’ve tried to encourage my grown up children to do this too.

maryrose54

I have some idea what we will be having, but change it if I have something that needs using up. Always have basis for a meal in freezer and fridge so go from that.

Exactly the same as us.

Can't think a week in advance. I do a daily dish of a combination of what's in the fridge/freezer and what's needing used up and what I fancy. Always worked so far.

Always do a meal plan for the week. It is flexible and the days can be swapped around. Less waste and no having to think each day.

I've planned weekly menus since the lockdown and become more focused on keeping my essentials stocked up in cupboards, fridge and freezer for that purpose. I think I only projected myself forward a few days at a time and was probably far more spontaneous when life was normal and supermarket shopping wasn't the mission it is now.

We are lucky to have a Co-op in the village, but its range is limited and is fine for basics, but if your missing ingredient is mushrooms or a spice or herb, ithen it is 5 miles to the supermarket.

For environemental reasons, I try to keep journeys to a minimum, so it is plan amd shop once, while also going to the bank, one or two other shops and having a haircut in one journey.

Never know what we are going to have a week in advance. I make sure that there are staples in the freezer that we can defrost if we want them - pasta sauces, chilli, curry, fresh pasta, minced meat, stewing steak, fish - to either reheat or use to make whatever we fancy.

Our main shop (about once every three weeks) is almost the same each time, just a few different things added like kippers, or smoked haddock to make kedgeree, or a particular cheese we fancy. Once a week we add in more fresh veg and fruit, bread, and anything else we might want.

Very little gets wasted - lots gets made into meals/sauces/soups and frozen.

I plan for two weeks in advance. Since this lockdown we've had a weekly supermarket delivery as I'm shielding. I have to reserve a delivery date two weeks ahead so start by putting the essentials into the basket, and then decide on what we're eating that week. My husband is very organised and has made up a spreadsheet with a list of over 30 meals that we love and the week we last ate that particular meal. I therefore can see what we've eaten and when, so we don't have the same things too regularly. We eat very healthily and there's hardly any food wastage at all. I must say that I'm looking forward to wandering round a supermarket getting inspiration for meals, but this works very well at the moment. Tonight it's sea bream.

Yes, I've done it for years. I started when I was trying to lose weight as it helped knowing what I was going to eat every day. Make most meals from scratch.

Mind you I have to write down what I've decided to cook as I forget. My OH laughs when I look at my list and say "ooh that will be nice" as if it's a complete surprise!

No I don't plan ahead - I keep a well-stocked larder, fridge/freezer and decide on the day, or sometimes the night before at the earliest.

It's Wednesday today - I don't know what I'll fancy to eat on Friday!

I do batch-cook so can usually predict that during the week will have a fish pie, chicken traybake, veg curry, whatever, plus anything that I've bought from the deli/M&S on impulse.

Oh, I do love food!

No, never, I’d die of boredom. I like to think in the morning what do I want tonight, and get it out of the fridge or freezer if necessary. The only exception is fish, which I will cook on the day or day after I go shopping (once a week). I do batch cook, and use fresh vegetables though, so I’ve always got plenty of choice. We don’t waste much at all as I live with a 24 year old son.

Used to when children were all here....so sensible!
I keep meaning to restart as it saves time effort and cash. Currently using up frozen leftovers anyhow as when I do casseroles or similar it seems I have yet to do a two person portion but a huge family one, that means we eat too much and there’s enough for a second round.

Yes we do plan the meals before doing the main shop of the week. Sometimes they are changed if we then don't fancy it that day and any ingredients are planned into something else of necessary the following week, or whatever. Since we started doing this our meals are generally more varied as we have got into trying lots of new things.

Yes, but it’s reasonably flexible, the days may be swapped about. We have fresh vegetables with dinner most evenings, a mix of online delivery and farm shop, almost never a pudding.

Spreadsheet a great idea twinnytwin. I am usually the most disorganised person, but have been learning fast since lockdown, so will start on the spreadsheet poste-haste!

I plan a lot more than I used to, usually at least 3 days ahead.
I started planning much more at the beginning of the first lockdown, when supermarket shelves were often empty of so many things. We’d never had deliveries and the slots were like gold dust then.

I would go through cupboards, fridge and (small) freezer, working out what I could concoct for the next few days with what I had - I quite enjoyed being inventive and using up all sorts.

I have a list of recipes posted on the fridge that I fancy for the coming week, some old favourites and some new ones. But I don’t decide till the morning what we’ll actually have that day.
I have a weekly delivery from Morrison’s supplemented with deliveries of fresh fish from a local fishmonger.
The freezer and store cupboards are well stocked and so we can be flexible.
Nothing gets wasted except for the odd few vegetables and they go on the compost heap.

Like several others I've become more organised since the first lockdown in order to limit trips to supermarket. But I suspect I will revert back to more erratic shopping when it's safe to do so.

I do a weekly online shop but use our excellent butcher for meat and local farm shop for fresh veg. I don't meal plan but know what meat or fish I'm using and have a well stocked larder and freezer so I can ring the changes. I do cook everything from scratch, OH makes our bread and I really hate to waste anything. If I'm short on ideas and need to use something up I'll often pop the ingredients on the internet and look for a suitable menu.

DH and I eat low carb as much as possible. So yes I do write weekly menus and shop accordingly.

No I never have done, I look in the cupboard or the fridge on the day about an hour before I m ready to eat and decide on something or other ( I don’t eat meat so there’s no defrosting needed) I don’t have recipes either I just put some ingredients that I like together bibbity bobbity boo
If I made a menu how would you know what you would fancy on the day

No as I buy the basics of fruit, veg, fish and meat (for DH) depending what is on offer that week. Staples such as tea etc. go on my shopping list as and when.

Meals are what I fancy cooking within some dietary guidelines for diabetic husband. We quite often have spicy food, pasta with sauce, vegetarian meals, stews depending on the weather. Salad stuff also plays a part on a weekly basis.

At the age of 18 I gradually taught myself how to cook from a selection of mainly Mediterranean cook books and later Indian foodstuffs. I rarely waste food and quite often cook double potions to freeze and eat later.

Now and then I wish I was more adventurous but budgetary constraints usually prevents me from greater experimentation. Occasionally I treat DH to a well matured steak whilst I sup on salmon. He’s not a fish lover so I find I cook for him and if I don’t fancy his meaty meals I use fish as quick food with salad.

We do have homemade boiled fruit cake when I’m in the mood. I don’t think I’ll be menu planning anytime soon.

No, would hate to think I had to have fish on such n such a day.
Spag bol on another, roast on another.

I just go with the flow, but then there's only myself to please, unless gc or dd are coming to dine.