Make A Meal Plan

Safefood

Planning can really help you have healthy meals and snacks no matter how busy things get. Here are six ways to make planning part of your weekly schedule:

1. Give yourself time to plan

Set aside time each week to make a meal plan. Keep to it each week. Once you get into the habit of planning, you will need less time. This will save you time in the supermarket and probably reduce food waste too. Think about:

  • How many meals you need to prepare for the week
  • When you need to make quick meals or prepare them in advance

2. Check what you have

Before you start, check what ingredients you already have in your cupboard, fridge or freezer. This may even give you some recipe inspiration. For example, if you have eggs you could make an omelette. Use up vegetables with a stir-fry.

3. Make it fun with favourites

  • Make a go-to list of meals that you and your family enjoy
  • Introduce new recipes when you have extra time, and if it’s a hit add it to your favourites.
  • Get the kids involved and ask them what they would like to eat. Kids are more likely to eat meals that they have helped to plan.
  • Try a themed night, for example Mexican Monday, Italian Tuesday, Fishy Fridays or Something New Saturday.

4. Use up your leftovers

  • Plan meals that can be refrigerated and heated up or eaten cold the next day such as pasta bake, soup, shepherd’s pie, curry, lasagne or beef stew.
  • Use leftover vegetables in an omelette, soup or salad, or add leftover meat to a curry or stir-fry.
  • Remember leftovers stored in the fridge must be used within three days.

5. Cook in bulk

  • Cook extra and refrigerate or freeze the leftovers. Pies, curries, stews and casseroles all freeze well.
  • If you are using the oven, think about what else you can cook at the same time. If you are doing a casserole, you could cook some chicken breasts to go in sandwiches.

6. Make your ingredients work

  • Chose recipes that use the same key ingredients to save time and money by reducing the amount of food you need to buy.
  • Introduce variety by picking 2-3 main vegetables and adding them to a meat, pasta or fish dish. For example, peppers, broccoli and sweetcorn can be added to a beef stir-fry but can also be used to make a vegetable pasta bake or served with meat or fish.

Useful resources

Do you want to eat in a way that helps you reach your ideal weight, gives you boundless...
This course will provide you with the basic nutrition knowledge and practical tools...
Taste Buds is a resource that helps children aged 8 to 11 enjoy learning about the...
The Quick Fit programme offers positive steps to improve your health through diet and...
This course is aimed at pharmacists and aims to explain the science behind the different...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
This course will provide you with the basic knowledge to help you adopt a healthier and...
Your Work Ready dietitian will visit your organisation. They will ask what you want, see...
Are you often too tired to cook? Not organised enough to have breakfast and lunch sorted...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
This course would be of particular use to health professionals and students wanting to...
We will enrich your events with food demos, health and nutrition check-ups, competitions...
Here at Vital Nutrition, we work with schools all over Northern Ireland to help inspire...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
Vital Nutrition offers a complete range of corporate health and workplace wellbeing...
This course provides caterers, food service providers and catering students with the...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
MediaWise is a FREE media literacy resource, designed by primary school teachers and...
Certified by the AfN. This course is for those who already have a basic knowledge of...
Fun, fast food for less. This is a practical six-week nutrition programme aimed at...
This course is aimed at practice nurses and aims to explain the science behind the...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
This course is about eating well and keeping healthy if you’re staying at home more since...
Your dietitian will look at any food and drink provision for staff including: canteen or...
Cancer Focus NI, Keeping Well vans are mobile drop-in units which bring health checks,...
Vital Nutrition’s Healthy Shift Workers workshop provides employees with a practical plan...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
This course will provide you with some information about sport and exercise nutrition –...
BDA will enrich your events with food demos, health and nutrition check-ups, competitions...
Vital Nutrition’s Jane McClenaghan is known for her down-to-earth, practical approach to...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
Fat is an essential nutrient in our diet but may often be thought about negatively and...
We will enrich your events with food demos, health and nutrition check-ups, competitions...
Vital Nutrition specialises in developing bespoke, tailor made nutritional programmes to...
Certified by the AfN. This course is for those with an interest in nutrition and would be...
Cancer Focus NI can provide a wide range of presentations to meet the needs of your...
This course is for midwives and aims to explain the science behind the different types of...
We all have good and bad days but what and when we eat can influence our mood, energy,...
Nutrition scanner
Develop healthier eating habits, be more active, and get on track to start losing weight...
Our free Easy Meals app is a great way to eat foods that are healthier for you. You’ll...
Food diary, exercise tracker and diet coach
Use this calculator to check your body mass index (BMI) and find out if you are a healthy weight. Or, use it to check your child's BMI centile.