Plans your weekly meals and eliminate waste

Follow a weekly menu to eat healthier and waste less food 

When we’ve got a hectic schedule or just had a busy day, the last thing we want to do is think about and prepare a meal for the next day. Right?  

So, what we tend to do is open the fridge, pick out four basic ingredients and throw together something that doesn’t take long to cook. So what’s the problem? Well, two things. Firstly, we end up eating less healthily. And secondly, we don’t keep track of sell-by-dates and some food ends up in the bin rather than on our plate.   

So what’s the solution? It’s as simple as planning our meals for the week, otherwise known as batch cooking. This can help you waste less food, reduce your shopping bill, claw back a little time for yourself and your loved ones and, of course, enjoy easy dishes that taste as good as they did the day they were made.  

Leak-proof containers to keep food fresh 

Before you start planning your weekly menus, make sure that you have enough containers to store your meals in the fridge. We always recommend opting for glass containers. They keep food fresher, don’t alter the flavour and prevent food from becoming contaminated with BPA, a toxin present in some plastic containers and other products (don’t worry – all our containers and lids are BPA-free). Look after your health and the planet!  

We’re not ones to brag, but… our IKEA 365+ food containers are the ideal solution. They come in a range of different sizes, and because they can be used in both the oven and the fridge, they cut down on the number of containers you need. Oh! And they’re suitable for use in the microwave and dishwasher too. They’re perfect! 

Say goodbye to disorganisation and food waste and hello to healthy and delicious food all week long.  

Plan your meals and make your money go further 

If you want to reduce your food waste, we recommend you pick a day of the week to plan what you’re going to eat and cook for the week ahead. Focus on planning your dinners, which can be more complicated, and leave more flexibility for lunches.  

You don’t need to make all your dinners for the week in one go, especially if you don’t have a lot of space in your fridge. Even if you just make two or three at a time, you’ll notice a big difference in how much time you spend and how much food you throw away.  

A word of advice: if you have a large household or want to plan a little further ahead, cook dishes in bulk and store portions in the freezer (make your life easier and use stackable food containers). This is a great idea if you buy large quantities of meat or fish. It prevents uncooked portions being left in the fridge for days and potentially going bad. Otherwise, it’s always a good idea to buy by weight (especially if you’re just cooking for yourself) so you can be sure that you only buy as much as you need. You’ll save money and eat just as well! 

Weekly packed lunch menu 

Another benefit of meal planning is that it makes it easier to prepare meals to eat away from home, whether you’re lunching in the office or just having a picnic. And there’s no excuse for not eating healthily! 

Opt for a lunch box with inserts to prevent different dishes from mixing. Then pop everything in a cool bag to keep it perfectly fresh (you can add an ice pack to keep things extra cool and make them last even longer) and you’re ready to go!  

Less waste, better sorted 

By planning your meals and adopting more sustainable habits, you’ll also be reducing unnecessary waste, which has some added benefits. Such as? Well, if you buy by weight, you can use your own mesh bags rather than traditional plastic ones. Or you could make a vegetable or meat broth using vegetable peelings or leftover bones. That way, you’ll make use of every last scrap! 

However, nothing’s perfect and we know that it’s impossible to eliminate waste altogether (we wish!). What we can do is sort our rubbish so that it takes up less room and make sure that we recycle it properly.  

If you have the space, set aside a lower drawer for a waste sorting solution. Fit in as much as you can! We’ve opted for the waste sorting solutions from our HÅLLBAR series. And if you use a pull-out drawer, you’ll save even more space. 

Grow your own food! 

When you’re trying to reduce your shopping bill, every little helps. So, why not eat something from your own garden?  

Growing food is a great hobby because not only does it save you some money, it also helps you to eat more healthily and lets you experience the wonderful world of gardening. And if you have kids, they’ll love helping out! 

Did you know? Organic waste (like fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds etc.) make the perfect fertiliser for your urban garden. You just need to turn it into compost first. All you’ll need is a well-ventilated container (with a lid to trap that strong fermentation odour), a dark place to put it, some sawdust and your food scraps. Watch out though! Not all food waste can be composted. Avoid products that could spoil, such as dairy products, juice, meat and fish scraps and products that could contain toxins, like coloured paper.