Make best use of your energy and time as well as your ingredients – think about what else you can make or what you might be able to cook extra of whilst you’re cooking tea one night.

Can you cook extra rice, pasta, potatoes, grains, pulses, meat, fish or veg that will make another meal quicker and easier or that combined with bits and pieces from another couple of days will make up a couple of lunches?

Can you double the quantity of a meal so that you can put some in the freezer for another week or so that you can turn what’s left into lunch the next day?

Can you cook a potato or other items in the oven for lunch the next day or the day after whilst you’ve got it on for tea?

Can you cook a pudding or bake some muffins for snacks?

How about breakfast? Could you make enough overnight oats, for example, to last two days?

Meal planning will really help make this easier. If you’re struggling with your meal planning and working out what to eat with what you’ve got available, drop me a line.