I’m not a nutritionist or a dietitian—but I am organised, and I know what I’m doing in the kitchen!
We’ve all seen diet and health trends explode online, month after month, year after year. But when are we going to pause and realise that eating well isn’t about the latest superfood or fad—it’s about connecting to the food itself. It’s about building time into our week to plan, shop, and cook.
From my own health journey, I quickly realised that while doctors, nutritionists, and health experts were great at diagnosing the problem, no one was there to help me achieve the solution. No one guided me through how to make it happen in the kitchen.
Let’s get one thing straight:
Cooking for yourself doesn’t start when you open the fridge at 7pm.
It doesn’t start when you’re stuck in traffic thinking about dinner.
It starts—a couple of days earlier—when you carve out time to plan how you’re going to feed yourself and your family for the week ahead.
Cooking itself isn’t what takes the most time. What does take energy is everything that comes before the cooking: finding inspiration, planning, shopping, unpacking, and setting up. This is where I believe many people struggle—not because they can’t cook, but because they haven’t put the right systems in place. Systems that make home cooking feel easy, convenient, and low-waste.
So, what are my biggest tips in this department?
1. Don’t ‘Meal Plan’… Make a Weekly Plan
The last thing I want is to eat the same lunch or dinner every day. I don’t meal prep, but I do make sure multiple meals come out of my kitchen whenever I cook.
If I’m chopping veg or roasting something, you can bet I’m thinking about tomorrow’s lunch while I’m at it.
That way, even when I’m on the fly, there’s always something nourishing and ready to go.
2. How I Plan My Week (Real-Life Case Study)
👩🍳 Head Chef: Suzie
👥 People eating: 2
🏠 Nights eating at home: 5
🥪 Packed lunches: 1–2 per day
You can do this on a Sunday or Monday—whatever suits your rhythm. Start by answering those questions above, then jot down 5 or 6 dinner ideas.
Why only 5 if I’m home all week?
Because I know between store cupboard staples, leftovers, and a well-stocked freezer, I can whip up a 6th or 7th meal without extra shopping. It reduces food waste and gives me flexibility when plans change.
3. Shop Once!
I can’t stress this enough. My local supermarket is just a 10-minute walk away—I could go daily. But doing that? Exhausting.
That’s when decision fatigue sets in. You’re hungry, tired, and tempted by convenience.
Shopping once at the start of the week changes everything.
Now, instead of choosing between 100 items in the supermarket, I’m choosing between 4 meals at home. It’s calmer, quicker, and way more enjoyable.
4. Clean Your Fridge
“Won’t it all go off by the end of the week if I shop on Sunday?”
Not if your fridge is clean!
If you toss a fresh carrot into a drawer where a mouldy one just lived—it’ll spoil faster.
Your fridge should be the cleanest place in your house. It holds your most perishable goods, so treat it with care.
There are foods that don’t last all week. Spinach loves to wilt overnight! So I use it in the first day or two. If I buy fish, I eat it early in the week, and move toward hardier ingredients later.
Want more fridge tips?
👉 Join my Live Workshop on Monday 13th May, where I’ll show you how to store your veg so it lasts all week.
5. Organise Your Kitchen
Your kitchen is the heart of your home—and like any heart, it needs care.
Just like you carve out time to move your body or look after your mind, keeping your kitchen organised is a worthwhile ritual.
Here’s what I do:
Pop on a podcast
Wash all the fruit and veg
Wipe down the fridge
Unpack everything properly
Tidy the dry goods cupboard as I go
Why? Because when I know exactly what I’ve got and where it is, it inspires me. That half-used jar of lentils? Suddenly I’m thinking, ooh, I’ll make a curry tomorrow.
This weekly reset isn’t a chore anymore. It’s hands-on, calming, and deeply satisfying—and it sets me up for success all week.
Want to see how I do it in real life?
Join me live on Tuesday 13th May for a relaxed cook-along, where we’ll whip up a weeknight special together.
It’s all about winding down while setting yourself up.
Feeling curious and ready to learn more?
Head over to my website and book in for a free 1-hour discovery call to see how I can help you become Head Chef in your own kitchen.
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