Meal Planning for Supported Living

Meal planning helps people who draw on care and support to enjoy greater choice, freedom, and independence with their food.

By planning just 4-5 meals each week, you can simplify shopping, cooking, and ensure that meals are enjoyable and nutritious, while also managing budgets effectively.

Meal Planning Top Tips!

 

1. Empower Choosing 4-5 Meals For The Week Ahead 

Encourage the person you support to sit with you and choose 4-5 meals they genuinely enjoy – there’s no need to plan every meal!

Using picture cards, recipe folders, or visual planners can help make choosing meals easier and more enjoyable.

Remember, meal planning does not remove the person’s right to making spontaneous choices each day around their meals. Instead, it helps to really empower them to have meals ready that reflect their preferred tastes.

2. See What’s Already in the Kitchen

Support the person to actively check their fridge, freezer, and cupboards for ingredients that could inspire meals. Knowing what’s already available helps them feel empowered, guides shopping, and reduces waste.

Use stickers or markers to highlight items close to their use-by dates, moving these items forward so they’re used first.

 

3. Plan Meals Using Similar Ingredients

Empower the person you support to explore meals by considering ingredients they already have. Creating meals with similar ingredients can make budgets stretch further and ensures fresh ingredients are fully used before spoiling. For example, think about how many delicious dishes can be created using mince, onions, and tins of tomatoes!

4. Be Smart with Leftovers

If the person you support has leftovers, encourage them to use them for a tasty lunch the next day or freeze extra portions for future meals. See our Leftovers Guide for tips on safely storing and reheating meals. Always remember to cool meals within 90 minutes if planning to store them.

Oliver’s Top Tip: ‘Planning meals for the week ahead is a great way to save money. It means that you won’t buy more than you need and you only need to go to the shops once a week!’

Safety and Nutrition Check

  • Ensure planned meals match any special dietary needs.

  • Plan balanced meals: Many people who draw on social care face difficult health inequalities. Help to consider how the meals that are planned are both nutritious and delicious. Promote the overall meal plan for the week offering a healthy, balanced diet.

Why Meal Planning Matters

  • Choice and Freedom: Meal planning empowers people to actively choose meals they genuinely enjoy, enhancing their sense of control and satisfaction.

  • Saves Money: By having a clear shopping list for the week ahead, we can avoid the supermarket tricks that encourage impulse buying and excess shopping. The average UK household wastes around £1,000 a year in food waste.

  • Saves Time: Makes shopping quicker and cooking decisions easier throughout the week.

  • Supports Independence: Provides clear routines, building confidence and promoting everyday decision-making.

  • Supports Online Shopping: Visiting supermarkets can be challenging and inaccessible for some people who draw on social care. Clear meal plans mean that you can define exactly what needs to be bought, helping you to schedule easy food deliveries.

  • Supports Care Deliverer: Meal planning helps coordinate cooking and shopping with support worker shifts, making care more efficient and person-centred.

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