If you’ve ever planned out the week’s meals only to have your child decide they hate their once-favourite food, or you’re hit by last-minute schedule changes, you’re not alone. Love Food Hate Waste NZ has some simple tips to save us.
About 90 percent of New Zealanders say they meal plan in some way, yet we still waste $2.9 billion worth of food every year. That’s a lot of money—especially for families trying to stretch their grocery budget at the moment.
But meal planning doesn’t have to be rigid or stressful. Love Food Hate Waste NZ has some ideas to make meal planning work for real families with real challenges—whether it’s fussy eaters, unexpected changes in schedules, or simply a lack of time. Their Four Simple Steps to Smarter Meal Planning can help make mealtime smoother, reduce stress, and save money—all while cutting food waste.
The 4 Simple Steps to Meal Planning Success
1. Check Your Week
Why it’s important: Life with kids is unpredictable. Sports practice, playdates, school events, or a surprise invitation can throw a wrench into dinner plans. Before you plan your meals, check your family’s schedule to avoid food going to waste.
How to do it:
- Mark busy nights and choose super simple meals or leftovers for those days.
- Plan flexible meals that can shift if plans change.
- Get kids involved—ask them what nights they might want their favourites!
2. Check What You’ve Got
Why it’s important: Before heading to the supermarket, take stock of what’s already in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. This helps use up ingredients before they expire and avoids double-buying.
How to do it:
- Make a quick list of foods that need to be eaten soon.
- Plan meals around these ingredients.
- Get creative—turn wilting veggies into soups, smoothies, or pasta sauces.
3. Choose Your Meals
Why it’s important: Picking meals in advance helps reduce waste and take the stress out of midweek cooking. Plus, it means fewer impulse purchases at the supermarket!
How to do it:
- Plan meals with flexibility—swap sides or proteins based on what’s available.
- Include at least one ‘leftover-friendly’ meal, like a stir-fry, frittata, or pasta.
- Consider meal kits or planning apps to help take the guesswork out of what to cook.
- Let kids have a say! If they help choose, they’re more likely to eat without fuss.
4. Create Your List
Why it’s important: Shopping with a list helps keep you on track, saves money, and prevents waste.
How to do it:
- Organise your list by sections (produce, dairy, pantry, etc.) to make shopping faster.
- Involve kids—give them a small job like finding certain items.
- Stick to your list, but allow for swaps if something’s on sale or out of stock.
Making meal planning work for families
Let’s be honest—kids can be unpredictable when it comes to food. One day they love carrots, the next they won’t touch them.
Here are some extra tips for dealing with fussy eaters and family meal challenges:
- Get them involved – Let kids pick one meal a week or help with food prep.
- Make food fun – Try “build-your-own” meals like tacos, wraps, or DIY pizzas.
- Keep meals simple – Choose recipes that are easy to modify (e.g., serving pasta plain for one child while adding sauce for others).
- Use theme nights – Taco Tuesday or Breakfast-for-Dinner Night keeps kids excited about mealtime.
- Batch cook when you can – Having a backup meal in the freezer can be a lifesaver when plans change.
Other meal planning resources for Kiwis
To help families make meal planning a habit, Love Food Hate Waste NZ has a new free Money Saver Meal Planner and has collated resources and links to useful tools too.
By following these four simple steps, families can save money, reduce stress, and cut down on food waste. It’s a win for your wallet, a win for your time, and a win for the planet!
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