Structuring the week

In store, items are cleverly arranged to make you walk back and forward to get a good look at all those things you really don’t need. Take a look at these eight sneaky tricks supermarkets don’t want you to know.

Thanks to the wonder of comparison websites it’s all been made very easy. Sites like My Supermarket Compare make it easy to which supermarket can give you the best price on certain products.

One of the best ways to plan your week of food in terms of purchases and prep is by making a five or seven-day meal plan. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: smart meal planning is one of the simplest and most effective ways of saving money on food. Not only will your pocket go further, but by planning your meals ahead you’ll avoid unnecessary trips to the shops, save time in the kitchen and cut down on food waste.

Before we go into why HelloFresh is such a great way to all of this, here are some sample family meal plans HelloFresh suggest on their easy-to-use website:

Family-Friendly Menu

Not only are these recipes great meal ideas, they can be delivered straight to your door in the exact amounts required to make: so HelloFresh have your meals, delivery and waste covered!

Why HelloFresh is a great option

HelloFresh family food delivery eliminates the hassle by delivering family-fresh meals the entire family will love to your doorstep. A fresh family food box may be the money and time-saving solution you are looking for. HelloFresh's family food box puts your family at the centre, with delicious meal ideas for the family, as well as family-friendly recipes everyone will love.

You and your family can choose from a flexible weekly meal plan and menu, making meal planning ideas for families easy HelloFresh deliver pre-portioned ingredients (meaning less food waste) and step-by-step family-friendly recipes to your doorstep Discover the joy of home cooked meals your kids will love and the benefits of a time-saving weekly family meal plan with kids meal boxes.

Whether you’re already subscribed and you’re looking for this week’s HelloFresh menu or you’re considering ordering HelloFresh meals for the first time and want to check out what’s on the menu, you’ll find it.

From a high-protein meal plan to a vegetarian diet, or even if you're a health-conscious parent requiring nutritious meals for little ones, HelloFresh have an affordable range of plans that cater to your individual needs Take a look at the HelloFresh meals list below to start building your weekly menu.

Want to cook your kids’ food from scratch but don't think you have the time? Think again! HelloFresh will deliver everything you need to create delicious meals for kids with fresh, quality ingredients and step-by-step recipes No need for shopping nor planning: HelloFresh's healthy family meals saves you valuable time every week

Storing and preserving food

If your cupboards and pantry are in a big mess, invest in clear boxes of various sizes to help you get organised You can spend quite a lot on storage boxes if you look online, but I found some in Asda that are excellent value for just a few pounds each

Consider purchasing some adjustable storage racks to give you an extra shelf in your cupboard – or stepped shelves – so that you can see what’s at the back more easily

The big advantage of sorting out your kitchen store cupboards is that you will reduce food waste. This is good for your bank balance and the planet WRAP estimates that in the UK alone we “throw away 6 6 million tonnes of household food waste a year… almost three quarters is food we could have eaten”

You need to know what you have and which items need using first I suggest doing a food audit to get you started. Go through your fridge, bread bin, freezer, larder and anywhere else you store food and note down exactly what is in there.

Once you have done your audit, you can make a shopping list of what you really need and not buy duplicates of items already lurking I find that facing the expensive impulse purchases I have made in the past helps me avoid making the same mistakes

Once you have done your audit, you can make a shopping list of what you really need and not buy duplicates of items already lurking.

I find that facing the expensive impulse purchases I have made in the past helps me avoid making the same mistakes

Keep a memo board or chalkboard on the wall to write an ongoing shopping list This way you won’t forget what you need to buy.

Whilst you are sorting your food stores, go through all of the other drawers and cupboards to see what is taking up space unnecessarily Dust off the slow cooker and start using it!

The same with your air fryer and pressure cooker. All provide energy efficient ways to cook that will save you money

Vertical plate bowl racks can help to keep your cupboards tidy and allow you to fit more in.

Decluttering your kitchen equipment and utensils means you are more likely to get regular use from them Sell or donate those you are never going to use.

Getting organised in the kitchen will help you save money on food, but knowing where everything is will save you time too and prevent food waste.

Meal planning & Cooking Tips

Another way to use the provisions you already have and avoid buying too much food is to plan your meals. Spend 10 minutes the evening before I go to the supermarket meal planning. It is a good idea to take into account what is going to be happening during the week ahead. For example, there is no point deciding on a casserole on an evening when time is short.

I invested in a magnetic planner for this task, which is situated on the fridge door, but a piece of paper on your wall will do the job as well.

HelloFresh only send you exactly what you need to cook your recipes so there is never any worry of forgotten vegetables hiding at the bottom of your fridge door. To get the most out of your box, and to help your veg go that extra mile, HelloFresh chefs have shared their top tips for making sure all the fresh produce in your kitchen is put to good use!

HelloFresh source your ingredients directly from the producer and deliver to your home without any detours. Your recipe box comes with premeasured ingredients which helps to avoid food waste. This shorter supply chain means we avoid packaging and repackaging along the way. As a result, your HelloFresh meals create 25%* fewer carbon emissions than the same meals made from supermarket ingredients. Learn more about our Life Cycle Assessment Study

*On a global average; national levels differ.

Five Essential Kitchen Rules

Whether you’re trying a new recipe, a quick and easy dinner favourite or improvising on your own, there are still some golden rules to follow when it comes to cooking:

1. Taste as you go When adding basic seasoning like salt, sugar or pepper, always taste as you go. A good rule for savoury recipes is to add a pinch of salt every time you add new ingredients.

2. Herb time Add dry herbs at the beginning and fresh herbs at the end. Dry herbs take a while to develop their flavour in a dish, while fresh herbs taste best as they are, so stir them in at the end or even after cooking.

3. Prep first It’s no surprise that cleaning, chopping and measuring all of your ingredients before cooking is a smart idea. Keep your prepped ingredients in different bowls or boards so you can access them easily and avoid having to stop and prepare mid-recipe.

4. Add acid If your meal is tasting a little flat, try adding some lemon juice or a splash of vinegar. The sourness will add depth to your meal, competing with bitter flavours and brightening others.

5. Know when not to follow a recipe

Everybody’s oven, stove-top and kitchen appliances are different. If a recipe suggests cooking something for 20 minutes, keep in mind how it should look or smell after (e.g. golden brown) and aim for that instead.

Don’t let your kids determine meals!

HelloFresh have revealed that 45% of parents make more than one evening meal to appease fussy eaters. Fussy kids will refuse to eat two meals a week, while two more are thrown away practically untouched. A survey of 2,000 parents of kids aged four to 16 found three in five consider their child a fussy eater.

Top 20 Foods Fussy Eaters Dislike

19.

The research by the UK’s leading meal kit company revealed that nearly one in two parents feel obliged to cook more than one different meal each night to make sure everyone around the table will eat their dinner... and 60% long for the day when they can cook one meal which everyone in the family is happy to eat. 45% feel they spend more time in the kitchen than needed trying to appease everyone with the meals they want.

Despite these efforts, the average parent will have their child outright refuse to eat two of the meals they prepare each week, and two meals will only be picked at before being thrown away.

Andre Dupin, Head Chef at HelloFresh UK, which commissioned the study, said: “Creating a meal that everyone will enjoy is really important to parents. From our study we see that parents are spending hours making multiple meals in order to feed the whole family and are still met with resistance from fussy eaters.”

Flavour Expert and Food Scientist, Dr Rachel Edwards-Stuart, who consulted HelloFresh UK on flavour profiling and eating habits commented: “How we perceive flavour involves all of the five senses and kids dislike foods based on their taste, look, texture, smell and the sound of eating them. But there are also many environmental factors that influence whether they like or dislike certain foods.”

When it comes to the foods parents find most difficult to get their kids to eat, mushrooms, leeks, onions and cauliflower prove the hardest to slip into their meals.

A third of folks think their child would turn their nose up at anything spicy, while one in four believe their child is resistant to anything on their plate which is green. One in six kids refuse to eat bread unless the crusts have been cut off, and 16 per cent demand their food is separated on the plate so each element doesn’t touch.

Parents surveyed mentioned that picking out ingredients they don’t like is a common occurrence with one in five kids doing this on a regular basis. Three in 10 kids will send a meal back to their parent if it looks a bit burnt.

Parents also utilise techniques in an attempt to try and get their kids eating. A quarter of parents surveyed let their child eat in front of the TV, and two in five will tell them they only have to try a little bit, rather than finishing their entire plate... though 22% will try to disguise the fuss-causing food in a sauce so their child doesn’t even know they are eating it.

To avoid the risk of having to throw an uneaten meal away, two thirds of parents say they stick to a regular menu of meals which they know are guaranteed to please, rather than trying new things at dinner time.