I don't do meal planning (am generally too impulsive, and DH's schedule is unpredictable so I don't always know in advance when and how many I am cooking for) but have had to develop a few tactics to prevent that sinking feeling when faced with a hungry baby and provisions totalling half a bag of dried chickpeas (prep time 24 hrs), one lemon and a tin of curry powder. Actually my tactics all echo some of what Fibernie says above! 1. keep staples and shortcuts in the storecupboard and freezer. For me it's pasta, rice, tins (chopped tomatoes, sardines, haricot beans), frozen peas/sweetcorn/green beans, fishfingers, frozen pizza base with tomato sauce already on. If I've got at least a few of those in, then I know I can knock some kind of meal together even if it's a bit basic or nursery style. 2. cook double quantities of mince, pasta sauce, fish pie filling etc whenever possible and freeze one lot for a later date. 3. get fruit and veg delivered once a week - so I know that's one time when I'll have potatoes, carrots, apples, bananas etc in the house even if I haven't been shopping. Our box scheme delivers eggs too which helps. 4. make lunch low-effort whenever you can - here it's usually bread-based plus whatever's in the fridge. Then I only have to think about actually cooking one meal a day, and try to factor in some leftovers potential to that meal to make the next day's lunch or supper easier (e.g. roasted/grilled veg, cold pasta for pasta salad/bake, potatoes that can be mashed for fishcakes, cold meat... etc). So really what it boils down to is always having staple things on my shopping list, and thinking one day ahead in terms of quantities and leftovers for re-use.