5 nights of waste-free family meals
Cut down on food waste and make a week of tasty family meals using our handy five-day recipe plan. These budget-friendly dinners will make busy school nights a breeze.
With increasing awareness around food sustainability, packaging and sell-by dates, reducing our food waste has never seemed so important.
There's not much more frustrating than buying expensive or unusual ingredients only to partially use them in a recipe before forgetting about them in the back of the fridge. So, avoid disappointment by following our easy meal plan and shopping list for a week of no-waste suppers.
From nourishing soup to hearty vegetable curry, these five simple but scrumptious recipes make the most of affordable ingredients and use up any leftovers, so you'll be fully prepared for the week ahead.
For more ways to make your food go further, check out our collections of budget recipes, freezable recipes and five ingredients or less recipes.
Monday – Green chowder with prawns
Start the week on a healthy high with this verdant vegetable blend, topped with prawns. By blitzing part of the soup and reserving the remaining chunky veg to pour back in after, you'll maintain an interesting texture.
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Tuesday – Carbonara with chicken
Traditionally, carbonara is made without cream - all you need are eggs and cheese to create a beautifully creamy hollandaise-style sauce. Our version of this simple and speedy pasta dish includes chicken which balances well with salty pancetta strips. With just 5 mins prep time, it will be a saviour on busy weeknights. Serve with a crisp green salad.
Wednesday – Classic meatloaf with tomato sauce
Try something different and treat the family to this satisfying savoury bake. Combine beef mince with breadcrumbs to make a thrifty and filling supper which can easily be divided into portions. The accompanying homemade tomato sauce is a healthier (and cheaper) alternative to shop-bought packets, and you can save the leftovers for Friday's feast. Wrap any remaining meatloaf and use it as a sandwich filling for a lunchbox the next day.
Classic meatloaf with tomato sauce
Thursday – Potato, pea & egg curry rotis
Curries are always a crowd-pleaser and this colourful veg-packed version is sure to impress. Although seemingly an unusual combination, adding hard-boiled eggs to curry provides a great alternative protein source to meat. Serve with cooling yogurt and warm rotis to mop up the fragrant sauce.
Friday – Dough balls with garlic butter & tomato sauce
Friday is fun day! And what better way to celebrate the end of the week, than baking a batch of fluffy dough balls with pizza-style toppings on the side? There's little more enticing than the smell of freshly baked bread, so you shouldn't have any trouble summoning people to the table. Once out of the oven, brush the dough balls with homemade garlic butter and let them soak up the delicious juices. Serve with leftover tomato sauce from the meatloaf, alongside crudités and cured meats.
Dough balls with garlic butter
Find more ways to reduce your food waste:
How to reduce food packaging waste
One week of low-waste family meals
Leftovers recipes: How to use up commonly wasted ingredients
How to freeze food
Freezable batch-cook recipes
How to safely reheat leftovers
Do you have any tips for cutting down on food waste? Leave a comment below.
