KIVELLA / THE PRACTICAL KITCHEN
Meal planning for one
Give every portion a place. This example covers five weekday dinners and two lunches with four cooking sessions.
| Meal slot | Meal | Cook now | Extra portion goes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon dinner | Spinach and pea pasta | 2 portions | Tuesday lunch |
| Tue lunch | Reserved pasta | — | — |
| Tue dinner | Chickpea, tomato and pepper skillet | 2 portions | Wednesday lunch |
| Wed lunch | Reserved chickpea skillet | — | — |
| Wed dinner | Spinach omelette with toast | 1 portion | — |
| Thu dinner | Tofu and vegetable rice bowl | 2 portions | Friday dinner |
| Fri dinner | Reserved rice bowl | — | — |
Plan the opened ingredients
| Ingredient | Total | Destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Spinach | 300 g | 100 g pasta + 100 g omelette + 100 g rice bowls |
| Peppers / capsicums | 3 | 2 chickpea skillet + 1 rice bowls |
| Frozen peas | 200 g | 100 g pasta + 100 g rice bowls |
| Onions | 2 | 1 chickpea skillet + 1 rice bowls |
This is a planning example, not a tested recipe collection or a complete daily eating plan. Use complete recipes and adjust quantities to your appetite and needs. Add breakfasts, other lunches, snacks, seasonings, sides and any missing ingredients.
Put storage in the plan
Cook on the day shown. Cool and refrigerate or freeze reserved portions promptly. NSW Food Authority advises storage within 2 hours, a fridge below 5°C, refrigerated leftovers within 3 days, and cooked rice or pasta within 2 days. Correct handling and reheating still matter.
Source: NSW Food Authority — Leftovers. Follow the food's label and relevant local guidance.
KIVELLA / YOUR WEEK
Your portion planner
Week beginning: __________________
Meal slots to cover: ______
| Meal slot | Recipe / meal | Portions cooked | Extra portion / storage plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 |
Buy only the shortfall
| Ingredient | Needed | Usable stock | To buy | Pack surplus goes to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
- Cross out meals away from home before choosing recipes.
- Total the portions: one reserved lunch is one meal slot.
- Review the plan when an evening or ingredient changes.
What I will change next week: