Meal planning is a lot of work, and most of the time I can’t manage to eat three meals a day. I sometimes buy a big box of energy bars and eat them for breakfast, but most of the time my breakfast is coffee. Is that healthy? Ehhh. I’ve lived to middle age like this.

My life is additionally complicated by a peanut butter ban in my workplace, so I generally substitute cashew or almond butter for the peanut butter.

Shopping list

• Cooking oil

• Soy sauce

• Sesame oil

• Hummus

• Tofu

• Coconut milk

• Ramen/Instant Noodles

• Instant rice

• Rice noodles

• Onions

• Garlic

• Chilies (any kind, though I’m partial to Thai bird’s eye chilis)

• Curry powder or berbere

• Chickpeas

• Lentils

• Nut butter

• Pasta noodles

• Pasta sauce

• Tortilla wraps

• Chocolate chips

• Sugar or maple syrup

• Vegetables (pre-diced cabbage and whatever else you want, either fresh or frozen)

• Potato

• Bagged salad

• Salad dressing

• Various condiments of your choice, but maybe you already have these

Weekly Menu

Monday Lunch: Hummus with crackers or carrots Dinner: Ramen with various vegetables, soy sauce, and sesame oil Dessert: Peanut butter balls with chickpeas, which you can eat as a snack or breakfast throughout the rest of the week

Tuesday Lunch: Bagged salad with dressing Dinner: Pasta with tomato sauce

Wednesday Lunch: Leftover pasta Dinner: Apocalypse ramen

Thursday Lunch: Hummus wrap Dinner: Lentils in a pot with berbere or curry powder. You can use chickpeas instead if you don’t want to buy two types of beans. Make enough for tomorrow.

Friday Lunch: Leftover lentils in a pot Dinner: Rice with fresh or frozen vegetables (chop a bit of extra vegetables)

Saturday Hey, you got up in time for breakfast! Go you!: Peanut butter balls with chickpeas Lunch: Tanzanian braised cabbage served over instant rice (save some of the cabbage!) Dinner: Baked potato with garlic and oil (make 2 and save one for tomorrow morning)

Sunday Brunch: Bubble and squeak Dinner: Cheater chana masala served over instant rice (make enough for some lunches next week)