Try Saving Dinner. Leann Ely lets you customize if you want to. It does not provide the food, just the menus, recipes, and shopping list for the week.

And, from Saving Dinner I learned how to do a stir fry, soup, or salad using leftovers, however much or little was left.

It's pretty easy to use leftovers...

What does she want exactly? Maybe I'm confused. Is she wanting just the recipe that uses the leftovers from a previous meal? The site allrecipes lets you put the main ingredient into the search box...

She would like a meal plan and shopping list that minimizes food waste. It would have you prep a package of chicken breasts(pork chop, ground beef) that would be used in 2 meals. It would also have you buy produce that would then be used in a few separate meals.

She would prefer to eat a different meal with the same ingredients if that makes sense. I agree when she says we make pulled pork and are so tired of it by the time we finish it.

Ex, when I would make pulled pork, one night with the leftovers I made a BBQ pizza. It was supposed to be made with chicken but I subbed in the pork. Totally different meal and a different way to eat the meat.

Some of the issue is that her DH works from home, so he probably really gets tired of eating the leftovers for a few meals.

This is not the answer to the question you asked, but I wanted to chime in as someone who tested meal services and was frustrated, like you, because there are only two of us. My new favorite is Munchery. They have some meal kits, but mostly their menu is of prepared entrees. You still have to order ahead, but you don't have to join so you don't have to remember to cancel meals. One entree is enough for both of us although we usually supplement it with a salad or vegetable. Mostly, I cook from scratch, but it's fun to try new flavors without having to buy a bunch of one-use spices. And, sometimes, I just want to know that a meal will be ready for us if I know I will be working late. They don't come packaged with cooling bricks (much more ecologically friendly), but you can leave a cooler out and they will put the food in it.

Bpathome, thanks for the Saving Dinner site! I'm off to check it out.

It is just DH and I. I cook most nights and immediately freeze leftovers. I also buy some individually packaged things to avoid food waste. For instance, Costco has individual servings of organic hummus that last a month or more. I also buy a lot of fresh spinach because it is versatile and lasts much longer than lettuce.

I put everything we won't finish in a day or two in the freezer. If I buy a good loaf of crusty bread for dinner, I put half in the freezer after dinner. If the bakery has cookies on sale, I'll leave a few out and put the rest in small portions in zip locks in the freezer. When DH smokes an entire pork shoulder for pulled pork, we eat it for a night or two then package it up for the freezer.

So, I would tell her not to worry so much about rationing ingredients. Cook what they want, put the leftovers in the freezer. Eventually they will have a nice supply of things for the nights that they don't want to cook.

d_gw has a good plan. I'm just cooking for myself and there are some dishes, like pot roast, where it's about impossible to cook one portion. I actually love leftovers, both from a labor-saving and taste perspective. The trick is not to try too many nights in a row of the same thing. Deadly. So I usually give myself one or two nights of leftovers and then freeze the rest in meal-size portions. It works out great.

BTW, I know many don't like side-by-side fridges, but I love that my freezer space has lots of shelves, including on the door (no water/ice dispenser) and it's very easy to organize and keep track of all my frozen food.

I am guessing she is young! As she accumulates more recipes, she will learn how to use leftovers and extras. I mean, who uses an entire onion for a meal most of the time? We all learn to adjust and adapt. I would get her a couple cookbooks and also suggest she just google recipes that use what she has on hand! It should be fun and she will end up being a versatile and creative cook. She is halfway there if she says she is looking for a site that suggests chicken one night and tortillas with chicken another! That is all anyone does really.

Well, to me it's more a case of logical thinking rather than have someone else do the thinking for you...example..roast a chicken..leftovers can be chicken sandwiches. Chop and freeze the leftovers. Then chicken divan. then Chicken Salad. That's how they need to think...

She just needs to keep a few staples in her pantry to come up with a meal.

(Actually, he should be in charge of the meals if he's working from home.)

My mom keeps asking how I like cooking now that it is two vs the five. I say I cook like I always did. Now I just I freeze half and most times the second time we have it--a week or two later there is still enough for DH to take to work for lunch. It also reduces the nights I have to COOK and reduces the stress when planning meals. I plan and shop for a week at a time. For those of us that have been cooking for years "its easy to use left overs". For those exhausted after work, just learning..well I remember those days too. I wonder what would happen if she put some major ingredients into google..what recipes would come up? She could pick two for beef, two for chicken...Pork roast becomes pulled pork three days later. Spaghetti sauce becomes Cavatini...Crock pot Brisket and vegis makes a great Reuben later, summers baked chicken one night is a fabulous chicken salad another especially if you get those fabulous salad bag mixes. I have only seen the advertisements for the companies you are wanting critiques on. I do have a friend who does the "cooking once a week" thing..spends all day Saturday cooking and those food plans do as your daughter is asking. I bet there are some cook books out there by now that focus on that sort of cooking.

I told DH that when our youngest graduates from HS in 2 years I am retiring from my job, one of which is cooking for the family! He rolled his eyes at me ;-)

Have your DD google sustainable cooking. Lots of links to choose from.

This is probably not the advice you are looking for but as a household of two i often get annoyed when the smallest pack of meat i find is big enough for 6 people. But, I suggest she invest in a food saver or other vacuum packing machine. I love mine. She can freeze the meat she doesnt use for a later date. Also, I have found individually portioned and vacuumed packed chicken breasts available.(They come in a bag or box of 6 or 7) I have seen them at WalMart and Publix. I keep them in the freezer and pull out one or two as i need them.

I agree that as she cooks more and more, she will devise yummy ways of using those leftovers.

Lots of recipes freeze well. I make spaghetti and other pastas, brisket in the crock pot, soups and stews. Each individually portioned. I also make HUGE batches of things like rice for SOs breakfast, purple hull peas and creamed corn, as well as mac and cheese. I divide them into individual portions(I use the 4 oz ziploc plastic tupperware type things) and freeze. Fry up a porkchop and grab one of each side dish, make a pan of cornbread and dinners is done.

I'm in the same situation as Bunnyfoof. Eat, freeze, thaw, repeat (a week or 2 later). I almost always have leftovers in the freezer -- mostly chicken (yum).

6-8 weeks ago I made a big pot of chili. First time I made the spice mix from scratch. It made for a beautiful color BTW. But when all was said and done, I thought it was a little unexceptional for all the work. So I froze most of it in small portions and decided I probably wouldn't make that recipe again. Well, something magical happened to that meh chili in the freezer and I have enjoyed it immensely as a simple-to-thaw dinner. I suppose there's something to be said for not having to cook and still getting home-cooking.

I really enjoy Blue Apron. We alternate between Blue Apron, Plated, and Marley Spoon (the Martha Stewart service) depending upon which has the better recipes. There is no waste, the recipes are very adventurous and it is convenient b/c we don't have to go to the store.

Just two of us here too. Fortunately, we have a big garden and raise our own beef, chicken and sometimes pork. I can have it packaged however I want, choosing roasts and steaks in packages for two people.

I agree that a foodsaver might be very useful, then large packages can be broken down into smaller portions and frozen until needed. However, if items are going to be used within a few weeks, it's far more cost effective to freeze in freezer containers or ziplock bags.

I also find that making a weekly menu helps, so that I know what to buy and what I'm going to do with leftovers or additional ingredients. I haven't found online menus to be helpful because I'm picky, so I never like the things they want me to make or eat. So, I'll figure on roasting a chicken on Monday, knowing that will be a night when I have time, and then have chicken pot pie on Wednesday, or chicken sandwiches for lunch on Tuesday with chicken noodle soup on Thursday. Things like muffins, breads, cookies, even pancakes and waffles freeze well. A crockpot full of beans can be bean burritos on Tuesday then become beans and rice or baked beans later that week, and if you plan a menu you'll know which ingredients need to be used for more than a single meal.

Good luck to your DD, I'm happy that she's cooking instead of just ordering pizza!

Annie

You all have given me a lot of ideas, esp Pillog. I will direct her to this thread. I think part of the issue is that neither one are very adventurous eaters so they are looking for something to push them out of their safe little box.

In addition, they are blending both of their families usual childhood meals together. I don't care for spaghetti, that was a meal we never had as a child. Unfortunately my DH ate it all the time and was rarely served it by me.

Keep the ideas coming!

RN, when I got married I didn't know beans about cooking. When our oldest was 7, he asked "Mom, are we having chicken or fish with the rice and peas tonight?" Because that was pretty much what I made. Unless it was pasta. Funny, because I'd made all his baby food from scratch from the farmer's market.

I tried Saving Dinner, and it, well, saved dinner. It was more adventurous than I was used to, but not TOO much! I learned how to make things, I took more interest in techniques and such. Even my husband noticed; he's a creative cook, but didn't have time in those days.

My kids became more adventurous. (Well, DS#1 was always an adventurous eater, DS#2 was picky, but they both appreciated the new menus, one sooner than the other lol) One night I made braised kale, thinking there was no way the kids would like it, but they did! We developed a rating system, "how many smileys would you give this dinner?" And I was surprised at their discernment.

Now that we are down from 4 to 2 or 3, and DH is working from home instead of the office, he is doing more cooking, and I kind of miss it. I miss going to my little grocery with my list, coming home and knowing exactly what I was going to make for the coming week, using up everything I'd bought, and never being without an essential ingredient.

I subscribed for 7 years! There are other such systems out there, I don't know anything about them. I think Plated is sold at my local chain grocery, but I haven't tried it. Saving Dinner has had some changed since I last subscribed, it may be even more accommodating than back then.

Another benefit to me was that I started reading a The Joy of Cooking that my mom had given me. I used to be intimidated by it, so thick! But it has so much good information on selecting, storing, and preparing produce, meat, etc. and easy recipes; I always thought it was super complicated, but it isn't. I've marked mine up with notes about how easy something is, what sauce it's good with, and so on.

When my oldest moved to his first apartment, I gave him a small binder with just a few favorite, easy, and easy-but-impressive recipes, and some tips (like how to know when the butter is ready in the saucepan). You could do that for your DD. I know my son makes some of them, and he's added his own.

Sorry if this was already mentioned. Have her look at eMeals.com. It used to be $5 a month, and they'd give you a menu plan and a shopping list, and it did exactly what she wants. They'd have you use, say, 1/2 lb of ground beef and save the rest for another night. They have lots of dietary options, veg or gluten free or low carb, etc., and you can specify how many you're feeding.

I never actually used it, because we eat meatless, and I felt like they relied a bit too much on "fake" meat substitutes. But if I remember, they offer a free trial.

MTA: They also give cooking instructions.

I'm one person.

I used to cook up a whole chicken on Sundays, break it apart, eat some, and add the chicken to various preps to take to work for 2 or three days the following work week. Ie, chicken served as a cold salad with greens and whatever veggies looked good at the store/farmer's market. Chicken done as an Asian stir fry which I'd nuke there. Chicken added to a more Western prep.... and so forth. I'd assemble these all on Sunday and store them in the fridge; they'd be good through Thursday (and I'd make sure it wasn't chicken 4 days in a row...)Same principle for other forms of protein. This kind of thing could be adapted for dinners, too. Cooked salmon with lemon and whatever sauce strikes ones fancy, the leftovers in a salad. Swap out the veggies -- maybe asparagus (garlic, butter, tarragon) with the pork one night, asparagus (perhaps with parmesean cheese sprinkles) with the salmon another, ratatouile with the pork the next, and then with chicken on the fourth.

Like you, I seldom want the exact same thing night after night (or day after day). It will just take some adjusting to, to find the best focus that works for you....

This is an interesting thread. There are only two in my household as well and I've learned a few things reading your comments. I never learned to cook for only two. I cook big because I like having leftovers. Once I'm tired of eating it I will freeze whatever is left over. I never liked making a list and following it for a whole week. I'd rather shop more often because when it's Monday I don't know that I will be hungry for _______ on Thursday. Luckily my grocery store is not more than two minutes from my house. But I do agree with the others that time and practice is going to help a lot!

Thanks for the reminder of Saving Dinner. Years back I followed the website for awhile and discovered some incredible recipes, several I still use fairly often. Think that I dropped off when we remodeled our kitchen, Off to sign back up.

Wow, lots of great information for you RNMom! I love that you're taking the time exploring what's out there to see what will work with your kids and to help -- cause that's what moms do best:) My daughter has been with her husband for about two years; if I were to guess what was one of the biggest "adulting" (don't you just love these words?) constants was What's for Dinner? Oh, and we have to carve out time to buy it? In Boston? Oh, and what do you mean we don't have that (fill in the blank) in the cupboard? Oh, and you mean that meat really isn't good on the seventh day? Oh, zucchini actually turns into mush if kept too long? You get the idea.

She actually has a blog and wrote about her "meal prep staples." I'll snip her ideas here as it's a younger voice and may resonate with your kids a bit (not that we oldies (ME!) don't) Both she and her husband are professionals, Boston (driving is lunacy and serious TIME!!!!!!), long hours, both have food issues (LOW FODMAP , dairy allergy), he long distance runs, she runs, yoga, etc. etc. I guess what I'm saying is it will work, it evolves, and keeps progressing. I'm going to share that Saving Dinner website with her and some of these other ideas. Here is what she's worked out for now:

"Shop on Friday // Don't be afraid of ordering: My first
tip is that my husband and I have switched to 1) shopping on Friday
night (if we don't have any other obligations) or 2) using Insta-cart
for grocery delivery. I've actually always LOVED grocery shopping, but
I've come to terms in the past couple of months that some weeks, it just
isn't an efficient use of my time (I have a lot of other things I'd
much rather be working on than battling my way through Whole Foods). ....

Must-haves: I also wanted to share my absolute
meal-prep must-haves each week that reduce my cooking time. This doesn't
include my pantry staples that we always have on hand such as flours,
sugars, spices, almond milks, etc. but I always keep these items in my
freezer/fridge and can easily make a quick meal at any point during the
week. Keeping these items in the fridge makes for an efficient
meal-prep!

• Frozen sweet potatoes (I pick these up at Whole Foods)
• Frozen peas, spinach, and carrots
• Baby potatoes
• Organic broccoli or brussel sprouts
• Shredded broccoli slaw & shredded carrots
• Pre-cut peppers from the chop shop at Whole Foods
• Organic eggs
• One
  protein for the week (we usually do either organic chicken, organic
  pork, or salmon), a lot of times we will freeze and de-thaw when needed
• One sauce (typically tahini or hummus)
• In-season fruit - we always pick up bananas and clementines, but have been subbing in strawberries in recent weeks
• Organic brown rice

Spend a couple hours to set yourself up: In all
honesty, my meal prep for the week is NEVER more than a couple of hours,
and I find that allocating this time pays dividends during the week. In
those couple of hours I roast veggies (usually sweet potatoes,
broccoli, and brussel sprouts), make a quick broccoli slaw, prep a quick
sauce (tahini or hummus), throw rice in the rice-maker, and roast or
cook the protein for the week. I never look forward to prepping food by
any means, but I find that if I put on a good podcast and zone out, I'm
actually really efficient and have food ready to go for the week. My
husband also loves to cook, so between the two of us we divide and
conquer.

If you're feeling really crazy, plan for a mid-week meal: One
area that I really struggle in is planning far enough ahead so that
when I shop for groceries on Friday, I'm picking up ingredients for a
mid-week dinner. One tip that's helped me out is to buy some frozen
meats on Thrive. That way, the only additional items I need to pick up
are veggies/starches.

Her last sentence:)" Is this always a perfect formula for every week? Of course not. There's
a lot of weeks where I'm not prepared, or not super excited by the food
I'm eating. But that's ok - it's all a learning process!"

Maybe some of that will resonate with your kids, RNMom. I know that money, time, enjoyment are all individual variables to take into consideration. BTW, I have no idea what Thrive is LOL! The other thing that I know that they do is some batch cooking on weekends, she eats tons of salads and does sheet pan meals. Maybe some of those ideas will help. Good luck!

CathyinSWPA

One last thing: When we were in Boston, my SIL and I made a Blue Apron meal together. While it was delicious, it really took a bit of time (I feel fairly adept in the kitchen), a lot of clean up for the amount of food it made for some active adults. It just wasn't a good fit for them, but may work for yours.

I remember clearly the first couple of years, 1989. No internet but with my first real address I received OrganicGardening and Food&Wine mags.

A roasted whole chicken with a turkey breast in the same roasting pan using the heat and made meals and sandwiches for a couple days and some freezer meals and stock. A mid week pork tenderloin made a nice meal and then another few meals by adding sauces for tacos and more sandwiches...

We bought an Atlas and made our own pasta. Then batches of tom sauce for chili and pasta dishes...lots of hearty soups, and learned bread making. We loved exploring together learning new cooking methods and recipe trial and error....that has not changed 30yrs later.

Learning a few basics,... chicken, pork, beef, ...goes on for miles in food education and personal likes/-dis/likes. Using cheaper cuts/proteins for experiments. And on a tight budget.

We were always big on salads and greens but more so now eating less meat. Just smaller portions.

You really do have to figure out what works for you. I think the food boxes are a huge waste of money. One of my sisters uses it and it is perfect for her. She says it has saved her money and stopped her from stopping at fast food.

DH and I are both pretty good at keeping a pantry and making multiple meals a few times a week so we have something ready the next night. We also eat a lot of salads with protein so that is easy to throw together.

We are parents of adult kids so we've had a long time to figure it out. When I was young I was clueless because really good, healthy meals just appeared until I was out on my own and once I had kids I figured tomato soup, grilled cheese and yogurt was probably not going to make me mother of the year!

It is nice that your kids are thinking of a way to have meals without doing takeout all the time!