How to Food Plan Without the Stress

I used to live in Barcelona, in a neighbourhood full of life where I was always just a few minutes away from whatever I needed; fresh bread, fruit, oat milk, chocolate... you name it.

Grocery shopping was spontaneous. I'd pick things up on my way home, or if I needed something, I'd pop into the corner shop and grab it, and somehow, I always had what I needed without much effort.

Then, I moved to the UK, just outside a small village, and things look a little different. The nearest supermarket is a 15-minute drive, the local shops have limited hours, and gone are the days of popping out for “just one thing.” It’s not as simple as deciding what I feel like eating at 6 pm and picking it up on the way home.

It took a while to adjust. At first, I kept forgetting things, or I’d run out of ingredients halfway through the week. And when there’s no backup plan, no easy meal to fall back on, you start grabbing whatever you can find. Often it’s not what you really want, and it leaves you feeling unsatisfied. Or you skip meals altogether and end up raiding the kitchen later — not because you're hungry, but because nothing you've eaten has really hit the spot.

When we don’t organise ourselves with food, especially when our access is limited, we end up eating in a way that’s less nourishing, less enjoyable, and way more stressful.

But here’s the good news: with a few simple tools, you can food plan without stress, and even feel grounded.

Here’s how I’ve adapted my old “city style” shopping habits to my new rural reality, and how you can do the same, whether you live in a remote village or just want to make food feel less chaotic.

My top tips for planning food without stress when you don’t have shops nearby:

1. Keep a running shopping list on your phone. Add things as soon as they run out. Don’t rely on memory. If you live with others, share the list so everyone can contribute.

2. Plan without overplanning. You don’t need a detailed meal plan, but having a rough idea of what you’ll eat over the next few days makes a big difference. Think: what do I enjoy eating? What’s quick and comforting? What do I need to make those meals happen?

3. Create your own ‘quick shop’ cheat sheet. Use this template to build your go-to list for express supermarket runs:

Category	Example	Your Go-To Ideas
Ready meals/convenient options	Chilled pasta meal, frozen pizza
Grains & breads	Brown rice, oats, wraps
Protein/dairy	Tinned lentils, eggs, yoghurt
Fruit & veg (fresh/frozen/tinned)	Bananas, frozen broccoli, chopped salad
Snacks & flavour	Nuts, juice, curry paste, dark chocolate

Keep it in your notes app so it’s always with you. It helps when you're tired and standing in the supermarket, not knowing what to buy.

4. Stock up on ‘emergency meals ’. Think: canned soups, legumes, jars of passata, frozen veg, rice, eggs, and anything you can turn into a meal when you don’t feel like cooking.

5. Use your freezer like a second pantry. Bread, leftovers, cooked beans, overripe fruit for smoothies... freeze what you can to avoid waste and last-minute panics.

6. Cook double when you can. If you’re making something like stew, curry, or soup, make extra and freeze it. Your future self will thank you.

7. Check your fridge before you shop. Before heading out, take a quick look. What’s left? What needs to be used? What days will you be home late or too tired to cook? Let that guide your shop.

8. Remember: simple doesn’t mean boring. Some of the most satisfying meals are the easiest ones: scrambled eggs on toast, soup with bread, a loaded salad, fruit with yoghurt and seeds. Don't underestimate them.

A few questions to ask yourself:

• Is your current shopping style making your life easier or harder?

• What do you believe about “convenience” foods? Are those beliefs helping or hindering you?

• Can you offer yourself some compassion when you’re reaching for something easy instead of something homemade?

Food doesn’t have to be perfect to be nourishing. And planning ahead doesn’t mean controlling every bite, it just means creating some space for ease, variety, and the kind of food that actually leaves you feeling fed, not just full.

Let me know if you’d like a printable version of the shopping list or if you'd like to share your own go-to quick meals — I always love new ideas!

Happy shopping!

Laura