'What's for dinner? Here’s How I Make Dinner Easy (Even With Food Intolerances)

Flexible and feel-good recipes made for modern family life

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Have you ever found yourself staring into the fridge or cupboard at the end of the day, thinking: What’s for dinner?

A food consultancy client of mine (half-jokingly) says this is the hardest part of being a grown-up — that moment when you’re bone-tired, just want to relax, but still need to cook dinner.

And when your cooking dairy or gluten free or specific dietary needs (veggie, vegan, plant-based), you often end up cooking from scratch most nights. That takes time and energy — often when you have the least of both.

This was me.

I first tried the usual approaches — like the 7-day meal plan.

I used to admire (and feel slightly intimidated by) people organised enough to plan every dinner of the week in advance. But I realised that my brain just doesn’t work that way.

What if I don’t fancy eating that meal on the day it’s planned? What if my plans change and I’m left with a fridge full of food I no longer want? What if sticking to it makes me miserable?

And those suggestions that involve hours of weekend prep?

That didn’t work for me either. I’d just feel guilty if I didn’t get it all done — and if I did, I’d feel locked into eating it all within a strict time frame. It added stress, not ease.

After chatting with a few clients, I realised they needed something more flexible, creative, and suited to modern-day family life — but still practical enough to nourish themselves and their loved ones extra food needs.

So I started to analyse how I naturally approach meal prep and cooking.

I love food and cooking— but I often don’t have the time or energy to make something from scratch every night. I noticed the shortcuts I used, how I repurposed ingredients recipe parts, this became a core philosophy behind Yes! You Can Eat This.

Here are three things that really helped me and the last one was the most powerful of them all.

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1. Keep a couple of “easy wins” up your sleeve

I always have one or two go-to meals I can pull together in under 15 minutes — for those nights when the lure of a takeaway is strong.

The key? Zero judgement, and ingredients that don’t require much effort.

One of mine is easy-prep veg — mushrooms, courgettes, whatever’s in the fridge — with gluten-free pasta and a pre-made or frozen homemade pesto that suits my dietary needs. If I want to make it even quicker, I use gluten-free gnocchi.

I also make the most of leftovers — potatoes, sausages, chickpeas, veggies — which I turn into a quick frittata, or warm up and serve in a gluten-free flatbread with sriracha plant-based mayo or leftover pesto.

Sometimes, I throw it all into a salad for a nourishing work-from-home lunch or into a soup too.

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2. Freeze ingredients, not just meals

Instead of freezing full meals, I freeze useful components:

• Roasted potatoes

• Cooked veg I don’t fancy the next day

• Sauces I’ve batch-made

There’s always some dall or a batch of pasta sauce in my freezer. When I batch-cook, I make twice as much — it only takes a few extra minutes, but it saves loads of time midweek.

That pasta sauce, for example, can become the base for a soup, a veggie chilli, or a gluten-free bolognese.

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3. Use a “capsule” approach to recipes

This was the biggest shift for me — and I’ve seen how powerful it’s been for my clients, too.

You don’t need loads of recipes. You need a handful of great ones that are versatile, easy, and full of flavour. Think of it like a capsule wardrobe… but with a whole lot less beige!

These recipes are:

• Adaptable

• Creative

• Easy to batch-cook

• Great for repurposing into multiple meals

• Supportive of changing plans and energy levels

For example:
A creamy Mediterranean sauce for pasta can also be used in a sausage casserole, as a pie filling, or in a layered potato bake. One recipe can become four or five meals — saving time, money, and energy.

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This isn’t about gourmet meals. These are meals that fit with the unpredictability of modern family life, while still being delicious, nourishing, and inclusive of food needs. Supporting you when life is busy and energy is low. Also perfect for those what do I fancy eating? days.

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These resources are made for modern families, shifting needs, and anyone who wants cooking to feel joyful, creative, and doable again.

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What’s your go-to dinner when you’re wiped out — but still want to eat well and feed your family with care? I’d love to hear.