Moving house is stressful and tiring. Often the last thing you want to think about when moving house is what you should eat.
But boxing up or throwing away cupboards full of food is really not ideal, and eating junk food and take outs coupled with the stress is a great recipe for being ill. Just what you need when there are a hundred boxes to unpack, shelves to put up and new things to learn everywhere right? Nope!
So when I moved house recently, I planned ahead so that I could eat well whilst moving house, and captured my thoughts for you.
These would work for if you’re just getting your kitchen done/extended too!
Why would we want to eat well when moving house?
Often, when moving it becomes very tempting to live off junk food and ready meals for a while as they’re so convenient and moving is stressful and exhausting so we’re too tired to cook.
The trouble with this is that a stressful time like this is when your immune system needs to be supported or you’re more likely to be ill (especially if your kids are mingling with other kids in a new area at school in the next few days).
The other issue is that junk food and ready meals often come in a lot of unrecyclable packaging, so it’s a few days when our footprint can really increase. If we plan ahead, then we can manage to eat simple but healthy foods and without using loads of plastic.
The key to eating well when moving house? Plan ahead!
Step 1 – think about what you’re going to have access to…
Think ahead to what cooking equipment you’re going to have – this will make a big difference to what you can cook!
- Is there an oven there which is installed and working?
- Will the fridge/freezer be on already i.e. ok to use straight away?
- What do you know how to use? i.e. your own things like a steamer and microwave.
For our recent move we were buying a house into which we were taking our fridge/freezer, and where there was only a 60 year old oil-fired Nobel range cooker (like an Aga), which we had no idea how to cook on! Luckily we had a slow cooker, steamer and combi microwave oven/grill which we could rely on for the first few days whilst figuring out how to use the Nobel!
Step 2 – inventory what you’ve got…
One month before – make an inventory of your food items (don’t forget the freezer!).
Make a note of any meals that spring to mind that you can use them in.
Regularly used items like milk, bread and coffee can be skipped as you know they’ll be used and replaced many times before the move.
Step 3 – use it up!
Plan how to use the food, particularly the pantry items and especially the ones that you never eat!!. Pull out the obscure things from the back of your cupboards and look up a recipe with it. Plan to eat anything open or in the freezer especially.
Here are some meals for using up some things from the cupboards:
- Veggie curry. Use up any leftover veg, and add in curry pastes and yoghurts from the fridge. Or use curry powder and coconut milk. Canned and frozen veg and lentils can be throw into this too.
- Use up frozen fruit in compotes, crumbles and smoothies
- Combine canned beans (pretty much any kind), chopped tomatoes, canned/frozen veg and some spices like smoked paprika with rice or potatoes.
- Make a pasta using tomatoes, canned beans, canned or frozen veg and cheese (parmesan, feta, cheddar)
- Use lentils in a curry, or soups. Red lentils that have been cooked till they pretty much fall apart are a great way of making tomato sauces thicker without really changing the flavour.
If you really can’t think of anything to do with it – donate it! The same goes for foods that you can’t take or have left. Don’t throw it – there’ll be someone else who needs it. Look up your local food bank instead…
Try not to buy much more from the shops, you should be on fridge things and a couple of top up staples, especially in the week before. Now is not the time to get excited by discounted foods and multi-buys!! The aim is to buy as little as possible.
Step 4 – the final few days
In the day or so before the move, plan in super simple things for lunch and dinner as you’ll likely be tired from packing and stressing.
If any of your kitchen items are already packed, you won’t be able to use these for cooking. Keep your most easily used cooking items available and plan meals with these.
These are the days to plan a final dinner out to your favourite restaurant, get your favourite take out etc.
Lunches should be super simple. Plan in things like sandwiches with a good dose of salad, baked sweet potato with tuna and salad, or beans on toast.
Keep some simple fruits like sultanas, apples, grapes and satsumas around to snack on with some nuts. Scoffing junk food seems great, but it’s not going to help your energy levels and won’t support your immune system during this difficult time.
If you can, cook up some healthy cookies or knock some energy balls together. Both of these recipes take less than 15 mins to put together and are super simple. They’ll give you a boost of energy and nutrients when you’re feeling tired and in need of something naughty…
Gingerbread cookies recipe
Almond energy balls recipe
Make sure these are portioned out and easily accessible during the move! Keep them in the car with you – along with your water bottles.
Make sure you stay hydrated. Even minor dehydration can really sap your energy levels – not what you need when you’ve got a hundred boxes to unpack!
Step 5 – moving day! Eat well when moving house
Sandwiches are the way to go here, or a pasta salad leftover from lunch the day before if the morning is going to be super crazy! Make sure you’ve got lots of decent snacks, fruit, nuts, dried fruit, energy balls, healthy cookies all easily available with you in the car (as well as a couple of treats for the evening).
Make sure that you’ve planned an easy dinner for night one. If you’re somewhere where there are take outs close by, then that’s an option. But in a new area, trying to find somewhere new can actually be quite a lot of effort! Take some simple no fridge things and make yourself a microwave dinner…
- Beans on toast
- Canned soups
- A freezer meal (frozen leftovers made well in advance) if you’re able to take it in a cooler during the move. Reheat in the microwave and voila!
Have a planned ahead breakfast on day 1 too. I choose porridge as you can make it with water and sweeten it with dried fruit (or a little maple syrup). With some added nuts, seeds and canned fruit, it’ll start you right and give you energy for all that unboxing… toast and spreads is another option. Try to go for something like a nut butter for healthy fats which will keep you full for a while and fuel you longer (rather than sugary jams or chocolate spread).
A key thing on moving day is to have a box of final food bits that has:
– drinks essentials: coffee/tea, cups, teaspoons etc
– whatever you need for dinner for day 1: plates and cutlery for take out, the toaster, microwaveable bowls, cans, bread etc.
– whatever you need for breakfast: plates, some cutlery, toast and spreads or porridge and toppings.
Keep this box in your car with you and make sure it doesn’t get buried in boxes!
Happy moving!
Step 5 – moving day!
Sandwiches are the way to go here, or a pasta salad leftover from lunch the day before if the morning is going to be super crazy! Make sure you’ve got lots of decent snacks, fruit, nuts, dried fruit, energy balls, healthy cookies all easily available with you in the car (as well as a couple of treats for the evening).
Make sure that you’ve planned an easy dinner for night one. If you’re somewhere where there are take outs close by, then that’s an option. But in a new area, trying to find somewhere new can actually be quite a lot of effort! Take some simple no fridge things and make yourself a microwave dinner…
- Beans on toast
- Canned soups
- A freezer meal (frozen leftovers made well in advance) if you’re able to take it in a cooler during the move. Reheat in the microwave and voila!
Have a planned ahead breakfast on day 1 too. I choose porridge as you can make it with water and sweeten it with dried fruit (or a little maple syrup). With some added nuts, seeds and canned fruit, it’ll start you right and give you energy for all that unboxing… toast and spreads is another option. Try to go for something like a nut butter for healthy fats which will keep you full for a while and fuel you longer (rather than sugary jams or chocolate spread).
A key thing on moving day is to have a box of final food bits that has:
– drinks essentials: coffee/tea, cups, teaspoons etc
– whatever you need for dinner for day 1: plates and cutlery for take out, the toaster, microwaveable bowls, cans, bread etc.
– whatever you need for breakfast: plates, some cutlery, toast and spreads or porridge and toppings.
Keep this box in your car with you and make sure it doesn’t get buried in boxes!
Happy moving!