IT’S that time of year again. The youngsters are back at school and you might have returned to work too.

But don’t worry; we’ve compiled a trusty list of our top ten back-to-school tips for food and drink shopping and meal-planning that will give you a little less to worry about. Our top ten tips will not only help save you time but will also help stop you from breaking the bank.

1) Search mysupermarket.co.uk to find out what supermarket is selling items on your shopping list at the cheapest price. It’s simple click quick shopping list and start typing in the products on your list and it comes up with a list of the different shops selling them and what they have priced them at.

2) Look for the longest use-by date on fresh foods. It might sound obvious but many of us have been caught out by our other halves for picking up fresh food, which goes out of date the next day. Even if it means rummaging through the bananas and looking for the one with the latest date, it’s definitely worth it – because as well as saving money it will save you from making another trip to the supermarket sooner than you had previously anticipated.

3) Choose smart substitutes. Swap white bread for wholemeal, chips for home-cooked wedges, crisps for nuts and whole milk to semi-skimmed.

4) Save all of your recipes in one place. There’s various ways you can now store your recipes. If you're tech savvy, save them on Pinterest. Or, if you're more traditional, store them in a personalised cookbook. Either way is fine, but just remember to store them all in the one place – that way it is easier to find them.

5) Check the weather. Being on top of the weather forecast for the week ahead can really help with meal planning, especially when you’re selecting dinners for your meal timetable. You’re less likely to want paella when it’s raining, or a steak pie and chips when it’s sunny. Download Wunderground, The Herald’s chosen number one weather app on Google Play or the App Store.

6) Write it down. After choosing what meal you want to cook each day, it’s important to then display your meal timetable on a notice board. That way you won’t forget what meal you’re serving each day and what food you’ll need to buy beforehand.

7) Get your clan involved. To help prevent tantrums at dinner time, let your children have some input on your meal planner. Children are often more likely to eat a healthier meal if they feel involved from the start.

8) Prepare food ahead of your meal times. As soon as you return from the supermarket, prep your fruit and vegetables by washing and drying them to make it quicker to serve up at dinner time. You can also peel and shred carrots, shred peppers and courgettes for stir fries and chop onions and tomatoes for sauces. Use containers or zip-seal bags to store the prepped ingredients in the fridge until you’re ready to use them.

9) Freeze leftovers so you can use them again. When you’re cooking lunches and dinners make more than you need, store the excess food and freeze them for a quick and pre-prepared dinner another night during the week.

10) Make healthy after school snacks. Fill a tray with different snacks such as grapes and cheese cubes on sticks, a bowl of fruit salad, hummus or spreadable dairylea cheese on oat biscuits or if you’ve got more time on your hands bake oatmeal cookies.

 by Jemma McGuffie