Batch-cook, freeze, relax: One mum’s tips to make family mealtimes easier

With a little planning (and a well-stocked freezer), weekday meals don’t have to feel chaotic - (Getty/iStock)

Growing up in rural Ireland in the Eighties, Lou Robbie remembers her granny’s “very, very traditional Irish” cooking – from beef stew to brown bread – and specifically just how much she used the freezer.

“Processed and pre-packaged didn’t exist. It was all very wholesome, organic, natural food,” says the Galway-based chef and content creator. “They had a farm and my granny would make all her own breads and cakes – everything was made from scratch.”