The following tips will help to make this job a little less stressful and boring:

• Find some simple recipes that don’t need loads of ingredients and preparation. You can also Google recipes that you want to try.

• Ask someone to show you some basic things (like how to turn the oven on, or peel and chop an onion).

• Sandwich makers are an invaluable piece of equipment.

• Stock up on things like pasta, bottles of pasta sauce, pizza bases, mince meat, frozen veg and other healthy pre-prepared meals.

• Buy some frozen meals from the freezer section of the supermarket to have as emergencies.

• Try to get enough protein from meat, fish, eggs, nuts and beans. Tinned tuna or tinned baked beans are great ways to get this.

• Try to squeeze in some fresh fruit and veg. Because this stuff doesn’t last long in the fridge, use it soon after you go shopping.

• If you have to cook for the whole family, set aside one ‘cooking’ day a week to make big batches of food that can be frozen and reheated (or added to lunch boxes).

• Planning your meals for the week sounds boring but is really helpful. It also makes shopping a lot easier.