MEAL PLANNING + GROCERY SHOPPING

I think we can all agree that this is an extremely expensive time to be alive. The memes alone share the whole story as you see a doll’s size food plate with a $60 price tag. Every. Single. Thing costs a fortune these days. There is no better time for careful planning.

I’d like to begin by sharing a few helpful websites I found for you to check out:

1. https://www.nutrition.gov/topics/shopping-cooking-and-meal-planning/food-shopping-and-meal-planning - budget tips, seasonal produce resources, sample meal plans + so much more!

2. https://www.healthyeating.org/nutrition-topics/meal-planning/cooking - tips for meal planning, exposing kids to new foods + a blog filled with articles on eating healthy

Now let’s chat about a few tips for meal planning:

1. Take stock of your week. Do you have to work late one night? Or maybe you have gymnastics or soccer practice for your kids. Perhaps next weekend you are attending a BBQ with friends. Do you need a special meal for that BBQ? Or maybe it’s a quick recipe for before all those sports? Or perhaps just planning to make extras so you have leftovers when you get home late from work that you can just reheat and eat without much thought.

2. Now assess what’s already in your possession. Maybe you didn’t get time to make one of the meals you planned for this week. Or you have leftovers? Or a recipe called for half a red pepper so now you have leftover bell pepper. Basically what will go bad if you don’t use it this week?

3. Next find recipes to use up the produce that’s sitting in your fridge right now.

4. Add unmade meals, leftovers + recipes to use up produce to your meal plan.

5. Fill in the rest of your meal plan with new recipes or leftovers. Don’t forget to plan for dinners out in your plan!

6. Create your grocery list from your plan.

Some habits to help every week go smoothly:

1. It’s helpful to have a spot to build your grocery list all week. This ensures you don’t forget all the other items you need while you’re at the grocery store - ie. toilet paper, paper towels, etc. - basically the items you wouldn’t get from your meal plan. This means you will not have to make an extra trip to pick up toothpaste!

2. I’d also recommend making sure that you keep a few meals that can be made straight from your pantry on hand at all times. It is always wise to have a backup plan. Did the bell pepper go bad before you got to the recipe? Did you not realize you were out of paprika? This helps make sure you aren’t just running out all the time for one item.

Finally I’d like to share a few items that may help as you create your weekly plan:

These Amazon finds well help you make your weekly meal plan + keep track of the random items you need - https://www.Amazon.com 

This Ink + Volt planner is sure to help with all your needs! - https://inkandvolt.com 

These Wayfair finds can help organize your meals for the month - https://www.wayfair.com 

Find this meal planner on Zazzle - https://www.zazzle.com 

Of course as I mentioned in the blog post “there’s an app for that” most of the recipe apps also offer options for creating your weekly meal plan and your grocery list right in the app. As with all things organization finding the right fit for you is the only thing that matters. Sometimes you have to experiment a little bit to find your sweet spot.

Happy organizing friends!

XOXO, Kylie