Recurring tasks have a way of getting away from you quickly and there’s no task more demanding than grocery planning. However, the prospect of planning out meals can be overwhelming, but the cost of not doing it is steep.
Food waste is an unfortunate reality of modern convenience and packed schedules, but it’s an unnecessary outcome with lasting impact. Waste costs families hundreds of dollars annually, diverting dollars otherwise used wisely. Learn how to plan meals and grocery shopping strategically to save money and create sustainable food habits for life.
1. Purposeful Planning Gives Each Ingredient a Job
Look at meal planning like you would a game plan — every ingredient plays a role. A bunch of green onions accents a salad one day and brings fried rice together the next.
Plot your meal plan to account for the entirety of your food purchase. Items that come pre-packaged may contain more than you need for a dish. Take this into account when you plan and collect a group of dishes using the same key ingredients.
Healthy meal kits make this strategy easy as they include the exact amount of everything to make meals. Packaged with pre-measured ingredients reduces food waste and saves time washing, cutting, and measuring. Choose meal kits for easy, delicious meals for stress-free planning and mealtimes where nothing is wasted.
2. Multipurpose Ingredients Flex for Real Life
Sometimes, what you’d planned for dinner just doesn’t sound appealing come mealtimes. Other times, your original plan gets sabotaged by life. That’s why it’s smart to plan meals with multipurpose ingredients that can flex.
Shop for ingredients that require only arranging for the busiest of nights. A head of iceberg lends itself to lettuce wraps, a nutrient-dense salad, or extra crunch for a sandwich.
Frozen chicken chunks crisp to perfection in an air fryer and work for the whole family. Dunked in dips for kids or tossed into a salad or wrap, frozen chicken can save dinner.
3. Post-Shopping Storage Extends Freshness
There’s no denying that throwing groceries in the fridge and moving on is easier than the alternatives. However, taking the time to properly store your haul makes all the difference for their longevity.
Pay attention to social media hacks that promise fresher berries — a quick wash with water and vinegar retains moisture and keeps mushiness at bay. Place herbs in a jar of shallow water and cover them with a new disposable shower cap. This approach retains optimal humidity levels that’ll keep your parsley perky and cilantro crisp.
Split packages of chicken into meal-sized portions to make prep easy and avoid package leakage. Trim cuts for your meals while you’re at it, cutting strips for tacos or splitting breasts for chicken Parmesan. Working ahead now will save time throughout the week, dirty fewer dishes, and reduce meal planning stress.
4. No-Prep Foods Make Snacking Easy and Fresh
Reduce the friction between you and your next snack to keep hangry feelings at bay. Toasted nuts, fresh fruit, and cheese sticks are easy snacks and provide quick energy.
These and other no-prep options help them get used well before their expiration. Shelf-stable nuts, prepackaged beef sticks, and dried fruit last for months. Monitor shelf-stable and pantry items’ expiration dates and rotate them to avoid spoilage.
Wash and cut next-day vegetable snacks while you prepare dinners to maintain crispness. Rinse and store in individual bags for easy access. If you have extra carrots at the end of the week, use them in a salad, soup, or freeze them.
5. Stock Freezable Favorites and Eliminate Waste
Include several freezer-friendly foods in your weekly ingredient list to adjust meal planning on the fly. Peppers, onions, carrots, and celery are key players in many meals and perform well frozen, too. Stash extras after cleaning, cutting, and packaging in freezer-safe storage.
Elevate your food’s flavors and even further reduce waste with thoughtful scrap saving. Tops of carrots, ends of onions, and dregs of celery can be bagged and frozen for future use. Simmer these scraps along with other fridge castaways for a flavorful broth the next time you’re prepping for the week.
Cooked foods freeze well, too, and can make weeknight meals a cinch. Pulled pork from a weekend barbecue makes incredible tacos, nachos, and even pizza. Freeze extra soup for a comforting meal any time of the week.
6. Buy-in From Diners Makes a Difference
Don’t meal plan alone — get your fellow diners on board with the plan. Include roommates, your partner, and your kids in the process, too.
Review the week ahead and discuss activities, work, school, and the weather to shape the plan. A rainy day might demand a hearty soup while sunshine calls for burgers. Gather everyone’s ideas and give everyone a voice, and a role, in meal planning.
Kids can be assigned jobs that help them develop skills, too. Writing down the menu and ingredients makes it fun to work on spelling. Learning about cooking brings in math through measurements and ingredient count.
When everyone is involved in the plan, preparation, and cleanup, food is more likely to be eaten. You’ll experience less waste, fewer arguments, and happier, healthier eaters.
Smart Meal Planning Saves Food, Money, and Time
An investment in meal planning pays dividends in less than a week, making your return on investment a no-brainer. With a plan for mealtimes, you can dedicate your time, energy, and attention to what matters most.
