4:30pm rolls around and I kick myself because I haven’t planned dinner yet. This causes 2 issues-First, it creates the urge to go out to eat which is unhealthy for body and budget. Second, in your unpreparedness you grab things to use that might not need to be used up first, causing waste of foods that needed to be eaten before going bad. Throwing food away is throwing money away. The accepted statistic in America is that 40% of food gets thrown out. That is shocking!
One answer to all this is meal planning. When I sit down to plan meals I look in my fridge at what needs to be eaten first. Knowing what’s in your fridge and freezer is important so you CAN meal plan. There’s no sense in purchasing food at a great deal or even getting it free if it ends up in the dump from being freezer burnt or forgotten and molding in your fridge drawer.
In my home leftovers get thrown out if it hits a week old, has been reheated 3 times and still not eaten, or has sat out for over 2 hours because I embarrassingly forgot to put it away. By meal planning you control what is eaten in what order and save yourself the stress of a last minute brain scuffle . I think about the oldest things in my fridge or freezer, any produce on the counter that is getting over ripe, etc. and try to use up things together that need to be eaten. One example of this is when I had leftover chicken from grilling the other night, carrots that were going limp in the fridge drawer, and potatoes getting wrinkly. For dinner I could use up all three to make a curry stew over rice OR chicken pot pie. You can even just type in an item or two to google with the word “recipe” after and search to see if you can come up with any new recipe ideas to eat them.
Many people have a recipe box or binder which is great (I have those too) but I’ve found it beneficial to write down a list on one sheet of paper of all the meals we commonly eat because chances are we have the stuff for those items if we eat them on a regular basis. Also you can use that list to meal plan the week, for example: Monday dinner is hamburgers, green salad, fries and grapes. Chances are I will have buns left over so I will plan on making sloppy joes a few days after with some mashed potatoes, lets say Wednesday. Tuesday is tacos and I usually have extra taco meat so Wednesday’s lunch could be quesadillas with taco meat in the cheese. Maybe I have a leftover hamburger patty from Monday so I can chop it up and add it to the bottom layer of shepherds pie on Thursday, topping that off with leftover mashed potatoes from our sloppy joe meal. I’m not sure if you followed all that but the point is you can make leftovers into different meals instead of having leftovers of the same meal every other night.
After you have meal planned for the week based on what you already have or what needs to be eaten, make a list of what you need to get at the store to finish off those meals and have healthy snack options. You will spend far less if you go to the store knowing what meals you are making and what items you need to complete those meals instead of wandering around the store, purchasing whatever with no plan. Don’t ignore the food you already have at home. If you don’t know what you have, go through your freezer and cupboards and make a list or just familiarize yourself and get it somewhat organized.
Warning:
I gained a good amount of weight one year because we were receiving free goodies from our neighbors and I felt like I should eat them so they didn’t go to waste. I finally realized that it was worse to eat junk than tossing it. My body was suffering by taking in foods with high calories and no nutrients. I no longer feel bad if I enjoy a taste and throw away the rest if it’s been a few days. Foods I don’t feel too bad throwing out include white refined breads, candy, and pastries. I hardly ever buy these things.
I also had a problem throwing away my children’s leftovers so I would eat their leftovers after I just ate my own meal. Please don’t get into this habit. Put some cling wrap or press n seal on their plate and stick it in the fridge for their snack (my kids are hungry every 10 min it seems!). Sometimes I do end up eating their leftovers, but later on when I get hungry again.
I love meal planning because I know the difference it can make on our food budget by not wasting, and I save time by planning ahead!
Best Wishes! Jexi Burke