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Streamline Your Grocery Shopping: Meal Planning Made Simple

Amy — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:02 +0000

Welcome to Meal Planning Made Simple! If this is the first time you’re visiting this series, you might want to check out:

Last week we talked about how important a well-stocked kitchen is to meal planning. It’s imperative to keep the foods you use most frequently on hand.

This week, let’s chat about streamlining your grocery shopping. If you’re like me, you love to go to the grocery store. I like to look at the produce, browse new specialty ingredients, and stand in the aisle just thinking about what I could create with this or that.

Not the most effective use of my time, especially when I have to go to three, sometimes four, stores to get everything we need. It’s one of the pieces of being on a ‘special’ diet that I haven’t been able to avoid. Yes, I order many of the foods I stock on-line. But there are certain items I can only get at one particular health food store.

Here’s how I streamlined the process:

I made a master grocery list containing the par stock items I keep on hand and organized them by store and where they’re located within that particular store. (This is where the list you made from last week comes in!) That means all my produce items go in one category, my bulk items in another, meats in yet another, and so on.

I make multiple copies of my master list and hang them together in my pantry on a cork board. As the week goes by I simply note what items I’m running low on. By the time I sit down and meal plan, half of my grocery list is complete and I can go to the store knowing I won’t leave without something I need. And, I don’t have to bother printing another list because I already have more lists hanging in the pantry that I can use for the coming weeks.

No, I haven’t been able to train my husband to mark off what he needs on a consistent basis. So, I check the refrigerator and pantry for his staple items, like his snacks, and add them to the list. I ask if he needs anything, too. It helps avoid an extra trip to the store.

I’ve got two free printable versions of the grocery list for you – one is a big master list if you can do most of your shopping at one store. The other is divided into four sections so you can list items by store in case you shop at multiple stores like I do. My brain needs very explicit categories, which is why I like to divide my list by store.

Free Printables!

How do you streamline your grocery shopping? What items do you buy on-line?

Next week: Inventory Your Freezer

Much love,
Amy

A Well-Stocked Kitchen: Meal Planning Made Simple

Amy — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:55 +0000

Welcome to Meal Planning Made Simple! If this is the first time you’re visiting this series, you might want to check out:

Week 1: Meal Planning Made Simple
Week 2: How to Meal Plan

A Well-Stocked Kitchen

When you work in a professional kitchen, there’s something called par stock which is simply the items you keep on hand at all times. These are the items you use on a regular basis. Without a par stock, the kitchen wouldn’t run.

Several years ago my friend, Helen, pointed out to me that I was always at the grocery store. Yes, I love to grocery shop. But, I hadn’t translated my knowledge about how a professional kitchen runs to my kitchen at home. I wasn’t stocking my pantry and freezer.

All those grocery runs were taking up valuable time. Now, I keep my pantry and freezer stocked. It’s a necessity.

Here’s what I did to get started:
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6 Tips for Balanced Living for The Balanced Platter

Amy — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:00:47 +0000

Lately my life has been more hectic than I could have imagined. Our baby is due in just over 14 days. I’m preparing for maternity leave, cooking extra meals so our freezer is well-stocked, organizing the baby’s room, have weekly doctor’s appointments, and am trying to tie up any loose ends before the big day gets here.

I’m striving for balance in the middle of what could be a really stressful time. I don’t want to feel pressure. I want to savor every moment. Though I won’t claim perfection, I can honestly say I’ve managed to do pretty darn well.

What have I been doing to stay balanced more of the time than not?

1. Every appointment and commitment goes into one calendar.

One central calendar lets me see everything going on in my life at a glance. Using more than one calendar is a sure recipe for disaster.

I use the iCal on my Mac which is set up to automatically sync with my iPhone and iPad. Each morning I review my daily calendar so I’m prepared for the day. I also set alarms with important appointments to help me remember commitments.

Read the rest of my tips for balanced living at The Balanced Platter, the new gluten-free site for living well.

While you’re there, check out our Baking Gift Pack Give-Away sponsored by iHerb.com!

How to Meal Plan: Meal Planning Made Simple

Amy — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:46 +0000

Let’s talk about the ins and outs of meal planning. Like I said last week, I don’t enjoy it. In fact, I often dread it. It’s one of my least favorite to-do’s. But I do it anyway because it makes a difference for my family.

Here’s why meal planning matters:

It saves time.
It saves money.
It ensures that you have control over what’s in your food.
You can choose whole foods instead of processed and how the food is prepared. No more grabbing for whatever happens to be in the pantry.
You can cook once and eat twice. Perfect for busy nights.

How do I meal plan?

When I first started meal planning, I needed to think about every meal of the day including snacks. It took more time but it really helped me get a handle on how much food we needed to make it through the week. If you’re new to meal planning, try this free printable form:
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Meal Planning Made Simple

Amy — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:59 +0000

The first half of January has already passed. Most people start out the New Year with great intentions to cultivate new habits, get organized, and get in shape. But, life happens quickly and unless we’re deliberate about making change it’s likely that we’re caught up in the hustle-and-bustle of back to school, back to work, and all the things that go along with it.

The only way to create real change is to take real action on a regular basis toward that change.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is this:

How do you eat healthy and find time to make dinner almost every night?
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