Whether you’re shopping for one meal or seven, yourself or a household, these four steps will help you plan healthful meals, create an organized shopping list, and save time and money.
Without a shopping list, a casual trip to the grocery store
can be a recipe for disaster. And sometimes, even with a list in hand, we still
find ourselves in a state of confusion as we meander through the store.
Organizing your shopping list can smooth out your grocery shopping experience
and make shopping and cooking more efficient.
Whether you’re shopping for one meal or seven, yourself, or a house full of
people, the basic process is the same. The following steps will help you plan
healthy meals, create an organized list, and save time and money.
Step 1: Keep a running
list on the fridge.
Keep a list and pen always
posted in your kitchen. A small chalkboard or dry-erase board will also work,
or you can keep a running list on your phone. When you run out of something in
the kitchen, make a note of it. This will prevent you from starting a recipe
only to discover that you're out of garlic or nutmeg, and it will save you the
hassle of searching through the cupboards to try to find out what's missing. At
this stage, don’t worry about making a neat, organized list—just get the
missing items recorded. Make this a habit for everyone in your house; even kids
can help.
TIP: If a package runs empty, don't throw it into the recycling bin
or garbage until you've written the item on your running list. When you're
frazzled or busy in the kitchen, it can be too easy to forget about the item
you meant to add to the list once it's out of sight and out of mind. This can
work for other household staples besides groceries, too, such as toilet paper
or pet food.
Step 2: Plan your meals.
We all plan our meals differently, depending on how many people we're feeding
and how often we go to the store or farmer’s market. However, this step should
always precede shopping. Set aside some time at least once a week to plan your
meals for the days ahead. Here are some basic things to keep in mind when
planning your meals:
- Your schedule. Look at your calendar for the week or days ahead. Do you have a busy week coming up? How much time do you have to cook on each night of the week (it may vary day to day, especially if you manage a larger household or have children). Sit down with your calendar and plan meals based on how much time you have available. One night, you may only have 30 minutes to cook and eat, so you need something fast. The next day, you may have more time to try out that new recipe you've been eyeing. It is nice to stagger meals during the week. Choose a variety of quick recipes, dishes that yield leftovers, and meals that require more time, so that cooking always fits into your schedule. Don't forget about slow-cooked meals for nights when cooking isn't an option.
- Company. Do you have people coming to visit soon? You may
need to buy special items at the store or plan for a larger dinner. Also,
be sure to consider any special food preferences or allergies.
- Coupons, sales and deals. If you bring home an item bought on sale and don’t
know what to do with it, you have not saved money! Plan your meals around
your coupons. Some people prefer to look at coupons and sale flyers during
the meal planning stage so they can create meals around lower-cost
ingredients. Others prefer to plan their meals and then look for coupons
or deals on the items they need to make those meals. Decide which method
works best for you. Just make sure that what you buy can be worked into
your meal plan, and that you're not just buying something because it's on
sale. Keep in mind that many coupon deals are for highly processed, often
unhealthy foods that you probably shouldn't be buying anyway, so keep both
health and cost in mind.
- The season. What you cook and eat should change according to what's in season and what you like, but keep in mind that fruits and vegetables that are in season will be cheaper and more readily available. Save money by planning your meals around produce at its peak taste and bottom price. To check what fruits and vegetables are in season in your area, check out this seasonal produce map at epicurious.com.
Step 3: Gather your
recipes.
Now that you've planned your meals based on time, taste, season, and coupons, it's time to gather your recipes. This will be much easier if you keep your recipes organized. Sifting through magazine clip-outs and various papers with Aunt Marge’s sloppy writing can be frustrating. Try using a basic template for all recipes. When you come across a great recipe, grab a blank template from your stash, jot it down in your own writing, and place it in a binder organized by time, season, cuisine, or another parameter. To streamline your planning process, include a mini grocery list on the recipe template so you can quickly see what ingredients you need to make the dish. You can also highlight specialty ingredients (such as certain herbs or special cheeses) that you don't typically keep on hand.
Step 4: Create your master
grocery list.
Next, sit down with your running list of staples (from Step 1), your weekly
meal plan and your recipes to create one organized list that will help you
navigate the store. Avoid walking back and forth across the store by separating
your list into grocery store departments: produce items, bulk foods, bakery,
deli/meat/poultry, frozen foods, dry goods, dairy, beverages, home goods and
miscellaneous. Set up your list based on your preferences and the layout of the
supermarket. Don't forget to attach your coupons to the list before you head to
the store!
As you did for your recipes, creating one master shopping list template will
save you time and keep your list organized. Include a section where you can
list the meals you planned for the week and then the groceries you need,
organized by department.
When you arrive at the store, stick to your list and don't get distracted by
the various supermarket promotions.
Once you’re home from the store, put your groceries away systematically to
streamline cooking in the days ahead. Keep your pantry and refrigerator
organized, storing similar items together. When every item has its place,
cooking will become more efficient. Another way to organize foods is to group
together ingredients for each recipe.
No more excuses about not being able to create healthy meals! Staying
organized, saving money, and finding the time to cook healthy meals each night
boils down to meal planning and a good shopping list. The time you spend in
this planning phase will more than pay off when it's time to cook, so make it a
habit to start each week with a plan.