Do you cook at home? Regularly?
Cooking at home is essential for consistent healthy meals and the added benefit is cost containment. I cook all my meals at home because I want to know what ingredients I am consuming. I may choose to stray from plan but if so, I would like to have control of that too. There can be a false sense of saving time or energy by going out to eat. When was the last time you went out? My observation is it takes time to drive to the chosen establishment, wait to be seated, wait for your meal to be prepared and finally drive home. Was all of that really a time or energy saver? Even a drive-thru or takeout pickup can be time consuming. I suppose there’s Door Dash too which I have never used so cannot speak to its efficiency. There is also the subscription option of pre-prepared meals which I also have never used. Regardless, I am a fan of home cooking for optimal health. It’s a great tool to have in your health and wellness took chest! Shopping and meal preparation can be easy with the tips I am going to share with you!
Meal Planning
I suggest planning your meals (I only plan dinners) for a week in advance. Think about what sounds good that you would like to eat in the coming week. Look at your schedule and note any particular days when your time may be most limited and a freezer meal or crock pot / instant pot meal may be best. Or my favorite, leftovers! Make a list of your meals and consider ingredients that you may be able to repurpose for a 2nd meal.
Shopping List
Once you have your weekly meal plan made, it’s time to go shopping in your pantry and refrigerator. Create your shopping list for the things you do not currently have. Grocery pickup is a nice convenience I sometimes use. The downside is when some things may be out of stock. Shopping in person is my preference unless my schedule is excessively booked. One reason is that I sometimes get meal ideas while shopping. I also occasionally see sales and adjust my meal plan accordingly or stock up on nonperishables.
This brings me to another point, buying in bulk. I often buy meat in larger packages and repackage at home into meal size portions for the freezer.
Shopping Day
I typically hit up Costco and the grocery store. There are certain items I get at Costco frequently – mushrooms and avocados and other items I buy regularly but not weekly. It usually takes three hours to do all my grocery shopping and unpacking. Find the day and time for your area that seems to be less busy. Note, weekends at Costco can be nuts! On the other hand, evenings (8pm or so) at Home Depot have associates falling all over you to help you find things! Yes! Not a grocery shopping contrast but one I recently experienced that is a stark contrast!
The Payoff
After a busy day, there’s no scratching your head trying to figure out what to make for dinner! Plan ahead and pull things from the freezer or start the crock pot and you will enjoy your evening meal with very little effort. The organization time investment to get to this point will provide a great return in good meals with less stress and save you money at the same time!
Happy meal planning!
