Preparing meals for a family, or even for one person, demands a considerable amount of planning and dedication. I derive great satisfaction from concocting nutritious and budget-friendly meals for my family. I acknowledge how deciding on what and when to eat can be a daunting task, often leading people to choose costly fast foods and takeouts. Coupled with rising food costs, understanding how to meal plan and create affordable yet tasty meals is becoming essential.
I regularly refine my meal planning strategy each month. Here are some useful tips on meal preparation and meal ideas to maximize your savings and enjoy a variety of dishes.
PLAN YOUR MEALS BEFORE GROCERY SHOPPING
Try to plan out your meals before heading to the grocery store. Examine your kitchen inventory to see what meals you can assemble from items you already have. For instance, if you find some leftover pasta, you could consider buying pasta sauce and chicken sausage to create a complete meal.
We generally plan meals for 1-2 weeks, and I make our shopping list based on the dishes already decided upon. I find it helpful to track our preparation schedule on a small meal planning whiteboard stuck to our fridge. This process also minimizes food wastage since we buy ingredients as needed.
In the past, I’d shop for items without a recipe in mind leaving me confused about why I even bought certain products, often leading to food waste. I’m grateful for the improved meal planning tactics I utilize today.
COOK IN BULK
Many of us dread the thought of cooking every night. Even if cooking is a passion, it can feel exhausting after a long day. If this resonates with you, plan and prepare some meals in bulk.
At our house, we embrace leftovers and often prepare large dishes to ensure we have meals for a few days, keeping cooking to a minimum.
Keep a list of your favorite dishes and don’t be afraid to experiment with a new recipe occasionally.
UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF FREEZER MEALS
I don’t mean the readymade meals you find in the supermarket’s frozen section. The idea here is to make your meals, freeze them, and use them when needed. On hectic days or times when you deviate from your meal plan, these frozen meals can come to your rescue.
EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT SHELF LIFE
To reduce wastage, it’s crucial to know the shelf life of various foods. If you notice certain items consistently spoiling, check how long they should last post-opening, and plan to use them in the appropriate window of time.
To verify the recommended storage periods for different products, EatByDate.com can be a helpful resource.
REVISE RECIPES
If you’re unsure about what to prepare, take advantage of the countless online recipe sites and instructional videos available. Alternatively, you could type the ingredients you have on hand into Google followed by ‘recipe’ to discover a range of culinary options.
Experimenting with recipes to emulate your beloved restaurant dishes can be fun. Additionally, exploring cookbooks for recipe inspiration is worth a try.
Meal delivery services like Hello Fresh and Acorns regularly showcase sample meals you can use as inspiration, without having to subscribe to their service.
KEEP IT SIMPLE
When starting with meal planning and food prep, aim for simplicity. Putting ingredients together rather than relying on ready-to-eat meals can offer a more rewarding experience.
Here are a few quick and economical breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas to jumpstart your meal planning journey:
BREAKFAST
Boiled eggs
Homemade pancakes or waffles
Biscuits
Egg cups with cheese and spinach
LUNCH
Quesadillas
Stir fry
Salad with mixed greens and a protein
Tuna salad
Cheeseburger casserole
Pasta salad
DINNER
Beef stew
Stuffed peppers
Chicken alfredo
Meatloaf
Baked chicken
Lasagna
FINAL SUMMARY
Mastering meal planning and prep has significantly saved me time and money. By adopting these ideas in your routine, you can enjoy tasty, healthy meals without spending fortunes on groceries.
Food cost can easily consume a big portion of your budget without a proper plan. Nonetheless, by implementing these meal planning ideas, you can savor delicious meals while maintaining budgetary discipline.
