Meal planning saves time, money and stress
Do you find yourself wandering aimlessly around the supermarket aisles, putting random items into your trolley, buying extras “just in case”? Then get home hoping you have the right food to feed your whānau for a week!
Meal planning is a great way to put an end to this scenario! It can save you time, money, food, and stress. When you plan your meals, you are more likely to eat at home and tick off all the food groups your body needs for health. Planning takes the stress out of cooking, which means your confidence will grow too.
Once you get into the habit, you’ll discover how visiting the supermarket armed with a meal plan and a shopping list is a great way to go. Initially it may feel like a bit of a chore, but the benefits of making a plan will quickly outweigh the 20 minutes a week it takes to get organised.
A step-by-step guide to meal planning:
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Go through your fridge, freezer and pantry and make a list of all the key ingredients that you already have.
Write down all the meals that you can already make with the food that you have. Think about what needs to be used in the next few days.
Make a list of all your family’s favourite meals that are on usual rotation in your household.
Jot down any new recipes you would like to add to your usual dinner rotation.
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Remember the healthy plate model when planning your meals. That means including a protein-rich food, some wholegrains/carbohydrate and plenty of vegetables.
Think about what the coming week will look like for your whānau. Some nights might be very busy with little time to cook, so plan a simple meal.
“One-pot wonders” such as stir-fries and curries save on time and clean up. Check out our Chicken and Pumpkin Curry, Fast Lentil Curry, and Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry.
Plan so that you don’t end up throwing out kai. Using a meal planner template or app is a great way to get organised. Love Food Hate Waste has developed a free seasonal meal planner and recipe book called Easy Choice - Family Kai which helps families shop for, cook, and eat nourishing and affordable food.
Or you might like to try the Meal Planner and Recipe Keeper app, Whisk, or Paprika.
If you prefer an old-fashioned method, draw up a weekly grid and fill in the gaps. Here’s one we prepared earlier!
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Once you have your meal plan organised, write a shopping list of all the things you need to buy for your dinners, and any other meals you have planned. Don’t forget to add all of your other groceries to the list before you head to the supermarket.
Grocer.nz is a new web app where people can input their preferred stores to find out the prices of groceries before they decide where to do their shopping. It comes with a built-in shopping list where products can be added.
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Once you have returned from the supermarket and unpacked your groceries decide which meals you will make first. Some vegetables will store for longer than others so there may be meals which need to be eaten sooner than others. Leave any meals made from pantry and freezer staples until just before you need to go shopping again.
Tips to help make meal planning a success:
It’s a good idea to plan for at least one dinner which can be entirely made from ingredients you already have just in case an item on your shopping list is out of stock when you get to the supermarket.
There are many meals that work well over two nights – either they make enough to feed your family twice so you get a night off cooking, or you can take the leftovers from one meal and turn it into something else.
If you are prone to forgetting to take the list to the supermarket, take a photo of it with your phone as soon as you have written it so even if you leave it at home, you still know what you need.
If you have time reorder your shopping list in the order of the supermarket aisles – that way you will be in and out much faster.
Acknowledgement
Many of the steps and tips above have been adapted from content developed by Love Food Hate Waste NZ. They are part of a global initiative that is fighting food waste! Click on the link for more helpful ideas on how to make the most of food!
Other helpful resources
Heart Foundation – Click here to find out ‘Everything you need to know about meal prep’.
Consumer NZ has written an article on how supermarkets tempt us to spend more. Click here to find out more about the psychology behind how stores are laid out and the common tricks of the trade.
