Want to plan some meals but don’t know where to start?
Or would you like to challenge yourself to be more creative with your meals?
To do this, all you need is
1) A local grocery store ad (many are accessible online)
2) A notepad (paper or electronic)
3) A little bit of time
Don’t worry-- the time will be made up while you zip through the store, and again when you have everything you need to prepare meals for the week.
WHERE TO START
First, find the website of at least one grocery store near you. There should be a link for weekly ads where you can put in your zip code and choose your store. Once you have your grocery store of choice, a great place to start this game is to head straight down to the produce section. Here you will find all the fruits and vegetables on sale for the week. This is especially wonderful when you find yourself picking the same fruits or vegetables every time. You might find that this week whole pineapples are on sale and would be a great addition to a fruit salad with berries. You might see that mangos are on sale and think it could sweeten up your salsa. Maybe something you’ve never even tried, like a fresh beet is on sale! Am I crazy for thinking that sliced radishes or a beet sliced into half-moons makes for a delicious vehicle for hummus? Bonus points if you also find hummus on sale in the deli section.
GET COLORFUL, GET CREATIVE
You can certainly start off by purchasing fruits and vegetables as delicious additions to meals, but the artist in me isn’t happy until they’re transformed. After finding blueberries and strawberries on sale, I just couldn’t stop so I bought bananas, oranges AND kiwi to create the most beautiful fruit salad ever to grace my apartment (and PLENTY of fruit to last me the whole week). And, of course, when I found that one store that always sells eggplants for less than anywhere else, I let myself buy two and try my hand at eggplant lasagna.
I especially love turning to sale ads when I have no idea what meals to make. Instead of trying to think up recipes and find ingredients to fit those recipes, I start with discounted ingredients and then I get creative in how I can use them. Many cookbooks have an ingredient index you can use, or you can just type an ingredient or two into a web browser to find a recipe that works for you. Just like that, the hardest part of meal planning for the week is finished! Like with the pineapple, my first thought may be to make a fruit salad, but if I find out that green chile salsa is on sale, I might decide to make green chile pork and pineapple tacos. Or if shrimp is on sale, I am much more likely to make shrimp gumbo than if it weren’t on sale.
DON’T FORGET YOUR LIST
You have done most of the work by searching sale items and finding additional ingredients from recipes, now you just have to remember it! I have left the store without one ingredient enough times for myself and you, so to make this system work best, I have found making a list to be really helpful. I would recommend getting a magnetic notepad for the fridge- spring for a cute one even!One way maximize the usefulness of your list is by grouping ingredients together by type of food- just like this! You will save time by knowing exactly what you need and where you need it from… not to mention that second trip of shame can become (mostly) a thing of the past!
SAVE TIME AND MONEY
While I primarily use weekly ads for a meal planning technique with an awesome added bonus of saving a few dollars, I have found that it really does shave off some time at the store, mostly because it prompts me to have a clear idea of what the meals I will make for the week are. I have also found I am less inclined to purchase random things when I go prepared with a list.
FINAL CHECKLIST
One stop at grocery store? Check.
A cart full of fruits and vegetables to make my body and wallet happy? Check.
Dissatisfaction with little to no variety in meals from week to week…? Not here!
So to the frugal, the planner and the adventurer- happy shopping and happy eating!
Written by:
Jennifer Daughtry
Student, University of Texas School of Public Health
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