Monday, August 23, 2010

Purge Your Pantry & Plan Your Meals

It’s a cool and rather gloomy (weather-wise) morning here in Boston, but we’re back with another time-saving tip. I chose one that makes me think about warm and comforting things - like home-cooked meals.

Time-Saving Tip #6: Purge your pantry and plan your meals.
Having a streamlined yet well-stocked pantry along with 15 minutes of weekly meal planning can save lots of time and stress, not to mention money and your waistline. Whether you’re cooking for one or have a houseful of picky eaters, following some simple strategies can ease meal-time stress and streamline your routine.

1) De-clutter your pantry and fridge. Having an over-stuffed pantry and fridge leads to wasted money and food and also makes it harder to decide what to cook or eat. Make time to pull everything out and give your pantry and fridge a quick cleaning. You will feel so much better with a clean, fresh, and pared down pantry. So get in there and toss these items right away: 1) anything expired and 2) anything your family does not like. When you put things back, remember to put like items together, so you can easily find what you need. To take things a step further, get rid of foods that don’t fit your health and wellness goals and put things that have been hanging around for a while (but are still good) ‘on probation’ - use ‘em or toss ‘em within the next month. Most of us live close enough to a store that we don’t need to stockpile weeks worth of food. And remember, it’s okay to run out of something - variety is the spice of life!

2) Decide when it makes sense for you to food shop. Try to pick a consistent day/time (or a couple days/times) and put it in your calendar just like an appointment. Pick a time when your store is less crowded and well-stocked. Ask a store clerk or manager if you’re not sure when the quiet times are. Having a routine will help structure both your shopping and your meals. And don’t forget to keep your re-usable shopping bags in your car so you don’t come home with a new supply of plastic bags every time you shop!

3) Plan your meals. We have many clients who are over-run by saved recipes. Go through them with a critical view and put the ones you might actually make in a simple binder using sheet protectors. Use your recipes as a source of inspiration for your weekly planning. The day before your scheduled shopping trip, pick 2 or 3 dinners to make between now and your next shopping trip and write down the ingredients you’ll need on your shopping list. If you are clearing out a packed pantry, plan your meals based on ingredients you already have and only buy any extras you need. If you’re working from a streamlined pantry, you can still use what you have as a starting point. Also pick recipes/meals that share at least 1or 2 common ingredients. For example, if your dinner tonight calls for half a red bell pepper, plan a stir fry or fajitas for another night to use the rest of the pepper. Fill in the rest of your shopping list with any snacks and staples you are out of. If you shop more than once a week, remember - you don’t need to get it all on the first trip!

Bottom Line: Streamlining your pantry and your shopping routine will help save time and money and keep your food choices and stress levels in check.

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