30 Days of November, Day 7: Of Meal Planning
Part of my overall push to be healthy and also to be frugal is centered on cooking more often. Dining out can be expensive and not always satisfying; also you never do know exactly what is the quality of the meal that you are eating. Cooking for yourself is cheaper, and gives you a lot more control over your diet. I also tend to eat more vegetables when I cook for myself than I do if I purchase a meal.
Planning meals is an essential part of home cooking.
It allows me to take stock of what I have in my pantry and fridge to cut down on food spoilage. Wasting food, especially fresh vegetables because you didn't plan properly is a real shame.
I then make a list of the meals themselves. I don't try to assign a meal to a particular day because that really doesn't work for me. Instead I create a list of what I would like to make that week, tailoring it to use mostly things I have on hand, especially perishables.
Finally, knowing what I have at home and keeping in mind what I want to make, helps me to create a better grocery list. It stops me from buying too much of a stand alone item or from buying stuff I already have at home. It also keep me from impulse purchases because I have a plan to stick to.
My list for this week is:
Cassava-crust Pizza
Stir-FryVeggies and Rice
French Fries and Nuggets
Breadfruit and Eggs
Smoothies
Baring this list in my mind, I bought fresh vegetables for the stir fry and a couple of specialty items for the cassava crust; knowing I already had potatoes at home, I skipped those and bought some bananas for my smoothies. Easy-Peasy!
I also try to do one crock-pot meal on Saturdays which allows me to pack out lunches for work. Usually this is a one-pot pasta dish but I also do some lamb, or ribs if the mood strikes me. I plan to branch out and try a few casseroles as well. I bought meal prep containers from Amazon to help with making packing out the lunch easy, and also to encourage me to add a salad to each meal.
Packaging meals for work has been key in making sure that I don't spend money on lunch, which was previously one of my largest vices.
When I take a crack at the Cassava pizza I will share the adventure with you, so stay tuned for that post. Until next time...
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| Yum Yum! |
Planning meals is an essential part of home cooking.
It allows me to take stock of what I have in my pantry and fridge to cut down on food spoilage. Wasting food, especially fresh vegetables because you didn't plan properly is a real shame.
I then make a list of the meals themselves. I don't try to assign a meal to a particular day because that really doesn't work for me. Instead I create a list of what I would like to make that week, tailoring it to use mostly things I have on hand, especially perishables.
Finally, knowing what I have at home and keeping in mind what I want to make, helps me to create a better grocery list. It stops me from buying too much of a stand alone item or from buying stuff I already have at home. It also keep me from impulse purchases because I have a plan to stick to.
My list for this week is:
Cassava-crust Pizza
Stir-FryVeggies and Rice
French Fries and Nuggets
Breadfruit and Eggs
Smoothies
Baring this list in my mind, I bought fresh vegetables for the stir fry and a couple of specialty items for the cassava crust; knowing I already had potatoes at home, I skipped those and bought some bananas for my smoothies. Easy-Peasy!
I also try to do one crock-pot meal on Saturdays which allows me to pack out lunches for work. Usually this is a one-pot pasta dish but I also do some lamb, or ribs if the mood strikes me. I plan to branch out and try a few casseroles as well. I bought meal prep containers from Amazon to help with making packing out the lunch easy, and also to encourage me to add a salad to each meal.
Packaging meals for work has been key in making sure that I don't spend money on lunch, which was previously one of my largest vices.
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| Lamb with steamed veg and a side salad |
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