While food falls under the needs category in every household budget, not everything you buy at the grocery store is a necessity. Many people are guilty of overbuying groceries and inevitably throwing away leftovers. Not only does this result in a waste of natural resources, but it’s a waste of money, too. In fact, the Natural Resources Defense Council’s 2017 “Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food From Farm to Fork to Landfill” report found that Americans throw out more than 400 pounds of food per person per year, which comes to a total loss of $218 billion in wasted groceries annually. If you’re looking to reduce your food consumption and cut your grocery bill, give meal planning a try.
“Meal planning is so important for reducing food waste because it ensures every grocery item you come home with will be used in a recipe,” says Talia Koren, founder of Workweek Lunch, a meal prep blog and subscription service. “Without planning in advance, you may end up with a bunch of groceries that may not work together in a recipe and if you don’t use them up fast enough, they may go bad. Having a plan helps avoid this.”
[See: 8 Big Budgeting Blunders — and How to Fix Them.]
Meal planning doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Here’s how to save money by meal planning strategically:
— Consider your calendar.
— Take inventory.
— Use overlapping ingredients.
— Curate your shopping list carefully.
— Consider sales and coupons.
— Repurpose leftovers.
— Prep in bulk.
— Know your greatest hits.
Read on for more insight on each expert-backed strategy to help you start planning your weekly meals and snacks effectively to ultimately reduce food waste and trim grocery costs.
Consider your calendar. Before you begin planning out meals for the week, review your schedule for any social gatherings, lunch meetings or kid’s parties you have coming up. That way, you’ll know which days and nights you won’t need to prepare lunch or dinner for, advises Reilly Brock, a meal planning expert and content manager at Imperfect Produce, a produce delivery subscription service. Otherwise, you run the risk of ending up with too much food.
Take inventory. It’s easy to overlook ingredients and double up on items you already have at home if you don’t take stock before heading to the store. Justina Murphy, founder of Knot to Nest, a lifestyle blog with a focus on food planning and prep for mothers, suggests creating a pantry, fridge and freezer inventory that you can reference prior to creating meal plans and shopping lists. “By doing so, you insure you’re using what you have on hand and only purchasing what you need, thus reducing food and money waste,” she says. You may be able to piece together meals with what’s in your pantry and refrigerator by using Supercook.com, a free online resource which curates a list of meals based on ingredients you already have.
Use overlapping ingredients. The key to saving money when meal planning is to choose recipes that share ingredients, so you use up everything you buy. Plus, buying fewer ingredients makes meal prep easier since there is less to sort, chop and dice. “If you plan a curry, fajitas, an omelette night, pasta and a stir-fry, you can use a lot of the same vegetables and in all of these dishes,” suggests Caitlin Fisher, founder and blogger at the lifestyle blog Born Again Minimalist.
To get started, consider checking out The Fresh 20, a cost-effective meal planning service that creates a variety of meals using just 20 simple ingredients for a much more budget-friendly grocery list.
Curate your shopping list carefully. Your shopping list is crucial in guiding you in and out of the grocery store quickly and helping you dodge impulse buys. Take it one step further and write out your grocery list in the order that the aisles are set up in your favorite store, suggests Darla DeMorrow, certified professional organizer and author of “Organizing Your Kitchen with Sort and Succeed: Five Simple Steps to Declutter Your Kitchen and Pantry Shelves, Save Money and Clean Your Kitchen Countertops.”
“With a little organization ahead, you’ll save time and avoid having to retrace your steps looking for forgotten items at the store,” she says. Free apps like Big Oven and List Ease allow you to organize your shopping list on your phone so it’s easily accessible.
[See: 12 Shopping Tricks to Keep You Under Budget.]
Consider sales and coupons. When thinking about what types of dishes you can make for the week, begin by reviewing your local store circulars to see which grocery items are on sale. Then, look for recipes that use these discounted food items to save on your grocery purchase. “If there are good sales on things you purchase often, plan on doubling the recipe and freezing half for a quick defrost and weeknight meal in the future,” says Colleen Carlson, master certified health coach at ConsultColleen.com.
You can also find deals on meat and fish that’s nearing expiration. Usually stores will reduce prices on such food to move it off shelves and you may be able to substitute protein in the recipes you choose to further cut your grocery bill.
Repurpose leftovers. When leftovers don’t sound appetizing for a repeat meal, repurpose them. You can recreate a leftover dish into something new for another night. For example, leftover vegetables can be added to a salad, stir-fry or soup, while larger cuts of meat can be used for stews and casseroles, Carlson says. A little creativity goes a long way and can reduce food waste without sacrificing taste. If you need some inspiration, turn to the free Love Your Leftovers app, which can help you discover new recipes using the food in your refrigerator. The app also provides information about how best to store food and leftover ingredients to keep them fresh longer.
Prep in bulk. The most time-consuming issue with meal planning is the prep work. If you feel rushed or tired at the end of a long work day and have little motivation to chop vegetables, make a salad or clean and cook meat, you may find yourself picking up takeout rather than preparing the food you planned to cook, says Sarah Thacker, integrative nutrition health coach and author of “Wholistic Food Therapy: A Mindful Approach to Making Peace with Food.” This is why it’s vital to plan out the time you will prep your food, she says.
Choose one day a week to prep all the food you will need for the week so cooking after school and work is a breeze. Otherwise, stock your freezer with bags of chopped veggies or meats that are already prepped, so you always have it available to cook when a recipe calls for it.
[See: 20 Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store.]
Know your greatest hits. A useful exercise for meal planning is to write down the dishes that you and your family enjoy cooking and eating the most. “By making a note of what you’re most excited to cook, you’ll be able to shop for these favorites with less time, effort and waste,” Brock says.
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How to Meal Plan Effectively to Save Money originally appeared on usnews.com
