Meal Planning

One of the worst problems we have with food is waste. No matter how hard we try we end up buying food and not using it. And try as hard as we might, there are always those nights after work when without a solid plan we end up eating out. I don't mind the occasional sushi or pizza evening, but that can get expensive.

Recently I've been trying really hard to use what we have in our fridge, freezer and cupboards, while making dinner and lunches as many days a week as I can. One thing I've started trying is to make a meal plan for the week with the ingredients we have on hand and then only buying at the grocery store what we need to fill it out.

The first step for me is to outline what my week looks like, including any concerts, events, plans with friends etc. This way I know exactly what nights we'll be eating at home, when we'll have leftovers, and when we need to think about making a separate lunch.

Next step is for me to write down what we have on hand in four different categories: Protein, Dry Goods, Vegetables and Cheese (cause I love cheese). Looking at this list I try and create a menu for the week, using up as much of what we have that's fresh. Anything else I need, we do a quick run to the grocery store, and that's when we pick up any staples. These items are refreshed as needed from the list on the fridge.

I try and do this every Saturday or Sunday morning and so far so good. Let's see how long I can keep it up!