So I’m sitting at home, alone and in the dark writing this post. We just had a huge storm and lost power – which basically puts the icing on my no good, very bad day. Last night I was up all night with stomach pain, sweats, chills and digestive issues I’d rather not mention. I stayed home from work to rest and that helped a little but my stomach is still acting up. I’m not sure what the cause could be but I did have lunch out at a restaurant on Monday so maybe it was something in the dish or perhaps it’s just a stomach bug… blah!
I had a recipe picked out that I wanted to make for tonight’s dinner, but since the thought of real food was making me cringe today I decided to hold off on that one.
Since I don’t have any fun recipes to talk about, I thought tonight would be the perfect time to answer a question I recently received about meal planning, shopping, etc
Reader Question -
I had a question for you in regards to your food shopping. It seems like you always have such great ingredients on hand. I am only cooking for one right now, and I hate buying too much produce and having it go bad. Are there set items that you buy each week? Do you buy items with recipes in mind? Any tips here would be greatly appreciated!
The planning
I’d love to say that I plan my meals each week and only buy what I need at the grocery store, but alas, I am not cut out for strict meal planning. I’ve tried multiple times and it really just doesn’t work for me. What I like to do is pick 1 or 2 recipes I want to try, make sure I have the ingredients on hand and plan on making them sometime during the week. I also like to buy staple ingredients so I have plenty of things I can throw together for a quick lunch or dinner without much planning.
The shopping
I typically go food shopping every week and tend to shop at different grocery stores depending on the amount of the time I have and what things I need. Kroger is the closest grocery store to us and they have a good selection of organic food (produce and shelf stable) and their prices are good. There’s also a an organic market called Ellwood’s that is pretty close as well. I like their bulk bin selection, prepared wraps, and salad/hot bar. I’m always stopping by for one or two things but they’re a little too pricey to do all my shopping there.
When I have plenty of time to shop I like to drive out (about 15-20 minutes) to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. The stores are about 2 minutes apart so I can easily go by both in one trip. Trader Joe’s has great deals on organic frozen fruits, veggie patties, shelf stable items like my beloved Almond Milk for only $1.99, canned beans, a great selection of dried fruits and nuts, as well as cheap wine. Can’t forget the wine. 
Whole Foods, on the other hand, has beautiful produce, a huge selection of organic dairy items and great bulk bins. Plus they have monthly coupons that always seem to be for things I want or need.
The photos above are from my trip to both stores this past weekend and include many of the staples I like to have on hand each week. The first photo is all the non refrigerated items and the second one is everything that needs to be kept cold.
- Fresh fruit – apples, bananas, cantaloupe, blueberries
- Produce – broccoli, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts
- Bulk bin trail mix, dried cherries
- 1 can of beans for a recipe I wanted to make
- 2 Chocolate Dipped Coconut Luna Bars (my fav at the moment)
- Unsweetened vanilla almond milk for smoothies, overnight oats and cereal
- Frozen fruit for smoothies and snacks
- Egg whites
- Yogurt and cottage cheese
- Frozen edamame for snacking or meals
- Veggie sausage patties for breakfast
We also have some additional items on hand this week:
- Fresh eggs from a woman on Isaac’s frisbee team
- Salad greens, a pepper, eggplant and kale from the Farmers Market on Saturday
- Random veggies and herbs left over from last week
- Shelf staples like cereal, grains, dry beans, flour, sugar, spices etc.
Each week I try to write on the dry erase board in our kitchen the items we have on hand and what dishes might be good for dinner. They don’t always pan out – tonight was a perfect example of that! I was going to make white bean burgers but ended up eating a bag of popchips instead. <– Like I said, my stomach hasn’t been up for much today.
I don’t put breakfast and lunch on the board because I tend to eat a lot of the same things for these meals each week.
Thanks to Christie for this awesome idea.
This board is helpful for several reasons -
- It’s erasable.
- It makes it easy to see what we have on hand and what things can go together to make a meal.
- We can add dinner engagements or times when we’re going to be out of town.
So there you have it. That’s my meal planning strategy! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions about anything.
What do you do? Are you a strict meal planner or do you play it by ear? How often do you go food shopping?
Ahhh… the power is back on and my stomach is feeling a tiny bit better at the moment. Let’s hope that means I can get a full night of sleep!
Brittany Mullins, HHC
{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
I am not a meal planner at all. I usually decide day of what I’m going to make based on what I feel like eating and how much time I have. I walk by Whole Foods almost daily so if I decide to make something and don’t have the ingredients on hand, I just pick them up when I pass by. I probably make a big grocery shopping trip every two weeks or so, but make many little trips in between.
awesome awesome wipe off board idea!!! no fun to hear you are sick!
hoping you feel good as new tomorrow xoxox!
I hope you feel better buddy
I was having crazy stomach pains too but luckily nothing too bad.
I found that I was spending over $100 on groceries per week by picking up whatever, so for the last couple of weeks, I have made a complete menu for the week (incl. bfast and lunch) and posted it on our fridge. In just a short time, I’ve found that it not only has saved me a TON of money but makes my nights much less stressful.
I’m so happy you’re not a meal planner (sorry!) because I thought I was the only one who can’t really plan. I honestly thought there was something ‘faulty’ in me. I mean, I would like to meal plan, but I like to grocery shop too much and just find recipes as they come to me…which means I can’t really plan out what I’m going to make 2 nights from now if the recipe comes to me tomorrow! I usually am a planner, but for this, I don’t. It’s weird, right?
Hope you keep continuing to feel better!!
I love the board idea! Really want to get one now.
I try to plan out about 5-7 dinners at a time and shop for just those, but I always end up making extra store runs during the week. I ADORE that whiteboard idea…I think I’m going to have to try it!
I love the idea of keeping inventory on a white board. My husband and I have been thinking tech-wise to keep track, but a handy white board seems so much easier, lol. Love it! And your produce is gorgeous.
I map out in my mind roughly what meals I plan to have in the next week before I go shopping and buy whatever I need for them. I keep it quite flexible, like deciding to have a chicken and rice dish at some point but deciding exactly what dish the day before – it could be a curry, a risotto, a stir-fry…whatever I’m in the mood for and what veg I have.
I make sure I’m always stocked up on the essentials, like a variety of grains, herbs and spices, chicken fillets and extra-lean ground meat, cans of tuna and beans, cheese and natural yoghurt, and a variety of veg that I know I’ll find a use for.
That is a good idea. I usually get confused with what to cook for the week. I do try to plan in advance what I will cook and eat but more often that not I end up cooking too much or changing recipes because I ran out of ingredients. Maybe having a board will help me become more organized!
I’m a pretty serious meal planner for Sunday through Thursday dinners each week. It helps me to have a plan for dinner every night so I can make sure that we get a healthy meal on the table at a decent hour. This also helps curb my food spending. I save so much money by sticking to a plan and a list. As for Fridays and Saturdays, I have more time so I wing it.
I am a pretty strict meal planner. I plan out every meal for the week on Sundays. But every week, something comes up whether you’re just not in the mood for what you planned or social engagements. You still have to be flexible! I like to plan so I don’t over or under buy and to cut back on eating out.
Love the idea of a board! I have a small notepad on the fridge but a board would be so much more inspiring.
I try to stay flexible with my meal planning! that erase board is a great idea
I’ll go shopping probs once a week, unless i reallyreally need something!!
I try my best at planning meals, but have not been doing too good with it. I need to write it out like you.
Oh and sorry for my random text to you last night, I need to pay attention more to my phone haha
have a great time at the beach!
love the dry erase board idea! i keep my “plan” on paper, but as long as I have it written down somewhere, I do better about remembering what I have to use, etc.
Hope you’re feeling better!
Love the white board idea! I normally make the same type of notes when meal planning but have a notepad on the fridge for it – the dry erase board sounds soooo much better though. Hope you start feeling better soon
I know its totally weird but i love seeing what people buy at the store! haha weird. i love the dry erase board idea too! that makes everything much clearer. ive tried to plan my meals but i tend to start, then stop by like wed or thurs. maybe one of these days ill stick to it!
I’m on day 11 of BFL! But I’ve been a strict meal planner for quite a while, so I’m used to it. I use the forms from the book now but I used to just use a sheet of paper. I plan out each meal and use basically the same steps as you. I take inventory of what I have on hand, then make meals around that and make my grocery list of anything I’m missing. I was actually just going to do a blog post about it!
Planning each meal helps me use up my garden produce in the summer because I find that if I just stick it in the fridge, I never think of things to make with it and some ends up going bad! OR I never even get it picked because I don’t have anything in mind to make with it. This way I inventory what’s on the garden ready to be picked and use it up THAT week!
Oh wow. I wish I had a bigger kitchen for a board like that. I wonder if I could stick it on the side and find a magnetic one big enough. Hmmm… Thanks for the awesome idea!
BRAT dieting it?
Trying to!
I love the dry erase board!! We’re really bad at meal planning, we usually do the same as you – pick 1 or 2 specific recipes and keep staples on hand to throw together the rest of the time. We still seem to have a lot of produce that goes bad though…
Hope your stomach feels much better already! I love the whiteboard idea! I’m not good at meal planning either – most of the time I decide what veggies I’m using when I get home and start cooking! Not always the best plan, because if I’m craving a dish and missing a key ingredient, I’m always too lazy to go back out and get it!
i really like the dry erase board idea! i keep a list, shop on sundays, and eat from home most weekday meals. but the dry erase board would help remember pantry items like quinoa, lentils, and what’s in the veg drawer.
feel better!
i’m definitely a meal planner, but at times i get bored of that and stray from it a bit…it’s times like those when the white board idea would be awesome! thanks for sharing!
I do about the same thing every week, but I don’t have a whiteboard to prove it! I take inventory of what I have on hand and try to make a game plan for the week. I usually plan to pack lunches too for work.
That dry-erase board is such a good idea! Thanks for sharing!
I am *totally* a meal planner… I rarely buy something without knowing exactly how I will use it, I hate to waste food since we’re trying to save $$ and pay back our student loans, and I know it all adds up. I’m sure it drives my fiancee nuts sometimes when he picks up something random at the co-op and I’m like “umm what are we going to use that for?”… but with stuff like fruit, berries, condiments and other snacky things I just buy what I feel like because I know I’ll eat them all anyways
I’m right there with you – plan some meals but go with my mood for the rest. I usually pick a couple recipes I like, buy the ingredients over the weekend, make them and then separate them into containers for several days worth of meals. I also always have certain staples on hand (fresh fruit & veggies, tortillas, avocados, yogurt) to make quick meals when I don’t feel like what I had made in advance. I’ve found that if I don’t have food prepped and ready at all times, I tend to make bad choices. And yes, we do occassionally eat out and indulge, but probably only once a week and usually at restaurants we know have healthy options! We’re big Ruby Tuesday fans. Try the Zucchini Cakes! =)
I try so hard to make a plan but as soon as I plan it I don’t want it anymore so I really just play it by ear. That said, I won’t allow myself to go out and buy whatever I want. I buy things once on the weekend and then have to get creative with whatever I have throughout the week. Otherwise I’d be completely broke!
I think it’d be nice to plan meals strictly. But in reality, I only have a few recipes in mind when I head to the grocery store and buy the ingredients I can remember that aren’t too expensive, staples, and a few things I simply can’t pass up (I’m only human.)
I try to limit myself to 1-2 grocery trips a week. It really depends on the week and how many times I need to run out and get something. Loved hearing your system, Brittany. Feel better!
LOVE the whiteboard idea! It will totally help me create meals around what i have.
I go grocery shopping once a week, and buy according to sales and seasonality. From there, I pick out several recipes to make throughout the week but still allow for flexibility in case we decide to eat out!
I do my big shopping trip once a week and then have the hubby stop on his way home from work for whatever we might need or be out of . Seems like it’s always milk or banana’s!
I also LOVE the whiteboard idea. Not only would it help me get more organized, it would be a good teaching/reading tool for my 6 y/o daughter. I too hate it when I buy too much produce and we don’t use it. I’m a fan of freezing leftover fruit for smoothies and making a big jumble of roasted veggies at the end of the week. Easy and always good! I try to plan meals by looking at store ads to see what meats/proteins are on sale and then go from there.
almond milk for 1.99!!! omg i jealous…..ive never been to a trader joes
I plan a couple of meals out and wing the rest!
I LOVE the idea of using a board to write your meals out like this!
Yay!! So glad the white board idea is working for you!!
Sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well. If you need anything, please let me know.
What a fantastic idea…. I’m going to have to use the white board.
Love that dry erase board.
And “beach” !! Awesome!
I love the white board! Fun. I wish I had a big wall to hang one in my kitchen..
The meals look great, too!
Just came across your blog. I read your story and it is very inspirational. I’ll be reading, for sure.
Cool idea! I stick to a store list like it’s my job. It saves money and time, but it can often lead to lack of snacks. If I don’t “need” it, I often don’t buy it. Let’s face it, sometimes you want more than you need!
With our budget we have to meal plan things to make sure we’re shopping for only what we need. However, I LOVE the blackboard idea for more versatile planning.
Hope you’re feeling better, Brittany!
I hope you feel better soon
I’m usually the same way with my meal planning-I do a rough plan of what I want to make, or even a type of cuisine a night, and then get what I need (plus produce) weekly. I also keep a list of staples we have on hand.
I’m SO impressed by your organization! I do something similar with picking out a couple recipes to make each week before going to the grocery store. But somehow I still always buy too much and spend too much!
I still sometimes buy and spend too much as well! That’s definitely something I want to work on.
I love the idea of a dry erase board. Organization make me very happy!
I’m honestly not much of a meal planner, because I usually eat the same basic staples everyday, and then dinner is always something random- either out to dinner with friends, or cooking with friends! Otherwise I just eat something simple and quick! I’m always on the go, and it’s usually random, so meal planning is hard!
Enjoy your weekend! I hope the sun sticks around for us
I love the use of your white board! Definitely going to start doing that!!
I tend to lose track of what’s in the fridge- especially with produce- so the white board seems like such a brilliant idea to me!