Happy Thursday! I am starting to finally feel a little better. I’ve had a cold the past two weeks that was certainly no fun. Just a reminder as a public service announcement to have good hand-washing practices. Experts state this is the number one illness prevention technique. Also this time of year it is especially important to wipe down door handles to decrease the germ load. I wish you all a healthy Holiday season!
My focus today is on meal planning and grocery shopping. The last several months I have been doing large grocery shopping every two weeks and then on the in between weekend just picking up fresh fruit and vegetables. This has really helped my budget and made it easier to plan meals. Studies have shown the more times you stop at the grocery store, the more money one spends. It also saves time. I’m sure like many of you, both my husband and I work full time and we have a busy teenage son. When I had bariatric surgery I also made a commitment to eating much less fast food and eating out less in general.
I sit down and take a few moments to cruise through my cookbooks. I found we were eating the same meals over and over, so I’ve also been incorporating new recipes into our grocery lists. I cook two or three meals on Sunday so that I do no have to prepare meals the first few nights of the week. This has worked with moderate success. I say that because on night two or three I do see frowns when they ask what’s for dinner and I say leftovers! We all agree though it has cut down on fast food which saves money, calories, and fat.
Cooking on one day for several days takes time and energy. I plan to continue this during the school year because of our busy schedules. When I cook for the week I try to go for variety but incorporate some of the same ingredients. I do this so if I’m chopping veggies I can use them for multiple meals. I used to buy the pre-chopped veggies but found them to be not as fresh and way more expensive. I also read an article from a blogger mom who makes meals ahead of time and stores the dry ingredients in meal jars so she can throw it together quick. I’m going to try this in the coming weeks myself.
I text myself my grocery list and this has worked well. I was thinking last night though back when I was in Weight Watchers, they shared a printable grocery list. Here is a link to that grocery list if you would like to give it a try: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/blog/food/smartpoints-grocery-guide
I hope these ideas I’m sharing will help you all as well. I’m not always the most organized person. In fact, I used to go shopping with no list or anything and just by food. I’m being more mindfully organized which does take some time and patience to learn. I am being truthful when I say this has saved us money, time, and we are eating much healthier. Please feel free to leave me comments about your ideas or ways you’ve been successful. You can also reach me on Facebook at my attached link. Best wishes,
Mandy