With work and school stress upon us, you’ve likely noticed the dinner-time frustration mounting. Knowing what to eat can be a real challenge! However, meal planning can be the solution. Andrea D’Ambrosio, Registered Dietitian and owner of Dietetic Directions shared some tips.
Tip #1: Take stock before you shop
D’Ambrosio says it is as simple as opening the fridge and taking a look at what is already there. She says you can plan your meal as you identify the perishable items.
“[Canadians] spend about 10 per cent of their grocery budget on food that goes bad,” said D’Ambrosio. “Often, we don’t even know it is sitting in the back of the fridge.”
She says some of the food she finds leftover at the end of a week includes celery, peppers, mushrooms and cauliflower. You can use food like these to plan a “fridge cleaner recipe.”
“Maybe a stir fry would be a good option to just throw everything in, or even a soup,” said D’Ambrosio. “Another great option is a quiche, I love doing this because you throw in the leftover vegetables, use them up and save money.”
Tip #2: Do schedule review notes
D”Ambrosio says it is like a planner because you will write down all the commitments you have in the coming week and plan a meal around your schedule.
“One of my favourite simple meal options is doing 15-minute meals,” said D’Ambrosio. “If you know you have piano practice and you’re working late, something like avocado toast with boiled eggs is one of my go-to options.”
She says you can even prepare for when you know you will be busy by pre-boiling eggs, for example.
Tip #3: Translate planned meals into a recipe list
D’Ambrosio says everything that you come up with for a meal you will slot into a grocery list which is ordered by sections of a grocery store.
“For example: if we’re using avocado toast… do we have avocados at home, do we have bread and eggs at home?” said D’Ambrosio. “Then we simply put those ingredients in the same section so when you’re in the produce section, you’re more efficient because you’re only buying what you have on that list.”
She says this would prevent last minute grocery shopping and will allow you to come out of grocery shopping with exactly what you need.
On https://www.getcracking.ca/mealplan, you can order a PDF copy or paper copy of Meal Plan like a Pro.
