Meal Planning Struggle: Missing an Ingredient
Don’t you hate it when you go to make dinner and you realize you are missing an ingredient to make that particular meal. Now you have two choices…run to the grocery store at dinner time (are you kidding me!…No Thanks!) or find something else to make. Well, today I have a few tips for helping you with this meal planning struggle.
Use a Meal Plan Shopping List
Whether you are using a purchased meal plan or your own look, at the ingredients needed for the week’s recipes and add them to your shopping list. This way you know you have all the ingredients to make at least those meals.
Do a Pantry Check
Before you go grocery shopping, take a few minutes to go through your pantry and add any commonly used items. This will help to combate this meal planning struggle of missing an ingredient when you go to make dinner. Do you need fresh garlic, lemons, or onions? Are there any seasonings you are running low on or out of? Any oils, butter, or flour that is needed? How about any commonly used canned goods such as tomato products or coconut milk? These are items that sometimes get overlooked when we make our grocery list for the week but can mean a last-minute trip to the grocery store.
Buy Extra of Non-Perishable Items & Stock Your Freezer & Pantry
While we are talking about a pantry check, why not buy extra of those non-perishable items like the canned tomatoes or frequently used coconut milk. Also, stock up on butter when it is on sale and place it in the freezer. Getting into the habit of having extra on hand will start to build up your pantry supply and eliminate those extra trips to the grocery stores. If 2020 taught us anything it is we should always have some “extra” on hand.
Most grocery stores run their sale items on a six-week intervals. This means they put an item such as roasts, steaks, or chicken on sale every 6 weeks. So it makes sense to buy enough chicken breasts to get you through those 6 weeks when it is on sale and stock your freezer. This will give you many ingredients on hand to plan your meals. Just remember to use a freezer and pantry inventory sheet so items get used by a certain date. This also helps them not getting lost or forgotten in the freezer or the back of the cupboard.
