We’re not just fighting for space in our kitchens, we’re fighting for time. Life gets in the way of cooking, food shopping, and then we resort to do what’s easier - order takeout for the night, or make processed, prepared meals.
I get it. Kids take time. Work takes time. Lots of things take the brief chunks of time we have each day and robs us of that half-hour we thought we had to make a meal, let alone sit and enjoy it. And every family is different - different work schedules, pet-walking schedules, kids’ activities schedules. Even in a quarantine, we find we have no time, because everyone is home ALL THE TIME.
We would probably all agree that cooking our own meals is healthier. We can also agree that buying our own food is cheaper. So cheaper, healthier. Let’s start there.
Making your own home-cooked meals takes planning, but it’s fairly easy planning. While some weeks I may plan my meals for every day of the week, some weeks I don’t have the mental focus - but I still go food shopping. I get things that go with other things easily, like vegetables and proteins, so I have easy options during the week that don’t require a lot of thinking on the day.
So grab a notebook that you can designate to weekly meal planning/menus, and break down your time and planning into two parts:
Food shopping for the week -
Planning what you want to prepare each day.
Make a list similar to the one on the picture to the left, and go from there. A list will help you plan everything ahead, and all you have to do is follow your own instructions. Easy peasy!
Do this when going to the market:
Take the shopping list you made with you to the market. If you do not want to take the notebook with you, then take a picture of it and use it while you shop.
Don’t shop for more than a week or two, if possible. Many of the food items we think we’ll eat wind up spoiling in the fridge, or on the counter.
Don’t shop hungry! That’s how we wind up with 18 boxes of Pop-Tarts in the cupboard.
Make sure you always have the staples you will likely need. For example: sugar, flour, baking soda/powder, garlic, onions, vegetable oil, basic spices and flavor agents- things that many recipes might use, and that will keep for a long while in your cabinets and fridge.
Shop with your brain, not with your heart. I know we see things and we think “well, I might use it one of these days.” You won't. You never do! We all do this- but try not to.
Just because you’re making meals for the week doesn’t mean you have to plan a crazy, complicated menu each day. Some days you might want to be more adventurous than others, and that’s great. But most days you'll just want to be done with everything, put your kids in bed, and have a glass of wine. I don’t judge.
Cooking your own meals helps you not only be healthier and save money, but it can also help you become more creative with the food you make, and how you incorporate it into the weekly meals.
If you are making mashed potatoes one night, make enough to have leftovers - then serve it on a later day with another main dish, or make mash fritters with them.
If you are making white rice one night, use leftovers to make fried rice a couple of days later, by just adding some chopped veggies, protein if desired and some soy sauce.
Sometimes even meat can be repurposed, but make sure to use it within three days to prevent it from spoiling. If you made ribs one night, use it the day after by taking it off the bone and using it for tacos. Take some roasted or grilled chicken, and mix it with veggies or pasta two days later.
Organization is the key for a well-run kitchen. You can’t control everything in life, but you can take control of the important foods you and your family eat. You can also help your budget - and your health - by making your own meals most of the time.
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