in planning a menu for the upcoming week, this is how i roll.
step 1: take an inventory of what i already have on hand. i usually make a list of everything i can find that needs to be eaten. i make it a priority to use up refrigerated items and fresh produce first since they are typically best consumed within 7 days. then i check the pantry and freezer. this saves a lot of money because i'm not buying products that i already have.
step 2: build a menu from that list and fill in where items are needed; sides and extra ingredients to make a meal.
step 3: from the menus for the week, i make my shopping list. when i do this, i typically buy just the amount needed. this is up for debate as some people prefer to buy in bulk, which makes sense for larger families. but for us and our freezer that is packed out with breast milk, i buy just enough for the week. for example, if i need bay leaves, i buy just 3 leaves or whatever i need. it would cost me about 10 cents instead of spending almost $3.00 on an entire jar.
the places i am willing to spend money are on fresh herbs, organic dairy products, free-range eggs, and organic thin-skinned produce (pesticides seep through thin skins easier than thick ones; apples, peppers, celery, strawberries, lettuces, etc.)
the areas i care less about spending money would be in what wines i select to cook with, pasta brands (making sure they are whole wheat still), oils, and pretty much all non-food items. :) generic is my friend, but i'm just not willing to compromise quality/nutritiousness of some food.
in general, we eat meat 1-2x/week and usually off of whatever is in our freezer. we eat some kind of fish at least once a week and meatless meals the rest of the week. if i had it my way, i'd eat meat once a month, but i've got to cater to my audience and he is most definitely a carnivore.
step 2: build a menu from that list and fill in where items are needed; sides and extra ingredients to make a meal.
step 3: from the menus for the week, i make my shopping list. when i do this, i typically buy just the amount needed. this is up for debate as some people prefer to buy in bulk, which makes sense for larger families. but for us and our freezer that is packed out with breast milk, i buy just enough for the week. for example, if i need bay leaves, i buy just 3 leaves or whatever i need. it would cost me about 10 cents instead of spending almost $3.00 on an entire jar.
the places i am willing to spend money are on fresh herbs, organic dairy products, free-range eggs, and organic thin-skinned produce (pesticides seep through thin skins easier than thick ones; apples, peppers, celery, strawberries, lettuces, etc.)
the areas i care less about spending money would be in what wines i select to cook with, pasta brands (making sure they are whole wheat still), oils, and pretty much all non-food items. :) generic is my friend, but i'm just not willing to compromise quality/nutritiousness of some food.
in general, we eat meat 1-2x/week and usually off of whatever is in our freezer. we eat some kind of fish at least once a week and meatless meals the rest of the week. if i had it my way, i'd eat meat once a month, but i've got to cater to my audience and he is most definitely a carnivore.
3 comments:
Dear Chef Carey,
For those of us who would like to eat less meat during the week but aren't sure what a meatless dinner looks like, besides spaghetti or soup, do you have any suggestions?
Love,
one of your biggest fans :)
Excellent article on menu planning. It was helpful and informative. hope to see more greats posts like this.
Love your menua planning experience. I wish you were on Pinterest, I'd love to follow you there.
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