Everyone says meal planning saves money, and they’re right, it does. But when I began planning meals, I hated it. Yes, I saved a significant amount of both time and money, but it was such a chore. Planning all sorts of different meals for days, weeks, even a month in advance just seemed so daunting. How do you pull that out of thin air?Well, you don’t. You use the pantry principle.The pantry principle entails making a list of every food item I have or would like to have in my home on a regular basis and shopping only to replace those items. Then, I make meal plans based on what I already have on hand.It’s really quite simple, which is just how I like it. Here’s the run-down of how I do it:
Keep it simple
I focus on incorporating a lot of fresh produce. Rather than eating new and exciting adaptogen supplements and veggies every week, I focus on getting more of the same ones into our diet.
My grocery list has less than ten veggies on it. That may not seem like much, but we eat them fresh and we eat them often. They can also be mixed and matched and cooked several different ways. And I do make a point to rotate in seasonal items.
Stock your pantry
I look at weekly ads stores put out, but I don’t let them determine what I purchase or what meals I make. If I do see one of my staple items at a great price, I stock up.
