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Hey friends! You're likely all aware that the U.S. has a major food waste problem. According to the FDA, 30-40% of the food supply is wasted in the United States! Not only is this putting strain on our mother earth, but it's money you could've kept in your wallet and nourishment that could have gone to those in need. We can ALL do better. And what better time to start doing so than now -- when our pantries and freezers are likely overloaded due to the COVID-19 craze. Keep scrolling for my simple FOOD WASTE WORKSHEET that you can print off today!  As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I assist a lot of people with healthier eating habits and practices. It's my passion! But no matter the exact eating issue we're trying to tackle, some form of food journaling or assessment is typical to help us uncover all the "areas of improvement". :) So, in similar fashion this FOOD WASTE WORKSHEET is designed to allow you to (A) track what and how much food you're currently wasting, and then (B) decide exactly how you're going to do better about food waste in the future. It's not enough to simply say, "I've got to stop wasting food!" -- we must uncover a "How are we going to reduce wasting food?" that's realistic to our households.  Here's an example of how I filled out my FOOD WASTE WORKSHEET. (I personally like including how much I paid for the item as it helps reinforce how much money I'm throwing away.) And there is no right or wrong when it comes to your "Save It Strategy" -- try to settle on something that is easily achievable for you and your family. If you're having difficulty figuring out a way to prevent food waste with any particular item, feel free to reach out to us or your personal network of friends, family, and colleagues for ideas.  
Feel free to use this FOOD WASTE WORKSHEET in whatever way that ultimate assists you, but I would recommend going through your fridge (and pantry and freezer) for items that are on their way out before you make your next grocery store trip. Not only will this give you an opportunity to see what you already have on hand to hopefully prevent any potential food waste from happening immediately, but will also give you an extra reminder NOT to over-purchase or hoard items at your next grocery trip.
I'd love to hear what foods items you typically waste and how you plan on "saving" them in the future! Tell me in the comments below or tag us at @themealplanngingmethod on Facebook or Instagram. lindsey
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Hey friends! Have you noticed the prices of groceries going up lately? I've noticed our weekly grocery bill being more than normal, but what's normal anymore haha. Apparently though, my observation isn't unfounded. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocery prices grew 2.6% from March to April 2020 and 4.1% since April 2019! And as a "self-conscious shopper," this trend does not make me happy. How are we off-setting increased food prices? Meet ibotta -- the free app giving us cash back on items we're already buying. DISCLOSURE: There are affiliate links contained in this post, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and sign-up for ibotta.  What is ibotta?ibotta is a FREE smartphone app that gives cash back (not points or credit) on items you find in store and online. Their retailers currently include grocery stores like Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Walmart Grocery, as well other stores like Target, Walgreens, and Costco. Is ibotta easy to use?There are hundreds if not thousands of amazing apps, but are they really worth the valuable real estate on your smartphone AND the energy it takes to rack up the dough? My response is, "YES!"  Over the 2 years I've been using ibotta I've earned $111.81 in cash. No, I'm not swimming in cheddar, but to put these earnings into perspective... that's $111 more than I would have had than without the app. $111 back in the bank from stuff I'm already spending on. Absolutely the app could further be improved to make the user-experience even easier, but once you get into the routine of (1) adding available ibotta offers before you shop and then (2) submitting your receipts (or linking your loyalty accounts) after shopping it becomes just like perusing the weekly ads for deals. If you want to give ibotta a try, head on over to their website or easily download their app in your smartphone's app store. I'd love to hear what offers you're adding in the comments below! lindsey DISCLOSURE: There are affiliate links contained in this post, meaning, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and sign-up for ibotta.
Hey friends! I hope you and yours are staying safe during the COVID crisis. Until this week, we've actually been grocery shopping ourselves, but thought it would be a good idea to give our go-to grocery store's pickup services a test run in case it's absolutely necessary soon. Luckily, our intern Sarah had some experience with Kroger's Pickup before the stay-at-home orders so here's what we've learned about the grocery service before AND during COVID-19.  What is Kroger Pickup?Kroger Pickup used to be called "Kroger Clicklist" and allows you to simply shop online (or in their app) and schedule a time to pickup your groceries outside the store. Currently, this service is FREE (~$5 value)! How do you order groceries for Kroger Pickup?Adding items to your shopping cart is super simple online or in the Kroger mobile app. You can easily search for items using their search bar (you'll notice that items you typically buy do seem to pull up in the search results first) or even via digital coupons! PRO TIP: You can give associates additional instructions about items in your shopping cart where you see "Substitutions & Instructions" for each item. This is where you would share personal preferences like "green bananas" or "under $10" for your pack of chicken breasts. How do you schedule your Pickup order?Once you're ready to schedule your order for pickup, you'll begin the checkout process where you can then select a day & time (in 1 hour increments on the hour) for pickup that best suites you. Since the end of April, I've noticed no major delays in getting groceries same day if desired! (During the thick of Nashville's #SaferAtHome order, you had to schedule 3-4 days out.) **NOTE: You will be charged once you place your order. Sarah also shares that she, "opted-in for text reminders so [she] would get a text notification when [her] order was ready the next morning. [She] didn’t have to do this, but also noticed that you could easily edit your order on the app after it was placed. No stress!" Those text notifications are super helpful as it's one way Kroger can let you know if there are any issues with your order, such as items being unavailable. In this scenario, they provide suggested item substitutions for you to review and you can accept or deny their suggestion. (In some cases, you might get an item "upgrade" -- organic bananas vs. conventional, brand name dressing vs. private label, etc. -- without any additional charge!) How does Pickup at the store work? There is typically a designated parking area for Kroger Pickup customers. Here are the exact instructions from our Kroger:
Once you call an associate to let them know you have arrived during your reserved time slot, they'll ask you which number parking spot you've pulled into and if you have any additional coupons. (I wish I would have known this ahead of time as I didn't think this was possible via their Pickup service!) Their associates will load everything into your car and you can be on your merry way. We're typically pretty speedy shoppers when we go grocery shopping on our own (maybe takes ~30 minutes), but this Pickup process cut things down to just 10-15 minutes!! Are there any cons to Kroger Pickup? Overall, this is a great service for those who don't have the time to grocery shop on their own, are avoiding going into the stores, or possible unable to grocery shop themselves, but there is one big sticking point for Sarah and I when it comes to Kroger's Pickup service -- the use of plastic bags. It's pretty excessive with items sometimes bagged with only 1 item in the whole bag! Sarah expresses, "There was not an option to bring reusable bags and I wish there was." Agreed!
Are you opting for grocery pickup and/or delivery services right now? We'd love to hear how you're handling food differently these days! lindsey |
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