Hi friends! Do you remember the show Supermarket Sweep? I'm telling you... if it were still on, I would totally win! Grocery shopping is something I actually enjoy doing, but I realize that's not the case for most folks. I hear from clients, friends, and family that grocery shopping is "such a chore" and a dreaded one at that. Despite this, grocery shopping is a key component of meal planning and The Meal Planning Method. Today, I'm going to share three of our top tips to make grocery shopping easier and more efficient so you can keep up with meal planning, even during the busiest of times. #1: MAKE & TAKE YOUR GROCERY LISTMake and take your grocery list. Sounds like a no-brainer tip, but many times life happens, we know we need to get to the grocery store, so just pull up, "make do," and "wing it" when we get there. This is 100% an equation for more grocery store trips and/or more eating out because there's just no way we can remember everything we need to execute our weekly meal plan. So make that grocery list, friends. (And don't forget a pen or marker as well!) Even if you tend to buy the same things each week, making your grocery list takes out the guess work, extra time, and unnecessary stress of grocery shopping and obtaining the ingredients you need each week. If you tend to lose lists, paper, etc., there is no shame in opting for a more accessible solution for you and your family. Grocery lists can be kept in a notes app on your smartphone, in an email draft, or you even on a Google Doc -- tools you likely already have in your life. Use our FREE WEEKLY MEAL PLANNER to get started with your grocery list making! #2: PICK ONE STORE TO SHOPPick ONE grocery store to shop at and purchase all of your ingredients. With all the options to shop at different specialty stores these days, that can actually add up to a lot of unnecessary time spent on visiting various stores. Now, I totally get that certain stores have their own unique products and prices -- I'm not saying that you can't shop at other stores! -- but for this particular week, pick just one store to purchase the ingredients you need for the week. By choosing one store as your main go-to grocery store, you will become very efficient at shopping at this store -- mastering the layout of the store and knowing just where you can find what down which aisle. Getting in and getting out of the grocery store will free up time that you can spend doing other important things! Really don't have time to grocery shop? Outsource it to get groceries delivered or even opt for curbside pick-up to ensure you get the ingredients you need for the week. #3: KEEP IT ON YOUR CALENDARSince grocery shopping has to happen before any cooking can come into play, it's important to pinpoint WHEN works well for you to shop. Look at your week-to-week schedule and pick a day (and time) that typically works. I commonly recommend grocery shopping on the weekends because that's when we tend to have more time and less stress going on. It's important to not feel super rushed, tired, or hungry when we grocery shop, because this is when grocery shopping feels like a dreaded chore and we tend to skip/forget items and buy things not on our grocery list. So choose a day and time that works best for YOU -- no matter if this is Friday nights or Wednesdays during your lunch break -- and make a reoccurring appointment on your calendar. (Keep in mind that this may change over time as life changes and that's a-OK!) Let us know if these tips helped at your next grocery shopping trip! Share with us in the comments below or tag us at @themealplanningmethod.
christy & lindsey
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Hey friends! February is Heart Month. And did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women? Whoa, I know. No matter how old you are - heart-health is important NOW. One of the ways to prevent heart disease is through nutrition. Today, I am sharing 5 heart-healthy foods for you to include in your weekly meal plans, along with recipes to try! #1: FISHFish is a great source of protein and one way to add more variety to your weekly meal plans. You can simply replace chicken or pork meals you currently make with fish! Fish, especially fatty fish like salmon, is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is an essential fatty acid. Why are omega-3 fatty acids essential? Because our bodies do not make omega-3 fatty acids naturally and must get them from the foods we eat. The recommendation for fish is to aim to enjoy it twice a week. But if fish is not something you eat regularly right now, consider incorporating it just a few times a month to start, and work towards fish weekly then fish twice weekly. Fish recipes we recommend you try:
#2: AVOCADOSAvocados are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, which are actually heart-healthy fats that we want to include in our diets. Monounsaturated fats help to increase our "heathy" HDL cholesterol (which we want to be high). Avocados are also high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Fiber is important for heart health because it also increases our HDL cholesterol levels and lowers our "lousy" LDL cholesterol levels. Avocado recipes we recommend you try:
#3: NUTSNuts are also an awesome addition to your diet -- almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, pistachios... the list could go on! Nuts are an excellent source of heart-healthy polyunsaturated fats, vitamin E and other vitamin and minerals. Nut recipes we recommend you try:
#4: LEGUMESLegumes -- such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, peas and other beans -- are super nutrient-dense foods (aka they contain a LOT of nutrition). Legumes are a great source of protein, iron, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Due to their protein content, beans and legumes are a wonderful way to add variety to your meals by replacing meats with them. (See our recipe recommendations below!) Legume recipes we recommend you try:
#5: BERRIESBerries are a delicious addition to your diet for a heart-healthy boost! Berries are full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These small fruits are nutrition powerhouses! You can choose berries that are fresh or frozen to enjoy them any time of the year. Berry recipes we recommend you try:
Which heart-healthy food(s) are you most excited to try more of? Share with us by commenting below or tag us at @themealplanningmethod!
christy Hey planners! Sooo, I had a moment the other day at the grocery store. (Forgive me for I am human. 🙏) I had my shopping list in hand, sweeping up and down the aisles grabbing what I needed. But then my little culinary quest came to a sudden halt. Believe it or not, I found myself standing in front of the refrigerated case, staring at what seemed like a mountain of butters. As a Registered Dietitian that eats, breathes and speaks about wellness all the time, I’m laser-focused on encouraging “healthy fats” when it comes to cooking and consuming. I’m talking about MUFAs (monounsaturated fats), PUFAs (polyunsaturated fats), and omegas (including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids), and not so much saturated and trans fats. (More deats on all of this to come!) So where does butter fall? On average, butter has the following nutritional profile…
This is how we see and interpret food at The Meal Planning Method, guys. Butter is neither good nor bad, but rather we recognize it for what it is… Butter is high in fat. Butter is high in saturated fat. Butter does contains monounsaturated fat. However, we recognize the thinking around butter has changed recently. (I’m sure you’ve sees headlines like “Butter is Back!”) But you need to note, that just because something isn’t “as bad” as we previously thought, also doesn’t mean it’s automatically good now. *cue the moderation message* So, because we can enjoy butter occasionally (let’s be honest, certain foods just taste better with butter), I did the hard work for you. I picked up almost every butter or butter-like product available at Publix and walked away with just a couple of options based off of their wholesome (and short) ingredient list and availability in “unsalted” (because you can always add salt, but you can’t take it away). OUR FAVORITESKERRYGOLD'S UNSALTED IRISH BUTTERBREAKSTONE'S UNSALTED BUTTERCABOT UNSALTED BUTTERSo, your takeaway is that butter (don’t *shudder*) can be a part of a nourishing, balanced diet. The important thing to strive for is variety in the oils you include in your diet.
Do you have a favorite butter product we should know about? Tell us in the comments below or use #MealPlanningMethod on social. lindsey |
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