HOW I USED THE MEAL PLANNING METHOD

Hey guys!

So, this week I decided to run a little experiment by implementing The Meal Planning Method and I’m excited to tell you about my journey!

I’m beginning my “food week” on a Wednesday for a couple of reasons: 

1. First, I had leftovers from last weekend, and
2. Second, I find the grocery store MUCH less intense in the middle of the week — more groceries are in stock, there are more mark downs on products, and it's nowhere near as crowded as it is on Saturdays and Sundays.

Any who! The first step in The Meal Planning Method is to assess your schedule.  I found that I have a couple of nights this week where I will not be home until later than usual, so I know for those days I will need a dinner that is quick or simple.  With that in mind, I filled in most of my weekly meals, but I still had a couple of blanks that I specifically left open so that I could try some new recipes. 

Now this is where I cheated a little bit with The Method — as someone who does lots of looking at recipes, I already had in mind what I wanted to make, so didn't need to do any additional recipe research. 

Step #4 of The Meal Planning Method is where it got interesting with my shopping list.  DYK that 2/3 of food waste is edible and one of the ways to help reduce the food your waste is to shop your pantry and fridge BEFORE going to the store.  I am so glad I did just this, because it saved me some money too!  I already had eggs, chicken and ground beef in my freezer, whole wheat bread, tortillas and salsa, yogurt, green beans, spinach, and some veggies — all things that I needed in my meal plan without even realizing it at first! 

So, after looking through my fridge and pantry, I compiled the rest of my grocery list and off I went!  (Side note: Because of my meal plan and the list of ingredients that I had left -- I was in and out of the grocery store in 24 minutes -- with a full cart!) 

Be sure to stay tuned for more!  I’ll be back to tell you how my week of The Meal Planning Method went.

Now I’m off to my next step - some FOOD PREP!!
​
​--Maggie 

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Maggie is a dietetic intern with the Solmaz Institute dietetic internship program through Lenoir Rhyne University based out of Hickory, North Carolina.  She graduated in August of 2017 from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science, and before this, she completed a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Memphis.  After eleven years of experience in the foodservice industry, Maggie enjoys blending her knowledge of hospitality and nutrition so that readers may acquire a unique understanding of healthy food topics and learn how to choose better meal options for themselves and their families.