We’ve all been there. Sitting at the kitchen table with our pen and paper, our grocery list for the week next to us. Or maybe you’re more high-tech and prefer your phone or laptop. I love Plan to Eat, myself.
Either way, we are set and ready for a week or more of meal planning. This usually involves checking schedules and calendars, reviewing recipes, writing up a grocery list, and checking the pantry and fridge for what needs to be picked up at the store.
But what if we skipped the last step? And what if we flipped that routine around and started with our fridges and pantries first, then made our plans?
This week, I want to challenge you to make a one-week meal plan out of your pantry, using the ingredients you already have on hand. Here are a few of the benefits:
- You’ll save money. You’ve already paid for everything in your fridge and pantry, so you won’t be spending anything more at the grocery store this week. You’re also going to save on gas money since you aren’t visiting multiple stores.
- You’ll save time. No running out to stores, no poring over circulars and coupons, and no check-out lines. Just you, your pantry, and your pjs.
- You’ll waste less. Americans waste more than one-third of their food each year, and about half of their produce. Instead of buying more, you can focus on using up what you already have.
Shopping out of your pantry is similar to shopping out of your closet. It requires a little imagination, some creativity, and a can-do attitude. Because you can’t always have exactly what you want, you have to be ready to compromise. Your principles have to be stronger than your wants.
That being said, this is actually a lot of fun. Meal planning from what you already have is a challenge, but one that can make you feel really accomplished. You’ll also notice that you have more room in your kitchen, you’re trying recipes you never tried before, and compliments on your dishes will feel doubly-satisfying.
So, how do you start?
With a list, of course…
- Make a list divided into food groups. Barring personal preferences or allergies, most meals consist of grains, proteins, dairy, and fruits or vegetables. Check out your pantry, fridge, and freezer and list your potential meal ingredients, separating them into the above four categories.
- Mix and match. Begin putting together meals, based on what you have, what works well together, and how much of it you have. If you have a half-pound of chicken, it may not work as the main part of the meal, but it could be just enough for some homemade chicken noodle soup. Remember to keep expiration dates in mind, as well as the ripeness of fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. Strengthen your substitution game. There are going to be things you want to make that just aren’t possible according to what you have on hand. So be prepared to do a little creative substitution. Going back to the chicken noodle soup, I recently made one with pork instead of chicken and beef broth instead of chicken broth. No one even noticed. So have fun with it.
4. Remember the liquids. Breakfast smoothies, milk at dinner, and tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich lunches are all items that can make a more balanced meal while still using up food you have in your kitchen.
5. Get inspiration. One of the easiest things for me to do when I have a mish-mash of ingredients and no idea how to put them together is go on Pinterest and just type them into the search field and see what pops up. The All Recipes dinner spinner app is another fun way to get ideas.
6. Keep the meals balanced. Let’s face it, anyone can serve cereal for breakfast all week, and many of us do (I’ve served it for dinner, too, so I am the last person to judge). But the challenge is to use what you have, saving money and decreasing waste. Cereal is more expensive that 90% of homemade breakfasts and it’s also non-perishable. Create balanced meals from your pantry and fridge that will keep your family both happy and healthy.
If you’ve already created your weekly meal plan with the ingredients you have in the house, you are probably feeling very accomplished. You may even be thinking of doing it again, and soon. For me, clearing space, using up what I have, and not spending extra money is addictive, and I want to keep it up.
But keep in mind that the purpose of this challenge is not to get to the point where you are looking into a fridge that has nothing but some yellow mustard and a half-filled ice cube tray. This is not a zero inbox for your kitchen. So, replenish periodically and have alternate weeks of shopping.
Properly stocking you kitchen with the things you both need and use regularly to avoid wasted money and food is an essential skill for any homemaker. But that’s a topic for another day…
In the meantime, good luck and happy pantry shopping! You can do it 🙂
What are some meals that you’ve made right out of your pantry? Share your recipes in the comments, I’d love to hear!
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