Ok, so who is really struggling in their kitchens and for whom has cooking turned into a fun hobby? Either way, you ARE cooking more and you need groceries in order to make meals. And right now, in light of the ‘shelter in place’ recommendations, I am sure we are all minimizing our grocery store runs. Previously, where you may have just picked up the missing ingredients for the meal you wanted, you are now probably questioning when you should really make that next grocery run.
The Result: You are left with incomplete ingredients and either a love or hate for cooking. So what to do? Meal planning couldn't be any more important right now. Yes, sitting down and deciding what you are going to eat for all meals of the day including snacks. You can meal plan for one week at a time or meal plan for the whole month of April. Below are some tips that are going to help you tackle meal planning like a pro:
(1) Take inventory
Take inventory of what you DO have in your kitchen pantry & fridge. Ask yourself and maybe even make a list of what meals can you make with just pantry items. What meals can you make with current stock of fresh/freezer items? Honestly, you will surprise yourself with how many meals you can already make without making a grocery trip in the near future.
(2) Make a list of your ‘go to’ meals.
These are the meals you make most often and/or enjoy eating. I have one meal that I make so often lately. It is my go to because its filling, easy to make and I really only need pantry items to make it. It is my instant pot kitchari! Kitchari is a one pot, Indian, pressure cooked meal. It is made with lentils, rice, ghee, turmeric and salt. Yup, that’s it! You can make a more complicated kitchari but this recipe is my favorite go to because it is so simple and so nourishing!
(3) Make a grocery list before heading to the grocery store
Make a list of the ingredients that you need for the meals you’ve decided to make for the week before heading to the grocery store. No, not a mental list. I’ve made that mistake wayyyy too often. I mean our brains are powerful but just so you don’t miss anything, make that list!
Now that you’ve got a few tips under your belt, you can go meal plan like a pro! Leave me your favorite tips for navigating meal prep in the comments below. Can’t wait to hear from you & in the meantime happy meal planning!
Be Radiant,
~Dr. Dimpi
p.s. I love figuring out what to make with what I’ve got. If you need more ideas, head over to my Facebook page & leave me post on what items you’ve got & I’ll comment with some ideas!