Planning and Shopping for Meals
Describe your favorite meal: What do you like about it? Consider
appearance
Texture
Flavor
Nutrition
Other…
1. Plan weekly meals
Advantage: Organized
Saves time
Spend less $
Could be healthier, if planned to be healthier
2. So that you don’t get bored with the same 5-6 dinners you should build a list, 2 –
4 weeks worth, of main dish recipes for you to vary.
3. Get ideas from family members/room mates about what they like and dislike.
4. As you plan the week’s meals, think about a variety among the food groups for
your meals. Think about the food pyramid and all the groups and amounts
balanced…not just green beans everyday for the vegetable servings.
5. Think about a variety of main dishes and protein sources (so it doesn’t seem like
you only have chicken for dinner). Vary your main dishes i.e.… Fish, poultry,
red meat, eggs, cheese, vegetarian, Pasta dishes, rice dishes…
6. Think flavor color, texture, shape, etc. of your food for more enjoyable and
attractive meals.
7. Think about the benefits of the foods you select…do they benefit your body or are
they bad for you.
8. Think moderation. You don’t have to give up if you keep things in moderation.
9. Plan for the extra busy no time to cook days that occur in everyone’s life.
10. Sometimes cook twice as much as you need and freeze the extra for another meal.
11. Make a shopping list: Shop only once a week by making a weekly shopping list
based upon your plans and sticking to it!
12. Check pantry and refrigerator contents to your list so you don’t overbuy or miss
something.
13. Add staples to your list. But your staples when on sale. Avoid that oops we are
out of toilet paper panic! Staples are those basic items you should always have on
hand.
a. Refrigerated Items: butter/margarine, cheese, condiments, dressings, eggs,
juice, lunch meat, milk, tortillas, yogurt…
b. Freezer Items: fruit, vegetables, meat, ice cream or frozen yogurt…
c. Cupboard Items: breads, crackers, pasta, flour, rice, pancake mix, canned
foods(beans, meat, soup, vegetable, tomato products etc), spices, herbs,
oils, vinegars, nuts, pudding, sauces…
14. To save money and vary your diet think about different formats food comes
in…fresh, frozen, canned, dried…some are less expensive at different times of the
year…
15. Use coupons only if it is something you were going to purchase…brand name
items are often still too expensive even with a coupon.
16. Packaged foods vs. homemade…once you know how to cook, you can then cook
less expensively if you think about making your own foods vs. paying for
someone to make something for you…
17. Keep a price book unless you have a wonderful mind for memorizing prices at
different stores in order to compare and get the best price. Sometimes you will
run into a “deal” and not know if it really is a “deal” unless you can remember
what you paid in the past.
18. Brand name vs. generic
19. Unit Price
20. Reading Labels and list of ingredients
21. Hidden Persuaders at the grocery store: Time(the more time you spend in the
store the more money you spend), Shelf level and position(eye level are more
expensive), Temptations(samples are there to get you buy expensive items),
Convenience( ready to eat foods are expensive and not always nutritious).
What is a “staple” food?
With the person next to you make a list of “staples” that could be purchased at the
grocery store for your households.
In writing, describe your favorite meal.
What do you like about it?...Appearance, flavor, texture, nutritional benefits?...or?