There are many effective ways to reduce food waste and save money from food bills. One of those is food planning. Yet you might find yourself trapped in the cycle of food planning. For better effective food planning, we narrowed down steps with profile examples to help you overcome that cycle.
The Planning Profiles
Ask yourself what type of meal planner you are. Do you want organized meal planning? Or do you prefer an anything-in-the-fridge-to-be-planned meal? Do you like cooking at home? This is a significant step to ensure you know what you want and to achieve.
Profile Examples:
- The I-Love-Planning Profile: These people most likely love to cook at home, and like to be organized.
- The I-will-give-it-a-try Profile: They have interchanging plans, but they cook at home most of the time.
- The I-don’t-like-Planning Profile: These people love to just go with the flow. They don’t like planning as it somehow suffocates and restricts them.
Availability of Resources
Know what you have so that you will be able to buy what is needed and set an effective budget.
Profile Examples:
- The I-Love-Planning Profile. Create a running tally of each resource to pick up once runs out. You could keep it on the fridge or something accessible.
- The I-will-give-it-a-try Profile. Checking your pantry and fridge could be an effective step for you.
- The I-don’t-like-Planning Profile. Take a photo of your resources in the fridge and pantry, and just keep in mind those resources that can quickly use up.
The Meal Plan
Effective planning requires the ability to identify the duration of your meal plan. Is it for a month-long plan or for a duration of a week only? This could help you organize your schedule and budget.
Profile Examples:
- The I-Love-Planning Profile. A monthly and/or weekly meal plan is much more effective for this profile.
- The I-will-give-it-a-try Profile. Planning three to four meals a day is going to be fine.
- The I-don’t-like-Planning Profile. Recipe apps could be useful for you. Allow yourself to plan your meal at least two to three times.
The Shopping List
After acknowledging the availability of your resources and the capability of your budget, start creating your shopping list. This is something you could stick with if you are tempted to get shop offers.
Profile Examples:
- The I-Love-Planning Profile. List the food you have used up, and combined it with the lit of your shopping list.
- The I-will-give-it-a-try Profile. Use your meal plan to be your list.
- The I-don’t-like-Planning Profile. The photo of your fridge or pantry is useful t look at when buying your ingredients.
Which one fits you? We would love to hear from you! Share your experiences down below.