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Plan Your Meals
By Daphne | March 14, 2008
Plan your meals a week in advance.
Scour the sales papers and see what is on sale. If you are out of cereal and like two brands equally, the buy the one that is on sale. Most of the things that are listed in the paper at really low prices are loss leaders. If you come into the store just to buy an item that is on sale you probably will buy other items as well.
If you like soup, make a big pot of soup and get some hearty bread to have with your soup.
Quesadillas are easy and inexpensive to make. Add some chicken or beef and you will get more out of your leftovers.
The warm toasted sandwiches on television look appealing, some of the burgers do too. Unfortunately they don’t always seem to be as yummy when you get them. Make your own. A pound of ground sirloin will make lean burgers, if you add a package of generic soup mix or dehydrated onion you will have the beginning of your own gourmet meal.
I have always believed that if you can read, you can cook. This doesn’t mean you will be a great cook but you will be a cook. Learn the measurements, add or subtract what you like from a recipe and you will be great.
Eat a salad or raw vegetables with your meals and you will feel fuller faster and save money. If lettuce isn’t on sale, who said you can’t have raw vegetables with a small (small) amount of dressing on the side? This will give you some variety in your diet.
When you are planning your meals for the week, you probably won’t be thinking prime rib or petit filet mignon each week. But if they are on sale and you want to treat yourself, instead of having a fancy meal out, make a reservation for yourself at home.
Items that are prepared ahead of time can be faster and healthier than prepackaged quick foods from the grocery store. Plus you can control the amount of sodium in your food if you prepare it yourself.
Don’t forget fruit… buy what you like and what’s on sale. Sometimes the fruit that is already prebagged 3 or 5 pounds for one price may be smaller fruit but a better price than buying the larger loose fruit. Compare the prices. I got a 5 pound bag of sweet medium red grapefruit for $2.50 and the larger grapefruit were 69¢ a pound. The bag had about 8 grapefruit in it.
Shopping the sales and preparing your menu for the week allows you to have more variety in your diet. Happy eating!
Topics: March 2008 |