The storm clouds are appearing and I sense danger ahead – danger of being frustrated, danger of having a short temper, danger of just throwing in the towel and heading to a restaurant.
Why? Because I have to make yet another trip to the grocery store.
For all my meal planning successes, lately I’m finding that I continue to shop – several times a week – at the grocery store.
I’m not sure why this is suddenly a problem – I’ve been pretty good at shopping once a week, and rarely going back. (OK, my husband goes back because he wants ice cream). Perhaps it is the changing needs of my family; the kids are eating more as they grow, and the start of school means I need more fueling snack foods when they come home, or as they head off to sports practice. Whatever the reason, it drives me crazy – and I have to find a solution.
Revisiting the Four Pillars
I am dedicated to following the Family Eats Four Pillars system, that includes planning purchasing, preparing and partaking, to keep me on track. It is a system that has proven to work for me – saving me money, time and lots of frustration. So, when I start to see things go awry, I know it is time to regroup – and rethink about my current plan, and make necessary adjustments to the way I focus on the Four Pillars.
Planning: With my busy back and forth with the kids, I only get 10 minutes here and there to get a meal on the table. As a result, there’s been lots of anxiety around meal prep for me, and lots of late mealtimes.
Clearly, I need to adjust my meal planning, and take into account the nights when I need a one-pot meal that is made ahead of time. I need something that I could simply reheat and let sit on the stove, awaiting 4-6 different mealtimes. Although eating at separate times is not ideal, with all our differing schedules, this is the best I can do.
Purchasing: I need to make sure I have everything on my list – no assuming that an ingredient is in the pantry. That has been my downfall lately – I keep a well-stocked pantry, so oftentimes I assume I have an ingredient – only to realize I was wrong as I get ready to prepare a meal.
The other thing going awry with my pantry these days is that it’s a mess. I just need a bit of reorganization, since my kids pilfer through the pantry looking for any chocolate, sweets or crackers for afterschool (which I’ve taken to hiding in the back). Because I haven’t planned and prepared snack (or, in between meal) options, which often include grain or fruit salads, homemade energy bars, etc., they spend time grazing in the pantry and just leaving it a mess.
This week, I’ve been taking stock of what I have, or don’t have, in the pantry, and then keeping that list on my phone, rather than trying to keep it in my brain. When shopping day arrives, I’ll not only have been better at planning my meals according to our schedule, but I will have that list handy so I can restock my pantry with essentials I might assume I already have.
Preparing: Preparing meals and snacks ahead of time is going to help me immensely throughout the week. Long gone are the days when I can herd all kids to the same place. Now, they’re all off in different directions, and I’m on call to take them to and from most of those activities. I used to do a bit of Sunday Meal Prep so I could have several meals or snacks available for those hectic nights. It’s time I once again focus on Sunday meal prep, to ensure success throughout the week.
Partaking: All of it comes together here in Partaking pillar. Ultimately, I’d love to have the family together for our meals, but increasingly that is becoming harder and harder to do. So, I need to find time when a couple of us can enjoy dinner together. What I’ve also realized is that with all the run-around, car trips, me cooking meals, etc. that by the time I find time to eat it can be 9 pm. I am now making mealtime togetherness a priority, even if it is only 2 of us at a time.
3 Steps to Sanity
How many times do you head to the grocery store to pick up this, that and the other throughout the week?
In my readjustment period, I found that by revisiting the Family Eats Four Pillars, and making the necessary adjustments, I can get things back on track.
Here are 3 Easy Steps to cut down on the number of times you head to the grocery store a week.
1.Plan Your Meals
Go ahead and dive into Meal Planning. Rather than keeping a mental list of what you’d like to prepare during the week, write it down and have your meals set for the week. Check out my Top Ten Tips for Meal Planning post.
2. Create a Shopping List
Create a shopping list, based on your planned meals for the week. Don’t forget to include lunches, snacks and those treats your 16-year-old son is always looking for in the pantry. And, never assume you have something in your pantry! Check it for ingredients before you go.
3. Plan Your Time
Look ahead at your week and get a good sense of how much time you’ll need to prep your meals for the week. Use Sunday for a bit of meal prep – making full meals, or chopping veggies ahead of time, so that you can save a few minutes of meal prep later in the week.
This week, I’m ready to get back on track. I’ve already shopped for the week, and am ready to do a bit of Sunday Meal Prep to cut back on my weekly meal prep frustrations. Why not give the Four Pillars program a try this week?
