Last time I shared my tips for meal planning: Meal Planning 101 Plus Printable Worksheets!
The key to a healthy trip to the grocery store is to have a completed meal plan for the week. By thinking through the meals that you want to make (for at least 1 meal per day), you will know what to put on your food shopping list.
Why is a food shopping list important?
When you’re just running to the grocery store for one or two things, a list isn’t really necessary. However, there are many benefits to making a food shopping list:
- You can shop WAY faster when you have a list.
- If you bring anyone with you, you can divide and conquer. Or at least it helps you avoid some of those impulse buys that you and your companions may be tempted to put in the cart.
- It’s better for your budget.
- It takes less mental energy. Let’s be honest – who wants to spend mental energy on remembering their grocery list!
Printable Food Shopping List
Ok – so you’ve made your meal plan for the week. And you’ve checked your pantry to see what you have and what you need.
NOW you’re ready to make your list. Here’s a great one that I found from www.orgjunkie.com
I like the grocery lists that separate items by category. I think this makes it easier to get through the store, but it also ensures that I don’t forget anything! If I have canned veggies, fresh veggies and frozen veggies all mixed up in my list… I can guarantee that something won’t make it home with me. And there’s no feeling worse than being in the middle of a recipe and realizing that you don’t have something!
The only problem I have with this list is that the fruit and veggie boxes aren’t quite big enough! However, it’s easy enough to re-label the boxes that you don’t need and fill in with what you need more space for.
Let me know how it works for you. Next time we’ll talk about why you should include lots of colorful foods on your grocery list!
– Julie
