Who doesn’t want to save money and eat well??? Today I’m going to share with you my favorite tricks for meal planning, grocery shopping and saving money on food! For many years, I went to the grocery store every week, bought whatever I thought we needed (mostly the same “staples” and a whole lotta extra stuff) and NEVER planned a single meal. My grocery bills were ridiculous, and I always ended up making several extra trips to the store every week to get things we were missing. This resulted in unnecessary purchases and more money spent needlessly. When I started my Clean Living Program, one of the big elements of the program itself is the planning. I have become the best planner and shopper ever!
P R E P A R A T I O N
Anyone who has ever attempted to start a weight loss regimen or even tried to eat healthier, especially those with children, knows that the very first thing that must be done is to clean house! Go through the fridge, pantry and cabinets and get rid of anything which may tempt you. But how is this possible when your family isn’t on your diet, you ask? Guess what? Everyone can benefit from your new eating plan, and most of the foods you have been purchasing will no longer be entering your home. Rather than toss everything, we’ll just start phasing them out and gradually start phasing in the good stuff. To get yourself prepared for your Clean Living Program, here’s my solution: a simple reorganization of the pantry into zones will create the mental “divide” you” need. You can use a separate shelf, cabinet or area to separate your foods into the following zones:
- Breakfast foods and Cereals
- Kids’ food – Peanut butter, soups, Mac N’ Cheese, Chips & School snacks
- Clean Living foods: beans, canned beans & vegetables, nuts, seeds, supplements, granola
- Canned soups, tomatoes, olives
- Snacks – Place these in a basket where they will not be visible, at the back or bottom of the pantry
- Pasta, rice, noodles, couscous, quinoa
- Baking supplies – flour, sugar, brown sugar
- Spices, condiments, vinegar, oils, cooking spray
When you are cleansing, it is helpful to move all the condiments and foods you are restricting to one area of the fridge to remind you of the “no’s” and keep you on track. Once you move onto maintenance, there are still some foods and condiments you will not be enjoying, so be sure to “re-zone” the cabinets and fridge. Gradually phase these items out or make a special section just for the kids.Move all the items you are not using to the bottom of the fridge and keep the ones you use regularly near the top.
Keep an area clear just for water. You’ll be drinking lots of it, and will want to keep some cold. Store a big pitcher of decaf iced green tea , sparkling water and V8 here, too.
P L A N N I N G
You’ll be planning your meals a week in advance, shopping once, and preparing as much as you can on weekends and evenings. Before you head out to the grocery store, do four things:
- Take an inventory – start with your proteins, vegetables and pantry items
- Clean out the fridge, get rid of anything you will most likely not eat (also a good time to wipe out the fridge!)
- Decide what proteins you have on hand that you can use this week and start building your dinner menu from those. Mix them up, don’t eat fish or meat several days in a row. Also, be sure to try to add 1-3 vegetarian meals every week. You’ll not only save money, you’ll automatically be eating healthier! Browse my recipes or your own cookbooks for inspiration. I keep a three-ring binder in my kitchen I use to store recipes I find in magazines!
- Make a grocery list of only what you need to prepare the 7 dinners you have chosen, then add lunch items for the kids, breakfast items, fruit and veggies. Viola! DO NOT buy anything not on the list.
You’ll be amazed at how easy it really is to eliminate the foods from your diet that are not supporting your health and fitness goals! For a very long time, we ate sandwiches and chips every day for lunch. When I first started my Clean Living Cleanse, I could not imagine what I would do for lunch! Now I no longer eat chips, nor do I buy them. My kids never complained once and because I phased these items out (while adding new ones in), I doubt they even noticed! I don’t buy lunch-meat (one of the worst things you can eat), sliced cheese, chips or soda. In fact, my family eats pretty much what I eat with very few exceptions.
My youngest started to get a little chubby in her belly area a few months back. She seemed tired all the time and begged for sweets constantly. I started giving her lots of water, steamed veggies (she loves carrots and cauliflower) and started taking her to the pool regularly. She has slimmed down a bit and is less moody; her energy has returned to normal.
E L I M I N A T I O N
What should you eliminate right away to start your Clean Living journey? When you order your Clean Living Cleanse, the complete list of foods to eliminate and foods to enjoy will be available. If you just want to be healthier, and eliminate some extra calories, try these:
- Salad dressings – Don’t buy this stuff! I have always made my own! I use olive oil and fresh lemon juice with a dash of Italian seasoning when cleansing
- Ketchup/Barbeque sauce – Loaded with sugar! Avoid sauces. Let your foods’ natural taste shine!
- Alcohol – high in sugar and calories
- White flour – bread, pasta, rolls, sweets – instead try brown rice, quinoa, cous cous
- Dairy – omit yellow cheeses, limit white cheese
- All meats except lean protein – Beef, ground beef, pork, sausage, processed meats – add more chicken, fish and beans!
Now get going! It’s a new year! Resolve to get your kitchen organized in a way that supports your fitness goals! Go through magazines and pull out healthy recipes! Start a special area in your fridge, pantry and cabinets for all the healthy foods you’ll be eating. Bravo! You’re on your way to succeeding in your health and fitness goals!
