Hello friends! Happy 2023! I know, it's been a while since the last blogpost. However, we are back to regular scheduled programming. Its a new year and the blog received a nice makeover (hope you noticed!). I have so many ideas, starting with this, our first blogpost of the year!
So, as a busy graduate student I don't have much time to cook during the week. If you've been apart of the Holistic Health Nut community since day one, you know I enjoy cooking for myself. I've managed to cook regularly for the first 2 years of my PhD, but during that time I realized that cooking every night is not a sustainable practice for me (I be tired child!). Additionally, maximizing my budget is becoming increasingly important to me (*cries in inflation*), so I've been playing around with different methods and I want to share with you all some of what has helped me.
First things First...
Menu Planning
As a nutrition student one of the key things we think about when it comes to food and money is [B U D G E T]. One of the best ways to maximize your budget is to go to the grocery store with a plan. If you go to the grocery store without a plan I guarantee you that you will impulse buy, exceed your budget and possible get home only to find out that you didn't even pick up things you needed. Listen, it is 2023, we're leaving that in 2022. Inflation is not making things any easier either, so be mindful with your money! The following tips have been tried for months and I am sharing the ones that have stuck and worked well for me.
I get paid twice per month and so the bulk of my groceries are purchased on my first paycheck and then a portion of my second check goes toward supplementing items that might need to be replenished. This means I visit the grocery store twice per month. This works best for me because I lead a pretty busy life and any extra time I can give myself I will. I budget out ~13% of my first check towards groceries and about 4-6% of my second check on restocking certain things. I've been living on my own for 2 1/2 years now and it took me a minute to get these numbers worked out. I explored various stores and avenues for buying my groceries until I found what worked. This allowed me to assess price differences and choose the best places that gave the best bank for my buck (is that the phrase?).
Once you have your budget worked out it is time to plan your meals. We've all heard the term "Meal Prepping" before, yes? It is a great tool to utilize as an adult. It has its downsides in my opinion but it definitely has its virtues. In fact, I reckon (this is my new favorite word :) that when it comes to meal prepping there are no rules. For me, prepping one meal to eat for 5 days can get a bit mundane. I like to switch things up and sometimes I'm not in the mood for the same thing over and over. So, I decide on what I would be interested in having for each meal for that month and I go from there.
I start out with breakfast:
Breakfast is pretty easy to plan for because the meals don't usually have too many ingredients. I usually plan 2-3 options.
Quick note: when you plan your meals with balance (more on this later) in mind, you'll have all the ingredients you need for what is in your plan, but, you also have the flexibility to make something that was not planned for because you have a variety of ingredients. This way, if you want to switch things up you can. So don't feel like you don't have room for spontaneity because you definitely do. For example, you plan for a chicken salad, you'll have the ability to do that, but you can also use those ingredients for a sandwich etc.
For lunch I usually decide on 3-4 options and I do the same for dinner. As I mentioned previously, I plan my meals with balance in mind. Let's take a quick break to get back to the basics. A balanced meal is one that has foods from each food group. This guarantees a wide variety of nutrients to keep you nourished at each meal. If you consume a balanced diet there is typically no need for supplements (an unnecessary added cost) unless a particular nutrient shows up as low on your blood test. Don't go taking supplements just because. More on this in another blogpost.
The food groups are listed below with their nutrient profile:
Carbs: Grains, breads, ground provisions(for all my Caribbean friends) etc. (carbs, vitamins, minerals, protein)
Meat and Dairy (protein, fat, minerals, vitamins)
Vegetables (carbs, vitamins, minerals, some water depending on the type)
Fruits (carbs, vitamins, minerals, water)
Fats and oils (omega 3's and 6's etc)
Legumes: Nuts, seeds, beans etc (protein, fat, vitamins, minerals)
I write out the ingredients for each meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner and then on a separate page I write the grocery list by breaking down each food group. For example:
I put all the ingredients that include grains etc go under carbohydrates, meats and so on go under protein, fruits and veggies have their own category etc.
Next on the agenda...
Strategy for maximizing your grocery budget
After planning your meals and getting the grocery list sorted, its time to grab your purse/wallet and go get that bread ;).
I divide my groceries into three categories:
Bulk: These are grocery items that you use on the regular that can be purchased in bulk or larger quantities eg, grains, flour, brown sugar, pastas, beans etc.
Regulars: These are typically veggies or produce that tend to run out very quickly.
Miscellaneous: This is everything else that does not fit in the above categories, including toiletries.
The "Bulk" category is one of my favorites because I don't buy them frequently which allows me to allocate the extra money to purchase other items or to savings. Most grocery stores will have a bulk section where you can bring your containers and fill up as desired and then you pay for those by weight. If your grocery store does not have a bulk section, I recommend purchasing a larger version (eg. a big bag of rice instead of one small one that you would need to repurchase more often). It'll work out to be cheaper. For example, I checked my grocery store and one big bag of rice in my is between 21-25 dollars and a small one is about 5 dollars. Depending on the household size it would make more sense to buy the larger version because it will last a lot longer as opposed to buying the 5 dollar one every week. If you live alone or you don't frequently use grains then it might make more sense to scale down. If you have access to a grocery coop or wholesale store, I highly recommend doing your bulk purchasing there. Bulk groceries can typically last for a month and a half to 2 months because I live alone, this might vary for larger households so be mindful and plan around this.
The "regulars" category, for me includes majority of my produce. The farmers market that I have access to carries mostly veggies compared to fruits so I mostly purchase my veggies from there. For veggies that I can't find at the market, I'll purchase at the grocery store. I highly recommend farmers markets for purchasing produce because the prices are usually much more affordable compared to the supermarket. I'm talking $2-$3 for a bunch of Kale, I mean, YES please! Also shopping at the farmers market is helpful for the environment and allows you to support your local farmers. So, if you can, definitely do. I am most familiar with the NYC area, so if you are looking for farmers markets in your area I recommend [growNYC]. They have various locations across the city and you can also find them on instagram. There is also union square green market as well. They have a really good selection of a variety of items. You can also google farmers markets in your area and go from there if you live in another state.
The last category "misc" is everything that I would normally have to get on both grocery store runs for the month such as eggs, milk, fruits, some produce etc. These items don't fit in the previously mentioned categories. Toiletries last a good while so I usually go a few months before I need to repurchase. I usually have space in my grocery budget for other things as a result. I go between two grocery stores for this section. I purchase most things at the cheaper one and then the other things that I can't find there I'll supplement at the other grocery store. I recommend shopping around different grocery stores in your area to see the differences in prices so that you can make a plan for maximizing your budget. You know, just adult things!
Disclaimer: The market and both supermarkets that I frequent are within the same vicinity and I have access to a car, so going between three "stores" is relatively easy. I am aware that this is not the case for everyone. One recommendation I have for checking out grocery stores and prices is to 1: go to one store first and then when you need groceries again, go to another. Keep both bills so that you can compare the prices and total. This will work best if both bills have roughly similar items.
Tips for in the store...
The running theme of this post is "maximizing your budget". Below, I've included a few tips for while you are in store:
Most grocery stores follow what is known as the FIFO method (first in first out). This means items with an expiration date that is later will be in the back of the shelf. I recommend taking items from the back so that you can have them longer (eg. milk of any kind or orange juice, breads etc).
Don't be afraid to go into the aisles! The mantra of "only shop the perimeter" of the store is dead. There are lots of nourishing options in the aisles too. Canned goods compared to the raw version (such as beans) can be helpful because they help to shave off some of the prep time and they are packed with nutrients. Just rinse them once removed from the can. This way you have the ability to play around with your own flavors. You can add them to your stews and curries or even to a salad for added goodness.
I highly recommend purchasing frozen veggies for stews or even stir fry. They are frozen at peak freshness and you won't have to worry about them going bad if you aren't ready to make stews right away. Plus, you won't need to worry about nutrient loss in your stews because the gravy will serve as a keeper for all those water soluble nutrients.
I hope this blogpost was helpful to you. Feel free to leave comments with any questions you have. I will create a separate blogpost for how to properly store your groceries. Until next time. I wish you a fruitful 2023 and holistic health.
Kaydine | theholistichealthnut :)
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