Rockford Real Food Revolution Week 7: Cook from scratch at home. No Fast Food!
You are ready for this challenge!
In the past few weeks the focus has been on taking steps toward this goal. Time to take it to the next level!
Getting Organized is the Key
Studies show that more Americans than ever before are grocery shopping daily without planning meals. This is a sure way to buy more than you need (impulse shopping) and buy fast, processed options. You will save money and eat healthier if you have a plan before setting foot in a grocery store.
Plan and Create a Shopping List
Where to begin? The idea of beginning the process can be overwhelming. But, fortunately, help is at your fingertips.
First, pull out your favorite real food recipes and look at your week to see how they best fit, depending on your time commitments. Printed forms can often help you get things organized.
Here are a few examples:
If your brain already hurts just trying to get your head around this, and you'd LOVE it if someone else would put together the menus and shopping lists--here are a few links that do just that!
"Cooking is easy. Planning is hard. You've found a recipe you love, but now what? How do you create a meal around it? What about a side dish, and what happens to the leftover ingredients? Most importantly: how do you make the recipes you love fit into your busy life? The Kitchn's meal plans help you put it all together." Click here to check out this cool website!
If you're gluten-free, we've got you covered too! Thanks to the Gluten Intolerance Group! Click here for meal plans and shopping lists!
Prepare Ingredients for the Week
You are much more likely to cook from scratch if you can put delicious meals together quickly. Time invested on the weekend will help you prepare for the week ahead. Lindsay from theleangreenbean.com offers some simple, informative advice by sharing her weekend prep routine. You can check it out here.
If you're a visual learner, like me, maybe this video from "The Domestic Geek" will help inspire you to begin a meal prep routine that will keep healthy food on your family's table...even during the busiest weeks!