Sourcing Ingredients
When it comes down to it - a good meal is based on good ingredients. But as mindless as it can seem wandering through grocery aisles reaching for the same things each week, you can actually employ a grocery purchasing strategy to:
A. Get the most value for your dollar:
Plan Ahead: When picking out your recipes, peruse online flyers and see what items are on sale at your local grocery store, this strategy can help you narrow down your focus for the week by choosing certain key ingredients that are on sale to guide your recipe selection. Also take note of coupons or other deals offered by stores or brands.
Choose recipes for the week which contain some similar ingredients: By planning out meal ideas in advance of grocery shopping, it allows you to strategically pick recipes which contain some of the same ingredients - that way you can ensure you end up utilizing everything you buy with less chance of waste. If you’re making a salad with broccoli in it, maybe also plan to make broccoli patties.
Be flexible when shopping: If you’re not a big flyer shopper, then be flexible in the store to take advantage of sale items even if it’s an ingredient you weren’t intending to use that week. Or if it’s something that can be frozen, buy it anyways and use it for a plan in the coming weeks. On the other hand, you can go into a store with a detailed plan of what you want to make that week, but if you have an idea for a strawberry salad and they’re $5.99 maybe rethink that meal plan and save it for a week when they’re on sale for $2.99.
Stock up on shelf stable products that you typically use - when they’re on sale: there are certain things I always keep in my cupboard (you will see a detailed list below of what you should always have on hand) and when those items are on sale I buy a couple units of each to take advantage of the lower price. For example, I always like to have black beans on hand (they’re just so versatile!), so when they’re on for .99 cents I buy five or six cans. They last for years and you can save yourself money in the long run, and have a fully stocked pantry so that - you guessed it - you can cook on the fly.
Shop Seasonally: take advantage of what's in season and plan your meals and recipes around those items. If you want to eat healthier, I hate to say it, but the majority of your grocery bill will be vegetables and fruit each week (and they're not as cheap as you'd think). If you are going to be eating a lot of produce (and spending money on it) - you want it to be good produce- so shop accordingly and work with nature, not against it. See this seasonality chart for some guidance. I've linked a general one but you can also search on Pinterest "Produce Seasonality in…” and get a guideline for a specific month.
It also helps to know how to pick out good produce. These guides will help to ensure you are getting the best quality ingredients and contribute the best textures and flavours to the end result of your cooking. Take note of the varying qualities of the produce you buy (firmness, colour, smell) and associate those qualities with the flavour and texture of each specific ripeness - trial and error strikes again.
B. Inspire new meal ideas:
Break the routine: selecting the same ingredients week after week leads to repetition and kitchen BOREDOM, check out new items when shopping and look at the packaging, a lot of products provide recipe ideas right on them and can help inspire you to make something new. Also following food blogs (I think I know a good one) and Instagram/Pinterest pages can help introduce you to new ingredients and concepts you might have never considered.
Explore the aisles: exposing yourself to different options will help to spark your creativity, you will also be surprised how many new and exciting things there are that you never noticed in a grocery store when stuck in your mindless march down the same aisles every week. Brands are constantly innovating and coming out with products that suit the changing consumer needs and trends, including more products which have vegan, vegetarian, non-gmo, keto, organic, and plant-based protein claims. Check out those labels and look for clean ingredient decks if you’re trying to be more health conscious.
Check out specialty stores: Farmer’s Markets! Ethnic Stores! Organic and Natural Shops! Delicatessens! You can find unique and niche items in specialty stores that you may not be able to find at a traditional grocery store, additionally sometimes they carry more authentic products if you’re looking for a certain ethnic ingredient.
Stock must haves: when setting up your kitchen to be ready to cook on a whim you are going to want some key ingredients that you keep regularly stocked in your kitchen. The good thing is that most of these are relatively low cost and last quite awhile, so they will be a less frequent investment than your weekly grocery bill and be right at your fingertips for when you feel inspired:
Olive Oil
Kosher or Sea Salt
Course Pepper (and grinder)
Spices (the more the better, but these are some of my must haves): garlic powder, chilli powder, basil, rosemary, thyme, paprika, cumin, curry, oregano, and seasoning salt.
Lime and Lemon Juice (I keep those little squirt bottles at all times, but also buy fresh some weeks)
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Reduction
Butter
Eggs
Apple Cider Vinegar
Honey
Whole Wheat Flour
Vanilla Extract
Natural Peanut Butter and/or Almond Butter
Dark Chocolate Chips
Unsalted Almonds and Peanuts
Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, and/or Chia or Flax Seeds
Unsweetened Coconut
Natural Sweetener (I like Monk Fruit sweetener, but stevia or something similar works).
Black Beans
Chickpeas
Quinoa
Jarred Basil Pesto (add flavour to a Turkey Zucchini Lasagna or something of the like)
Jarred Bruschetta (low sugar and carb, great pasta sauce substitute)
Jarred Salsa (low in sugar and flavour booster!)
C. Understand alternative options:
Take note of certain ingredients in recipes that have the potential for healthy substitutes, you can substitute:
Oil for —> greek yogurt or applesauce (in baking)
White Flour for —> whole wheat flour, almond flour, quinoa flour, chickpea flour, oat flour (there’s a lot of options, find the one that best fits your dietary needs)
Sugar for —> honey, natural sweetener (stevia, monk fruit, etc)
Rice for —> cauliflower rice, quinoa, or lentils
Pasta for —> zucchini or spaghetti squash
Pasta Sauce for —> Bruschetta and/or Pesto
Potato for —> yam or butternut squash
Bread for —> low carb cheese biscuits, cauliflower crust, or zucchini bread
Peanut Butter —> Natural peanut butter or almond butter
Meat for —> black beans, chickpeas, jackfruit, or tofu