Grocery shopping — such a routine errand once before — now is an entirely new endeavor.
Today it requires packing the gloves and mask, wondering what items will be in short supply, and remembering to follow the one-way aisle rules. It’s not what it used to be.
On top of that, you must remember to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines on social distancing — which means staying at least 6 feet apart from others.
All of that makes you want to shop less often at the grocery store.
Of course, you can order groceries online, but that involves a service delivery and a tip, which, of course, eats into your grocery budget.
But, planning ahead can help you reduce the number of trips you make to the grocery store, or the number of online orders you make.
Don’t just meal plan — plan to prepare foods you can stretch into additional meals.
I’ve been an advocate for meal planning for years, pandemic or not.
And, once I started meal planning, I saw my grocery budget go down significantly and my food waste was reduced to zero or close to it.
Meal planning takes the stress out of dinnertime; you won’t dread the question “What’s for dinner?” from the kids anymore, because you’ll already know what you’ll be serving and on which days.
Some people may like to shop for up to two weeks’ worth of meals, if they have the fridge space.
I shop on a weekly basis, as I had pre-pandemic, but I now plan more for meals that can stretch, so I can freeze leftovers.
This gives me peace of mind. I know that if my shopping trip the following week isn’t successful, I have some meals to cover a few days, if needed.
On the other hand, if my grocery trip the following week is successful, I can keep the leftovers in the freezer as a backup supply for future meals.
Here are some ways to help you be a savvy grocery shopper, and to help you stretch your meals.
Remember, liquid-based foods are the easiest to bulk up, and to make sure there’s plenty of fiber.
Fiber makes you feel full, leaving more food for leftovers.
So, what are high-fiber foods?
Think vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Be sure to make extra brown rice and whole wheat pasta; this makes the meal go further than adding extra meat, and is less expensive.
Soups, stews, casseroles, stir-fries and chilis will yield a lot of food and keep your stomach satisfied. They also ensure there are leftovers for another meal.
It is also important to know how long food will keep.
Great resources to help you here are the app Food Keeper and its corresponding website FoodSafety.gov/keep-food-safe/foodkeeper-app.
Both provide information about how long to store food until it needs to be cooked before it goes bad.
For example, meat should be cooked within three to four days of its purchase, to keep it from going bad. So, plan to have meat dishes earlier in the week and go meatless later in the week.
Or, consider canned meats.
And, don’t forget to try canned or frozen fruits and vegetables if you don’t think you’ll consume the fresh produce in time.
Remember, you’re not just trying to stretch your meals, but also your budget.
Most leftovers should be eaten within four days. If you don’t think you’ll eat them by then, freeze them.
Third, plan your meals.
If you’re new to meal planning, start with shopping for just one week’s worth of meals.
Keep in mind, you’re trying to plan for meals that stretch.
If you’re making chili one night, list out the ingredients.
See what you already have at home (onion, spices, etc.) so that you only buy what you need. A chili recipe typically yields two meals. You can enjoy it one night and then finish it a few nights later, or freeze the second meal for a future dinner.
Soup is another example of a meal that stretches.
Add water to the broth to get more volume.
List out what meat, beans and vegetables are needed, see what you already have in the house, and then buy what you don’t.
Again, a soup recipe typically can yield at least two meals.
It’s tempting to stock up on comfort foods during this pandemic, but try to resist that temptation.
They comfort foods don’t help your immune system, and lead to consuming too many calories.
Remember, self-care is more important than ever now.
By Shari Bresin
Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County.
Vegetable and bean soup
Ingredients
- 20 ounces of assorted dried beans and other legumes, such as black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, yellow split peas, green split peas, pink beans, great northern beans and so on. (Soak in water for at least eight hours).
- One onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper to taste
- 8 cups to 12 cups vegetable broth, or until all ingredients are covered
- 5 cups to 6 cups of water
Simmer on stove for 1.5 hours or cook on low in slow cooker for 8 hours to 10 hours.
In the last 10 minutes, remove the bay leaves and add:
- 4 cups of spinach or kale
- 12 ounces to 16 ounces of your favorite pasta or egg noodles
Enjoy with baguette bread or crackers.
Tip: The egg noodles will get mushy if frozen and then thawed and reheated, so I will meal plan to have this another time in the week for dinner or have it for lunches. If you prefer to freeze it, skip the noodles; or make the noodles separately and then add to the leftover soup.
Published May 20, 2020
