I have taken a long hard look at how much I spend and waste on poor planning for grocery shopping. After reading these entries on The Penny Hoarder, Every Dollar, Cooksmarts and Cupcakes and Cashmere I have a list for myself:

Limit shopping to two days a week, if I don’t have it, I’ll have to make something from the pantry or freezer

Double any recipes such as chilli, soups, dals, stews etc. to freeze for another dinner

Wash and pack away all fruits and veggies as soon as I get home from the store e.g. carrot sticks, broccoli florets…

If I have a spare ten minutes the night before or in the morning, do some dinner prep like roasting veggies, making a sauce/dressing or boiling something.

Purchase attractive storage items and lunch boxes so that I feel like eating out of them

Purchase water bottles and fill them up the night before when making lunch

Once a week sit down with a drink and some music and using pantry ingredients find one or two new recipes for the week. e.g. I have so much quinoa that hasn’t been used, I decided on quinoa burgers

Go out once a week for lunch, dinner and breakfast and that’s it!

Instead of going for regular brunches, have a yummy imitation brunch at home with friends and then go out for a coffee afterwards. Some of the most tasty ideas are an avocado toast bar that people can customize (radishes, kimchi, chopped pistachios and eggs), brioche French toast with seasonal fruit or Indian spiced eggs with goat’s cheese and fried potatoes.

I have been following these steps for the last few months and still have a way to go, but have already saved about one third in food costs and definitely been eating better. Lunches are still hard, it’s so tempting to buy a sandwich or something convenient, but having a tasty and varied lunch packed already makes it much easier to resist.

As far as dinner goes it’s still half organized declicious-ness and half haphazard thrown-together stuff.

Breakfast:

Monday: Egg white scramble, swiss chard and turkey bacon

Tuesday: Tofu scramble with fried egg on top, mushrooms and spinach

Wednesday: Protein pancakes, fruit and maple syrup

Thursday: Fried egg and cheese tortilla, avocado

Friday: Egg white scramble, kale and turkey bacon

Saturday: Croissants, jam and eggs at cafe

Sunday: Shakshuka with chickpeas and asparagus

Lunch:

Monday: Arugula, romaine, yellow bell pepper, chickpeas, mozerella, walnuts and flaxseeds

Tuesday: Chopped cabbage, red bell pepper, veggie burger, feta, sunflower seeds

Wednesday: Lunch out: BLT sandwich with fries hurrah

Thursday: Arugla, romaine, tuna salad, cucumber, olives

Friday: Chopped cabbage, black beans, sweet potato, brocolli

Saturday: Rotisserie chicken with salad

Sunday: Dal and rice with some kind of veggie

Dinner:

Monday: Pan-fried salmon with teriyaki sauce, soba noodles and asparagus

Tuesday: Indian cauliflower and potatoes, ladyfingers, rice and dal

Wednesday: Thai beef salad from this Bon Appetit recipe was just mind-blowing: fresh, crunchy, sweet and salty

Thursday: Pan-fried tilapia, lentils and tomato and onion salad

Friday: Out for pizza!

Saturday: Kimchi jigae and frozen homemade pork dumplings, broccoli

Sunday: Late lunch, so just had oatmeal with pears