As for the packaged food there's hummus and pita chips, Asian noodle salad, an Amy's frozen black bean enchilada, chicken pot stickers, and chicken pesto empanadas. Then there's also olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a box of mini croissants, and a tomato and asiago foccacia. The hiding the the right corner of the is the only dessert I bought, a bag of chocolate covered berries.
Anyone else notice the problem with this spread? Its all pretty much snack food! There's not really a whole lot to build a meal upon. Which meals if I want to cook an actual meal, I'll have to buy more groceries. So instead I'll just make it easy on myself and eat a bunch of snacks for dinner.
Anyone else have an issue buying food to actually use for a meal when shopping and just wind up with a lot of snack food? Or let me know how you manage to actually shop and come up with a meal from what you buy!
~Shoshanah
I have to make a list ... otherwise I do what you did. :)
ReplyDeleteIf I venture into the middle aisles of the grocery store I always end up with lots of snack food! Mainly because I rarely buy it and so I'm easily tempted. Michael Pollan has a great tip in all of his books to stick to the perimeter of groceries. That's where the freshness is!
ReplyDeleteThe other way to curb the snack food impulse purchases is to shop at farmers markets.
I'm so SO bad. I wouldn't even allow myself to go tonight, even though my cupboards are bare, because I've done ZERO meal planning and will probably walk out with cookies and an apple. Which is fine...but hardly a successful grocery trip!
ReplyDeleteI always end up with snack food too. You did better than I did this week. I got milk, bananas, grapes, granola bars, Mac and cheese, and cat food!
ReplyDeleteI always meal plan and make a list! It helps to keep from buying junk..and spend less!
ReplyDeleteI TOTALLY do this too, so I finally (as in, last week) started making a meal plan and just bought the ingredients I'd need for the week...
ReplyDeleteDAY 1: stuck to the plan
DAY 2: parents invited me to dinner
DAY 3: coworker called and asked if I'd get Sushi with him
DAY 4: Out all day hiking, way too tired to cook (or even eat...)
hmm... I'm not doing so well this way either, am I?
I shop online.
ReplyDeleteI open a word page and the internet page
then I write 7 meals down and the ingredients on word and buy them online ie:
Fajitas:
chicken breast
seasoning packet
pepper
etc..
That way I do one meal at a time so I know I havnt forgotten anything. Then I look at what I will have spare and see what meals link up.
Then after the 7 meals, I order enough bread for the week and a selection of sandwich fillings and crisps for lunches.
Then milk and cereal for breakfasts.
Lastly I make a misc section on my list on word and select a few snacks.
misc:
coca cola
beer
mars bars
That is the only way I dont get extra stuff. I physically have to use the search bar for each ingredient so I dont even have the option to browse the store.
I am the worst at shopping hence this rigid routine.
first off, all of that looks amazing. you can grocery shop for me anytime. If I dont make a list when I walk into the grocery store I do the same thing. Come out with a bunch of random stuff that I can not make a meal out of. I have to think breakfast,lunch,dinner when I am mkaing my list. otherwise I fail. and I hate the grocery so I dont like to go back again.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I find I'm the opposite. I have an elaborate meal planned, buy the ingredients, look at my find and think,"that's enough for one meal...looks like I'll be eating leftovers for awhile."
ReplyDeleteAt least it's all pretty healthy food!