Now that you’ve wrapped your head around what foods will last in your pantry and fridge for a couple of weeks (part 1) and what pantry staples to have on hand, I recommend the following steps to create your meal plan:

 

 

  • Choose ~5 recipes per week (look for recipes that focus on foods on the lower half of this post) 

 

 

For ex here is what I did the last 2 weeks:

 

Examples of Week 1 Recipes 

Roast chicken + veggies, leafy green salad

Mexi black bean + shredded chicken bowls (here’s an example but use what you have on hand + leftover chicken!) 

Chicken soup (freeze half) 

Nini’s easy zucchini pasta 

Mooshu Wraps 

 

Examples of Week 2 Recipes 

Easy quesadilla dinner 

Cauliflower bolognese 

The Stew (with kale that is starting to wilt, or you’ve had in your freezer)

Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta and Chickpea Stew)

Linguine with Green Olive Sauce and Zesty Breadcrumbs

 

 

  • Make a list of basic breakfast and lunch items

 

Choose a few breakfasts and rotate them for a couple weeks (smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt and granola, eggs, etc.)

Choose a few lunches  and rotate them (chickpea tuna, sandwich fixings, salad fixings, veggie burgers, cheeses, apples, olives, hummus etc for when you don’t feel like cooking)

 

 

  • Once You’ve Chosen Your Recipes, and your basic breakfasts / lunches, make your list. Check your pantry and add any items that are missing. I included ‘pars’ in the pantry list HERE, meaning how much I like to have on hand at a given time. So, if I have three boxes of pasta and I am shopping, and my par is five, I’ll make sure to stock up on at least two more boxes of pasta. You can choose what your pars are, depending on what you eat regularly, and how many people you are feeding.

 

 

 

  • Shop! 
  • Unpack and, perhaps more importantly, store properly. Onions and garlic in cool dark places, herbs and greens washed and wrapped in damp towels, or frozen for use during week 2 – 3. Make pestos, sauces, soups, and chilis to freeze for meals with ease over the weeks. Every couple days “clean out” the fridge and cook or freeze anything that is on its way out.

 

 

Hope this was helpful and look forward to seeing more of your meals over the next few weeks!