Cutting out on expensive restaurant meals in favor of meal planning is a great way to save money on food and re-establish mindful eating habits. Families spend an average of $2,641 per person each year on meals eaten outside the home, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Planning at least one daily meal, whether it’s workday lunches or family dinners, can save you thousands of dollars per year. While meal planning may sound expensive, there are ways to get around the high costs of basic foods and produce.
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- Plan meals around items that are on sale: Instead of following your appetites for meal prep ideas, look at your local grocer’s weekly ad. Meal planning on a budget may be as simple as basing your menus on what’s on sale. If you want to take it a step further, look through your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer before your next major grocery run. You’ll push yourself to be more creative with your meal prep ideas and reduce food waste by focusing on the ingredients you already have on hand. Also, attempt to buy nonperishable items in bulk while on sale to avoid paying a higher price.
- Keep ingredients simple and clean: Cheap meal prep also includes organizing recipes that do not necessitate the use of rare ingredients. Choosing simple ingredients can help you cut unnecessary costs and make smarter and healthier meals. One smart rule of thumb is to keep your meal prep ideas to five or fewer major items. Not only will this save you money, but it will also reduce meal prep time..
- Integrate grains and wheat into your meals: Brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, and barley are all high-fiber grains that may be used as a base for any meal. Because grains are less expensive per serving than other foods like meat and fresh vegetables, planning ahead for a whole grain-focused supper can also help you save money on groceries. It also includes essential vitamins and minerals in your meals, helping you to eat healthily while cutting costs.
- Create new recipes with the same ingredients: Every few weeks, you should switch up your meal prep ideas in order to avoid repetition. Instead of starting a new grocery list from scratch, look for recipes with the same basic ingredients you have stocked to save you money.
- Invest in reusable meal containers: Although it may appear counterintuitive to purchase particular containers for inexpensive meal prep, doing so enhances this habit in a variety of ways. To begin, batch-cooked meals may be portioned out evenly throughout the week. When you make a dinner that requires a specific number of servings, you may easily store away the correct number of containers with equal amounts of food, allowing you to stretch your savings over a longer period of time.
As a result, meal preparation can be easier and less expensive than it appears to be in today’s world. It is an effective approach to stay organized and stress-free while tracking your health and eating habits.