Menu Planning and Meal Prep 101 – Part 2 (Grocery Shopping)
Part 2 of 3 in the series: today is Grocery Shopping; Part 1 was Menu Planning, Part 3 will be Cooking/Prep.
Shop in person if you can for better options and fresh variety; bring a list and stick to it.
Map your route: start with budget stores, then fill gaps at mid/high-end; use farmers’ markets and wholesale strategically.
Read ingredient labels instead of buzzwords; choose whole foods when budget allows.
Buy only what you’ll eat (right-size produce), explore international aisles for lower-cost staples.
Streamline unloading at home with a simple team workflow; plan an easy meal post-shop and prep tomorrow.
Why Shop In Person
Better variety, fresher picks, and smoother substitutions.
You did it! You planned a menu you actually want to eat this week and you know exactly what you need to get in order to make that happen. Great job! Now you need to brave the crowds and go grocery shopping. You can do it, I believe in you. When you are beginning your meal prep journey, I recommend shopping in person. I know online shopping is convenient and sometimes a necessity. But, if at all possible, go into the store. I will detail the best ways to navigate the grocery store(s) and how to best execute your list. Your options and variety will be much better in person.
Before You Go: Plan the Route & the Crew
Pick the stores, set the order, and choose who comes.
Some things to consider before you head out the door. Where are you going? What and who are you taking with you? These are important questions to ask. Ideally, you want to shop at the best place for your budget. I will detail different options along the way, if some are out of your budget (now or ever) that’s ok. Frozen or canned veggies are WAY better than no veggies. Besides that, the quality of these items has gotten a lot better in the last several years and decades. You have options and it is a great idea to use more than one of them. Also, who you bring with you matters. Do you have an adorable gremlin who can talk you into ice cream sandwiches? Leave her home. Have to bring her? Feed her first, let the expectations be known that you’re just getting what’s on the list, and stay strong. The flip side of that is to be sure you have dessert and treats on the list. It is easier to say no to ice cream sandwiches if you have fruit popsicles on the list and can let her pick the flavor. Meal prep is not about never having treats or cutting everything out. It’s just about planning ahead so you know what you’re getting into.
Prep: Bags, Budget, and List
Map your stores, eat first, bring coffee, and grab a pen.
As before, in Part 1: Menu Planning, we can break this piece of the puzzle down into a few more manageable pieces: prep, execution, and unloading. I know that seems simple, but stick with me. Preparing to go grocery shopping is an event itself! This is where your last bit of planning comes into play. If you are on a budget your best bet is to shop in multiple stores. Hit the budget or non-brand store first. Then have your more middle-of-the road or higher end grocery stores to fill out items you can’t find elsewhere. Lastly, you’ll occasionally hit the wholesale store, specialty stores like the pet store, and farmers’ markets. Figure out where you need to go this week and decide in what order you want to shop them. Find your reusable bags—you know you have them—and pop them in the backseat. Be sure you are not hungry! This cliché is actually pure gold. Have food before you go and bring a coffee with you. Before you walk out the door, grab your grocery list and a pen. Now you’re ready to shop.
Execution: In the Store
Stick to the list, choose whole foods, read labels—not buzzwords.
Once you’re at the store the most important part is sticking to the list. You planned for this. Excess buying only creates excess. That’s how food gets thrown away at the end of the week. Be ready. Choose whole foods wherever available and within budget. When you choose canned, dried, or frozen items, look beyond catchy words like “organic”, “low sugar”, “keto”, and others. Instead look at ingredient labels. Look up anything you don’t recognize. Science has come a long way and has made enormous advancements in our food safety. It’s ok to eat some things you can’t pronounce, it’s your job to know which ones. It’s ok to eat things with more than 5 ingredients. I mean, honestly, you’ll take homemade chocolate chip cookies out of my cold, dead hands before I give them up for good. You need to invest in your nutrition with information. Your first few trips will likely take a bit longer than you are used to so you can find just what you are looking for.
Produce & Aisles Strategy
Buy the right amounts; use international aisles for value staples.
When it comes to produce, buy only what you know you’ll eat. Do you like bananas but not every day? Great, only buy 3, not a bunch of 6. Making 2 salads for lunch this week? Only purchase one head of Romain instead of the bag of 3. Shop for staple items in aisles labeled “International”, “Ethnic”, “Asian” or “Mexican”. Leaving aside how problematic these labels are, these aisles contain a plethora of hidden gems. Dry spices are typically half the price that they are in the spice aisle, and you probably didn’t even know they were there. It’s the same with dry beans, noodles, canned veggies, corn meal and more. Variety of ingredients can be far more here than the other areas as well. Explore! See what you can find that fits your list. (PRO TIP: Trying new recipes often requires you to get one or two staple items you don’t have or have never heard of. This is the perfect way to explore a new part of the grocery store.)
Fill the Gaps at Mid/High-End Stores
Quick in-and-out for specialty or allergy-friendly items.
Use the higher end stores to fill the gaps and find the special dietary items you may not be able to find in other stores. We usually need to make a trip for some dairy-free items for my daughter’s allergy. This may also be where you pick up your pet food or more niche produce items. Be careful here. Don’t get lured in by all the yummy, fancy packaging. You have already completed the bulk of your shopping. This should be a quick, in and out, mission.
Farmers’ Markets & Wholesale
Go local when you can; wholesale for non-perishables and paper goods.
If you are lucky enough to have a farmer’s market or wholesale store nearby these can be great resources too. Visit farmer’s markets to meet with local farmers and see what they have to offer regularly and only occasionally. This helps you plan for the future, for things like ordering a Thanksgiving turkey. Go here first to secure proteins and local produce if able. Then hit the grocery stores for the items you still need. Talk to farmers about a local CSA, or if they offer “fill your freezer” packages. These are the best ways to have local food regularly and at an affordable price. The wholesale stores are perfect for paper products and non-perishable items you use and know you have space for. I mean, sure, it’s cool that you can buy 50 pounds of oats, but where are you going to put them? Don’t get suckered in by free samples and “discounted” gadgets. Head to the back, grab your toilet paper and get out!
Find Your Rhythm
Over time, shorten the route and automate what you can.
After a few weeks you will have found a rhythm to the shopping routine and it will not take as long as the first few times. Eventually you will have it down to a science and even find ways to tweak it or make it easier for you. We discovered that a recurring pick-up order at the pet store was best for us for litter and food for the cats and dogs. It saves us time from getting out of the car. It also saves me from picking up cute little toys we definitely do not need. It’s regularly scheduled so the guess work is eliminated. It’s a perfect solution for us. On these weeks I make up to 3 stops before my shopping is done. Then I head home for the last step.
Unloading: Team Sport
Sort by storage zone; one fridge open, neat and efficient.
Unloading is honestly best managed as a team sport in my opinion. If you have a helper available, use them. Bring all the bags and boxes in from the car. Send non-food items directly to their places. Pet food goes to the pet food cabinet, paper towels and toilet paper go to the hall closet, etc. Food bags are brought right into the kitchen. Unload the bags into piles according to where they get stored. Make a fridge pile, a pantry pile, a cabinets pile, and a bathroom pile. This is where a helper comes in handy. They can start to load the fridge while you continue to unload bags. If you are flying solo, just unload all the bags first. Then open the fridge just the one time to pack everything in. Take your time and be neat. You should have maximum space available because organizing the fridge was step one of menu planning.
After Shopping
Plan an easy dinner today; full meal prep comes in Part 3.
Once everything is where it belongs, you are done. I like to have planned an easy meal for these days so I’m not tempted to eat all the yummy snacks I just bought. I prefer to shop on Saturday afternoons. The store is not busy and I don’t feel rushed. The people who are shopping and working are generally in a decent, unharried, mood. I love it. The best part for me, though, is that once I get it all put away, I just let it be until the next day. The actual meal preparation for the week is always on Sundays for us, more on that in Part 3. For now, I just check the shopping off my to-do list and call it a day.
