Meal planning AFTER grocery shopping

[Anna N]

Having made countless efforts at meal planning prior to doing the grocery shopping, I am now about to reverse engineer this method and plan meals based on what I have bought.

My reasons are many but they include:

If I sit down with the flyers on Saturday morning and try to plan a week's worth of meals I may or may not have an opportunity to shop during the time that the flyers are valid.

If I am fortunate enough to make it to the stores, invariably something is out of stock or is something other than advertised.

When I get to the store, they often have unadvertised specials and especially if these include protein then I take advantage and immediately blow my meal plan out of the window.

If I plan based just on what I would like to eat then it's often simply not available at the places I can shop. I know some of you can quickly revise your plans and take advantage of what IS available but I'm not that sharp!

So I have decided to work at it in reverse.

This idea is a result of two things converging - I defrosted and inventoried my freezer this week and I read an article (can't remember where) that noted that home cooks find a recipe in a book or magazine and then buy the needed ingredients whereas a chef looks at what's in inventory and plans how to make use of what is already in house. (I know that chefs also plan menus and then "shop" but in order to avoid wastage they have to make use of what is already there.)

So, I am now in the process of planning a week of meals based on what I bought at the grocery store, what is in my freezer and what I think is in my pantry - OK OK I haven't got around to that inventory yet!

I am curious to know - does anyone else work this way? I mean aside from the pro chefs who need to use up inventory.

[Domestic Goddess]

Anna - one person who I know does this is my Mom. She plans our meals (when I was single and still living with them) with what she brought from the wet market (and combined with what's in the fridge). She would go to the market almost everyday and the day's meals are based on what was currently available (the freshest or things in season). It may be fresh crabs, manila clams, oysters. freshly slaughter pig's organs, etc. I guess my mom was the original foodie and I got my foodie genes from her.

[yunnermeier]

I don't really plan my meals. I go to the grocery store to see what's available, what I feel like eating tonight (I live very close by 4 supermarkets so I have the 'luxury' of shopping everyday or walking over if I'm missing something), what's on sale that day , what's in season . I do plan sometimes if I want to make something special but there is indeed a lot of wastage!

[shellfishfiend]

I like to stock my deep freezer with items when they are on sale. Usually I check in my freezer and see what proteins I want to cook for the week, then get other required items when I go to the grocery store. I feel very crafty if I can use both protein and frozen veg. from the freezer. My meals tend to develop based on what's on hand or on sale.

It is deer season here and I have not bought meat from the store in at least a month and won't for at least another month. I have to make room for venison.

[Misa]

About ten percent of the time, I'm a "list" shopper. Generally, even that list is for one or two meals only (even if we're shopping for a week's worth of food). After that, I wing it. Half of my decisions are made at the store, the rest at home.

Anna, I agree wholeheartedly with you: shopping to a list can be VERY frustrating. Even worse, if I have my groceries delivered, half the time, they're out of the one or two things I REALLY needed to make the other things work - so then I STILL have to go back out to the store.

[Lilija]

I almost always plan after and during shopping, for standard everyday meals. Some get planned ahead of time, the meals we crave, or requests. Entertaining meals are planned very stringently, but most of the time we meander around the stores, picking up this and that, basing our meals on what's on sale, what looks good, etc.

[Jensen]

I will sometimes plan my meals after shopping, but it's based on what is available at the farmer's market.

For instance, today a discussion with the Spawn about whether or not to buy Roma tomatoes led to the decision to make macaroni and cheese for dinner (yes, I put tomatoes in my mac and cheese).

I also picked up some shelling beans, which will make a side dish at some point during the week. The rest of that meal will be planned around those beans.

For some reason, I find I do my best cooking when I plan around the vegetables I've got at the market, rather than planning around an animal protein. Who knows why?...

[eskay]

For some reason, I find I do my best cooking when I plan around the vegetables I've got at the market, rather than planning around an animal protein. Who knows why?...

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Me too. I'm much more likely to shop-then-plan when I go to the farmer's market. (Not looking forward to winter... ) At the grocery store I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want to get, but there's always room for flexibility.

[Dianabanana]

I'm afraid I do this almost exclusively. Once in a while I start feeling like I should plan our meals in advance and then shop, but it inevitably turns out that all the produce on my list is wilted, banged up, or missing altogether. So I just buy whatever looks good and figure out what to make from it when I get home. Of course, once I decide what to make, I always need some other item that I don't have, but my saintly husband is usually willing to run out and get these things for me.

[Syrah]

I'm afraid I do this almost exclusively. Once in a while I start feeling like I should plan our meals in advance and then shop, but it inevitably turns out that all the produce on my list is wilted, banged up, or missing altogether. So I just buy whatever looks good and figure out what to make from it when I get home.

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I agree with you. I aim to have a well stocked freezer, pantry with things like cans, condiments and meat. I found when I was writing my shopping lists prior, I would write things like "veggies - whatever looks good" "fruit - for snacking" and it was a total waste of my time. I buy fresh items based on the season and what is available on that day.

[Anna N]

I am glad to see I am not alone!

Shortly after I posted I began to think that many of you would likely be slapping your heads and saying, “Doesn’t everyone do this?”

But I am finding it quite exciting. In most things I think I am fairly organized but have a mental block of some sort when it comes to planning meals! Every day I wake asking “What will I make for dinner?” and often this thought continues to niggle until it’s almost dinner time and still nothing comes to mind.

Three times each week I have special meal planning issues:

Each Monday my 8-year-old granddaughter eats dinner with us while her parents get an opportunity to reconnect. She is not hard to please but her likes and dislikes still have to be taken into consideration and she is still young enough to consider this a big treat so I like to have something I know she will like. Now I already have 3 Monday night dinners planned.

Each Thursday as many of my family as can make it, join us for dinner. Obviously planning for 5 or more makes a big difference in a normally 2-person household. Again, I have 3 Thursdays figured out.

Fridays are special candle light and wine dinners for me and hubby: appetizer, main and dessert and lots of thought goes into this one. Planning based on what’s here is so much less stressful than hoping something or other will be available.

Of course, many of these meals will have to be supplemented with fresh produce but it seems easier to me to figure out sides and adjust based on what’s available than to figure out the main!

Now I can look at my daytimer and see that the “What’s for dinner?” question has been answered for quite a few meals. (The other advantage is that I have placed a reminder to take stuff out of the freezer a day or two ahead of time instead of desperately trying to defrost on the day of.)

Now to get that damned pantry inventoried.

[MarketStEl]

As I believe I mentioned in the shopping-list discussion, I don't plan meals before going grocery shopping either. I do, however, try to keep a variety of proteins -- red meat, poultry, fish or seafood, and occasionally soy -- in my larder at all times.

But on occasion -- this past Friday evening (I had an all-day PGMC retreat Saturday) was one -- an idea will implant itself in my head as I'm at the supermarket. On Friday, it was, "I haven't made lasagna in a dog's age." This may be problematic -- roomie with renal failure must avoid tomato products, among other foods -- but I think that a little once in a while might not be a problem (I hope).

In any event, that idea lodged itself in my head and led to a 2-pound tub of ricotta cheese and a box of lasagna noodles, neither of which had been on my grocery list, materializing in my shopping cart, to go with some of the 3-pound pack of ground beef on sale already there, the pound of sweet Italian sausage chillin' in my freezer, the half-pound block of mozzarella in my fridge, and one of the quarts and quarts of tomato sauce also clogging the freezer. Results will in all likelihood emerge from the oven this week or next.

Usually, I think about what I will fix for dinner on those nights when I cook that same morning. If it turns out I need something to complete the recipe, I pick it up on the way home. My pantry is in such a state, though, that maybe I need to follow the chefs' practice of making things with what's on hand too.

[Terrasanct]

I really can't plan my dinners, so I make sure I have everything on hand. I suppose I tend to buy the same things over and over, but I combine them in different ways. I always want to have easy things on hand, too, so on the days I'm too tired to make dinner I won't end up just ordering pizza.

I always have a thought in my head--what am I going to make for dinner tonight? but it changes during the day depending on a lot of factors.

[Chris Hennes]

I really can't plan my dinners, so I make sure I have everything on hand.  I suppose I tend to buy the same things over and over, but I combine them in different ways.  I always want to have easy things on hand, too, so on the days I'm too tired to make dinner I won't end up just ordering pizza. 

I always have a thought in my head--what am I going to make for dinner tonight? but it changes during the day depending on a lot of factors.

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This is just about what I do. In theory, I have a half dozen or so things that I want to make for the week, but as the week goes by I continuously change my mind. So I "over-shop" at the grocery store (e.g. even if I don't think I will make curry this week, I make sure to have coconut milk on hand). The proteins can be adapted to depending on weekly specials, mid-week whims, etc. I meal plan to make sure I have a list of things I can tell my wife are on the "dinner options" list when we get home from work: I find that just saying, "I dunno, what do you want" doesn't go over real well... Just because the list changes day to day, and always includes an "other" option doesn't mean I didn't plan, it just means I didn't follow it.

[annecros]

This is almost my exclusive modus operandi. It works out pretty well. Special meals, for family, etc. I know them so intimately that the list is built in.

[Peter the eater]

I love shopping for food and I go often. I'm way to lazy to clip coupons but I do like to plan meals as I shop, and get ideas from whats on sale or reduced for quick sale. Occasionally we have a period of "just say no to new groceries" until the inventory thins out, and the older stuff gets consumed. I hate, hate, hate to waste food. What was the question?

PS Anna N, I am on a mission to try canned potatoes asap, and will advise!

[Sony]

For some reason, I find I do my best cooking when I plan around the vegetables I've got at the market, rather than planning around an animal protein. Who knows why?...

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I second this, Jensen and eskay. I somehow get more inspired by the produce section/farmers' market. My freezer stock is almost all protein (there's a few bags of frozen vegetables/fruit, and of course, leftovers frozen into individual meals for lunch or uninspired nights...)

So yes, I tend to meal shop after grocery shopping. Generally, I'll pick up fresh produce, whatever looks good, and thaw protein (Or soak beans. Or marinate tofu.) to combine, if necessary.

This week, I went shopping yesterday and a fresh bunch of kholrabi looked good. So I thawed a pack of chuck that I'd trimmed and cut into cubes. Part of that meat went into a curry with the kholrabi. But I also decided to make a little bit of chili, so I soaked some beans, ground some chilies and both are simmering on the stove right now. The kholrabi greens- I bet I'll just saute those up and mix it with pasta, and put an over-easy egg on top for a night when I'm coming back from being on the road.

Did I have any of these intentions when I bought the kholrabi. Nope. I guess the only danger is the weeks when I get inspired at the market and then my inspiration peters out during the week....It rarely happens, though, because cooking is usually how I unwind during the work week.

[SundaySous]

I can pretty much count on the big stores being out of sale items by the time I get there so yeah I like to plan while I'm actually shopping. I give produce a good look and head into the meat department. Then it's back to produce.

I shop four stores and I really think I'm eating better for less for doing that.

[MelissaH]

We do a lot of our shopping this way. We usually go in with a list, if nothing else a mental list of what days we'll need dinner for that week. (For instance, I have band rehearsal on Thursday nights, and I typically need to have finished eating well before my husband gets home from work, so Thursdays are usually "fend for yourself" dinner. But once we get there, we'll often see what looks good, and plan our meals that way. I'll often fill in the gaps with a trip to the orchard store, or a repeat trip to the supermarket later in the week if I'm heading out that way for other errands, and we're getting better about remembering to get something out of the freezer a couple of days before we want to eat it.

The vacuum sealer makes a big difference for us, also.

MelissaH

[Anna N]

. . .

This is just about what I do. In theory, I have a half dozen or so things that I want to make for the week, but as the week goes by I continuously change my mind. So I "over-shop" at the grocery store (e.g. even if I don't think I will make curry this week, I make sure to have coconut milk on hand). The proteins can be adapted to depending on weekly specials, mid-week whims, etc. I meal plan to make sure I have a list of things I can tell my wife are on the "dinner options" list when we get home from work: I find that just saying, "I dunno, what do you want" doesn't go over real well...  Just because the list changes day to day, and always includes an "other" option doesn't mean I didn't plan, it just means I didn't follow it.

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Chris,

This is exactly what happened to me on the old system. So many things I wanted to attempt and so many things got in the way. As a consequence there was constant over-shopping which I really cannot afford to do. I am hoping that this system will do away with some of that. I DID plan but DID NOT work my plan.

It's too early to say if this system will work any better but right now it sure does feel like it.

[purplewiz]

I have a grocery list mainly to remind myself of the staples we're out of...and for my husband to let me know what he's used up or getting low on.

The only time I do meal planning ahead of time is if there's a specific dish I want to make and I don't have all the ingredients for it on hand. Then I make sure the stuff I need gets on the list.

The rest of the meals are planned around what's on sale and what looks good. I generally have an idea of "oh, it's supposed to be cold, I'd like a simmered dish or a soup one of these nights", but what soup or meat depends on what's on sale. At this point I've been cooking long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what kind of volume of fresh vegetables I need for the number of meals I'm cooking, and if I'm off by a little I can either make it up with the frozen vegetables I always have around or roll the extras into the next week. (Like right now I'm way overbought on hard squash but it's been on sale, it looks good, and it keeps for awhile.)

It does take some practice to figure out exactly how much you need if you haven't figured out what you're going to do with it, but it's not hard to learn. And I just don't know what I'm going to feel like cooking 5 days from now.

Marcia.

[Lady T]

I have a grocery list mainly to remind myself of the staples we're out of...and for my husband to let me know what he's used up or getting low on.

The only time I do meal planning ahead of time is if there's a specific dish I want to make and I don't have all the ingredients for it on hand. Then I make sure the stuff I need gets on the list.

The rest of the meals are planned around what's on sale and what looks good. I

It does take some practice to figure out exactly how much you need if you haven't figured out what you're going to do with it, but it's not hard to learn. And I just don't know what I'm going to feel like cooking 5 days from now.

Marcia.

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This resembles my modus pretty closely. I always make sure there's a solid supply of canned stuff and cupboard goods, for weeks when the paychecks aren't biting or the calendar has gone completely nutzoid. There's a list that replenishes necessities like -- oh, their name is Legion -- olive oil and Parmegiano and Emmenthaler and good sweet butter and sea salt and good peppercorns to grind fresh, and yeast and decent organic flours and honey as needed, and basic produce according to the season.

Then there comes the improv-theater element: mostly a barn dance that suggests meat or fish entrees according to what produce will play nicely with them. Side dishes volunteer once the entrees evolve, and if I don't have wines to pair with them on hand already, there's a quite decent liquor/wine store a half block from my home.

[mizducky]

I prefer to plan meals based on what's on sale and looking good at my favorite markets, plus my mental inventory of what's already in fridge/freezer/pantry. It's how I can manage to keep doing fun foodie things while staying on a budget. I keep an especial eagle eye out for when various staples and favorite ingredients go on sale, and stock up.

Once in awhile E. will make a special request for a particular dinner, so then I'll shop with that meal in mind ... but if the key ingredient(s) is/are ridiculously priced or looking pathetic that day, I'll postpone doing that meal until I find the right quality at the right price.

Edited October 22, 2007 by mizducky (log)

[Fat Guy]

home cooks find a recipe in a book or magazine and then buy the needed ingredients whereas a chef looks at what's in inventory and plans how to make use of what is already in house.  (I know that chefs also plan menus and then "shop" but in order to avoid wastage they have to make use of what is already there.)

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I thought they just used all the leftover odds and ends for the staff meal!

Seriously, though, I'm not surprised that a lot of people posting here are hybrid shoppers and planners. It's really the most logical way to go about it, if you're a reasonably skilled cook and you have a modicum of ability to improvise.

I always shop with a list -- that's the only way to avoid running out of eggs, forgetting to buy flour, missing out on an advertised sale item, getting the wrong cereal for a picky family member, etc. -- but that list is certainly not comprehensive. Probably half of what I buy is what's on the list, and the other half is what I see when I'm there. The list basically skips over produce, unless it's staple produce like onions and garlic.

Likewise, I loosely plan several of the week's meals ahead of time, but there's a constant process of updating and reevaluating that occurs during and after I shop. Today I had planned to make pizza, but the temperature outside got high enough that I didn't want to fire up the oven, so I changed the plan. We'll have pizza later in the week -- dough freezes really well, and the cheese will last just fine. Sometimes, I'll have two, three or four complete meals in mind that I could make from what's in the house, so I'll offer them all up and let the family pick -- what do I care? (I'll only push hard for a specific meal is when a key ingredient is nearing the end of its usable life.) Our lifestyle also includes a lot of meals out, many of them on short notice, so there needs to be wiggle room to accommodate that.

Needless to say, if you want to utilize this system effectively you've got to have a well-stocked pantry and freezer. That's what gives you the tools to be flexible: the pastas, grains, beans, canned tomatoes, frozen stock, etc., that can turn most any ingredients into a meal.

[milgwimper]

I always tell myself I am going to plan a menu and then shop, but that rarely happens. There are times when I want to make a certain recipe and will shop for those items, but usually I get seduced by the produce, and sometimes by the protein. Most of the items get used but then there are the items that just get bad. I usually look to see what I have and plan around those items but then either something comes up, or I forget we have something, and it rots. Like this lovely chicken we got from the farmers market last week. I had planned to roast it, but DH had so much studying to do we had been eating in the next town so DH could study at the library. I zoned out about the chicken and well by the time I realized it was languishing in the frigerator it had gone bad.

My problem is overshopping. I still shop like there are four to five people in the house and there is only DH and I.