What kind of planner are you?

What kind of planner are you?

Planning meals is one of the most effective ways to reduce food waste and save on food bills. Whether you prefer to keep things flexible or you love to have everything organised, there are simple steps you can take to make planning meals a bit easier.

You don’t have to be a natural colour-coder to get into the habit of making a simple meal plan. Take a look at these planning profiles to see which approach might suit you best. What type of meal planner are you???

I love planning…

“I almost always cook at home and I like to be organised.”

Know what you have: Keep a running tally of what you need to pick up as it runs out. A blackboard in the kitchen or a shopping list on the fridge is a handy way of doing this.

Make a meal plan: Make a weekly or monthly meal plan. Try to choose recipes so that ingredients for one meal can be used in another. Need half a carton of cream on Monday? Use up the other half in a pasta dish the following day.

Make a shopping list: Start with the list of foods you’ve used up and your meal plan will make writing your shopping list quick and easy.

I’ll give it a try…

“I cook at home most of the time but plans sometimes change.”

Know what you have: Check your fridge and cupboards to see what you do and don’t have.

Make a meal plan: Make a rough meal plan before you shop but leave some wiggle room. Only plan meals for 3 or 4 days, no need to be too ambitious!

Make a shopping list: Take your meal plan with you and use it as your shopping list.

I don’t like planning…

“I go with the flow and shop for food as I need it.”

Know what you have: Take a photo of what you have in your fridge, freezer or cupboard before you leave. Make a note of what needs to be used up quickly.

Make a meal plan: Plan your meals one or two days at a time. Try to include food you have already. Use a recipe app to find new ideas.

Make a shopping list: When shopping, use the photos you took to see what you have and remind you of your plan.

Try to include some seasonal and local food in your meal plan. This can reduce the overall environmental impact of the food you eat. Check out our Seasonal Foods Calendar.

Cover photo by Vegan Liftz via Unsplash