Food/grocery help

MrsTotty · July 2009

I am really trying to make a concious effort to buy fresh ingredients from the store (instead of processed) and actually cook more. Slowly but surely I'm getting there ... but I still have a long way to go.

My new problem is wasting food. I go shopping every weekend, and when I'm putting things away I find myself throwing out half the contents of my fridge because they haven't been eaten or used ... and now they've spoiled. Fruits, protiens, veggies, cheese ... I had almost a FULL garbage bag of spoiled foods that had to get thrown out today.

It pisses me off that I'm wasting food and money this way ... even though it's actually cheaper a lot of times to buy 'spoilable' food instead of processed or boxed dinners. So - my question to you ladies is ... how do you do it better? I know, in a perfect world, I would plan out each dinner for each night the weekend before and buy according to that ... but with DHs crazy schedule, that option just isn't doable for us. We're all home together for a meal (dinner) *maybe* three days a week. And if he has to close suddenly, I have no way to prepare for that.

I feel like my main issue is that I forget about things a lot. Like that whole bag of grapes that probably sat in my fridges 'fruit' drawer for 3 weeks and ended up as raisins. Is there something I"m missing here? Or am I just doomed as a domestic goddess wannabe?

Ok, this was not supposed to be this long. Thanks if you're still reading, lol.

techdg26 · July 2009

We're in the same boat as my husband works retail and we're actively involved at church. I buy stuff for three dinners a week, and since I'm a stay at home mom, something for lunch that week. If by, Thursday we haven't eaten near what I thought, I try to freeze what I can. Sometimes I even go ahead and cook the veggies how I want to use them or cut them to freeze. If you have lots of leftovers, put them in one portion containers, and freeze them. Then if your husband is working late, you can always pop one in the microwave to eat or he can do the same when he gets home.

We also do lots of things like - cook a brisket on Monday, have brisket sandwiches on Wednesday, and eat brisket with our eggs on Friday morning.

WyWysMommy · July 2009

I have the same problem too! I try to use it all up before it spoils. Sometimes I just cook ahead and then freeze it. However, with fruit it usually ends up in the trash, which makes me feel horrible.

avz2azb · July 2009

I end up wasting food too. I have quit putting stuff in the drawers b/c I always forget to look in there.

There is a website that you can type in what you have in your fridge/pantry/freezer and it comes up with recipes for you. I can't find it right now, but I am 99% sure it is still in my email somewhere.

I also remember someone on one of the boards saying they kept a list on the door of their pantry with what was in there and crossed off things as they used them. It helped them grocery shop. Maybe that would work with the fridge- putting a list on the door so you remember what is in there. I don't know that I would keep up with it, but it is a good idea in theory.

avz2azb · July 2009

Here's the link: https://www.recipekey.com/#main

Maybe that way if you have food that is about to go bad you can find a way to use it? I plan on using the site to help me clean out our freezer/pantry before we leave.

clynn58 · July 2009

One thing I like to do is to have chicken or turkey on night with a veggie and with the leftovers you can make a pot pie or stew.

if you have chicken and pototoes left over chopp them up add a few tsp of mayo and stuff in to a pita.

kljs1978 · July 2009

I've found that if I bring home fruit and wash it and bag it right away we tend to eat it quicker and not forget about it, especially with berries and grapes. With vegetables I only buy what I know I am going to cook with for that week or so.

I have found that planning out meals for an entire month has worked best because of work schedules, mainly mine. The days I know I even have the possiblity of working late are nights that are set aside for leftovers from the week or if I end up home taking something that was precooked and frozen out. Even with planning a for a month we have seen some waste but nothing like what it was prior to that. The shopping trips where I don't shop with our meals planned out tend to lead to alot of wasted food.

It took me about 3 months of planning and learning where to leave the gaps and what to have on hand as pantry staples for quick meals. DH will also cook a preplanned dinner if I am running a little late, so that helps alot.

reynah · July 2009

I offer no help b/c I am in the same boat as you. I always forget about the fruits and veggies. Just wanted to tell you try and freeze your grapes, they are delish that way!

bieanca · July 2009

I agree about washing the fruits/veggies as soon as you come home. I use to wash and put in snack baggies one serving. It was a lot easier to grab a baggie and go. Also we plannout meals for the week and i only buy what we will need. Which can be a challenge some times. We usually cook on Sundays the main part of the meal and make the sides the night of the meal. Everything is already cooked and we just reheat the meat and go. It makes it easy for nights that are crazy or if something comes up.

ibfloridagirl · July 2009

I am definitely on a tight grocery budget ($100 a week, breakfast, lunch and dinner, all detergents, diapers, formula etc etc, basically all household items). I plan my meals every week (annoying, but i have to), i cook dinner and have it ready by 6pm every night whether DH is home or not. If he's not, great that's lunch for him tomorrow or he can reheat it when he gets home. When i buy fruits and veggies i typically buy frozen, cheaper in the long run, but sometimes i go to the 99c store by my house because on Tues and Fri they put out new produce and i can get a TON of veggies/fruits for super cheap. When i do get fresh, i spend a little time and prepare everything in serving sizes (grapes go into baggies, etc) that way i can grab and go and not have to worry about it (i get lazy and want everything ready when i want to use it, i find when it's easy i use it more). Whenever i need to use some veggies that are getting close to going bad, i put them in a food processor and add them to spaghetti sauce, DH has no clue that he's eating veggies )

Sorry for the novel! Hope i helped even a little!

e_b_r · July 2009

it sounds like we all have this problem!

i also do the washing the fruits the day i shop. i was finding i wasn't eating fruit bc i didn't want to (or couldn't) take the time to wash it when i wanted a snack.

we also plan out meals for the week, but usually intentionally short the menu by 1 or 2 meals. things always come up, and we found we weren't cooking all the meals we meant to.

when we do cook, we cook bigger portions, usually enough for dinner + lunch for both me and DH. not buying lunches out has *really* helped with our budget. that savings helps make up for the costs of keeping a few frozen/prepared emergency foods on hand for those days we can't get to cooking or run out of leftovers.

probably nothing new here, but GL!

MrsTotty · July 2009

These are all great tips ladies ... thank you!

Oh and Rhi - LOL @ hiding veggies in spagetti sauce. Awesome.

bnljane1988 · July 2009

:::writing these tips down::: Just in case DH and I ever have "normal" schedules.

Our fridge usually consists of: every condiment known to man, extra sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese, Heineken, root beer and diet dr. pepper, and 8,900,654 to-go boxes with random food from work.

ibfloridagirl · July 2009

bnljane1988:

:::writing these tips down::: Just in case DH and I ever have "normal" schedules.

Our fridge usually consists of: every condiment known to man, extra sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese, Heineken, root beer and diet dr. pepper, and 8,900,654 to-go boxes with random food from work.

I handled the books for a restuarant in Naples and other than diet DP your fridge sounds much like mine used to )

bnljane1988 · July 2009

ibfloridagirl:
bnljane1988:

:::writing these tips down::: Just in case DH and I ever have "normal" schedules.

Our fridge usually consists of: every condiment known to man, extra sharp Tillamook cheddar cheese, Heineken, root beer and diet dr. pepper, and 8,900,654 to-go boxes with random food from work.

I handled the books for a restuarant in Naples and other than diet DP your fridge sounds much like mine used to )

The diet Dr. Pepper is DH's. I can't stand that crap. Blech.

drunkenwife · July 2009

Like others have mentioned, menu planning and washing veggies when you get home works the best for us. I'm not into hard-core menu planning; usually I'll just make a list of 3-4 things I *want* to make over the course of the week, in no particular order, and have a few nights where it's either fend-for-yourself or I'll just make spaghetti. But I have stuff on hand (like the making for a quick sauce from scratch, or deli meat and veggies for sandwiches), so that it's easy if it's a low-key night.

In addition to washing the veggies when I get home, I'll also go ahead and prep them as well. If I have celery, I'll wash and cut into stalks, broccoli or cauliflower will be washed and cut into florets, spring onions cleaned and cut, etc. It makes it easier to just reach in the fridge and grab something to eat or to make for dinner.

mrspresley · July 2009

ditto on the menu planning. I know you don't know which nights you'll be cooking, but if you really don't want to waste food I'd just cook every other night and then if DH isn't home, then he can eat the leftovers the next day for lunch or dinner. of course I know some people are really picky and won't eat leftovers, but if your DH is ok w/it, that's probably your best bet. I also buy a lot of frozen veggies to save money and cook with, as well as frozen chicken breasts and I always buy my ground beef in bulk and freeze it in 1lb portions in ziploc bags. but the only way I've been able to avoid wasting food due to spoiling is w/meal planning

char-char · July 2009

We don't normally do this, but after reading this posting yesterday we went ahead and portioned out all of the grapes we bought into snack sized ziplock bags to make it easier to grab and go. We also put some in the freezer (yum frozen grapes!) and bought a huge bag of frozen strawberries, pineapple, mango and papaya chunks that we also thawed some out in portioned baggies in the fridge for the first few days of the week to make it easier to pack in our lunch for a healthy snack. I love the idea of prepping veggies ahead of time too! Saving time upfront seems to really be a great idea and great way to make it easier and more appealing to cook or pack things for your lunches when you don't have to prep it every single day instead.?

jenlynnc · July 2009

Lots of great ideas here. I try to wash fruit when I get home and I use to do some meal planning but I've really been slacking lately. I rely alot on Dinner Station meals and cook up some frozen veggies to go with it.

When I was more into the meal planning, I would plan for two weeks worth and try to only do big grocery shopping once every two weeks. It worked out when I did that and most things did not go to waste. We are big leftover eaters here.

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