What’s in my fridge you may wonder? It’s not exactly like opening a dresser drawer, but a refrigerator can be a place that you may not want to invite friends (or strangers) into. Many people carry a lot of guilt behind those silver doors. But remember - it all begins at the grocery store pushing that behemoth metal cart with the awkward wheel. You can change what’s in there quite easily – there’s a new chance every week.
Shop from a list – it requires planning but saves calories and cash (and certainly don’t shop with your kids).
Drop the guilt; there’s no such thing as a perfect refrigerator anyway, OK? I always try my best to go shopping once a week. Yes, I know – it takes a lot of forward thinking to make this work. Grocery shopping every other day is also a total PIA – been there, done that. I don’t always make it through the entire week without stopping to grab a lemon or something, but it’s a minor inconvenience. The less time spent in the grocery store usually equates to less cash spent and healthier food choices.
Shopping hungry – bad choice.
Some people think – “what the heck do you eat”? With celiac disease and Type 1 diabetes, it certainly does limit choices but there’s still an overwhelming array of options. As you can see, my fridge is packed to the gills after my weeks shopping because the preponderance of what we eat is fresh and healthy. With full disclosure in mind, I do have too many snacks in my snack cabinet – but that’s for another post on why people with Type 1 diabetes are squirrels.
Shop with cash it keeps you in your budget and prevents frivolous “that looks good” purchases.
This may sound ridiculous but here it goes: Clean your refrigerator before you shop people. It’s always a bummer to return home to nasty Tupperware with last weeks dinner and moldy cheese when you’re ready to load in your new stash. I may be weird but I like to have things clean – I think it promotes clean eating. When things look good and are accessible (ie- aren’t jammed in plastic bags and tucked away in the crevices of a drawer to wither) they are eaten with regularity. Less waste is money saved.
Be proud of what you load onto that conveyor belt. Your family can only eat what you purchase; it’s up to you – the shopper. If you’re hiding things under your cart and looking around to make sure you don’t know anyone before you hop in line – there’s work to be done.
Think about filling your cart backwards. Fill the large part with whole foods and the top little section with processed foods to keep your purchases (and diet) in balance.
Simply placing small intentions into your shopping can make a big difference. Going into the grocery store and shopping without a plan isn’t an approach most people are successful with.
Get it done: Clean your fridge, find some recipes, take inventory, make a list, get cash and go shopping.