One of the hardest things about meal planning is getting a good list of meals together so you are not bored and not overwhelmed with ingredients. Mr. Cereal and I cook almost all of our dinners at home (we rarely eat out), so a few years ago we started keeping a running list of our favorite meals. This evolved into seasonal lists because I personally don’t want to eat big hearty meals in the summer. What I’ve found that helps is a list of items that we try to keep on hand all the time. This makes my shopping significantly easier, and it means that I can often revise or throw a meal together last minute if needed. So I’ve put together a list of ingredients that I like to have on hand to help me create meals during the week.
1/ Pasta – In my case, I am gluten free so I buy two or three packages of gluten free pasta at a time. We don’t necessarily eat pasta all that often, but it is a lifesaver to have it on hand. I often find myself making a small batch of butter and parm noodles for the kids because it is quick and easy and I know they will eat it. A bonus is to keep frozen slices of chicken on hand. I love getting rotisserie chickens and taking them apart and freezing the meat for later uses.
2/ Pre-made pizza dough – We eat pizza at least once a week and it’s a great meal because it is relatively easy, the kids love it, and we can mix it up frequently. Most grocery stores carry fresh dough now, so even if I am not planning on having pizza that week, I will still pick one up. I can use the dough for bread sticks, pocket meals, cinnamon rolls, and so many other things. It’s a great, versatile, and cheap item to have on hand.
3/ Frozen fruits and vegetables – Even during summer I tend to stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables. I use a frozen steam-able bag of veggies for most meals. But I also use them in all kinds of other meals like pasta dishes, casseroles, tacos, etc. Having them on hand means that I am sneaking veggies into most meals. The fruits I love to use for smoothies, yogurt in the morning, or for baking. Plus, when I don’t have time to get to the store, I can use the fruits for dinner sides for the kids.
4/ Tortillas – This one may sound silly, but we seriously use tortillas in so many meals. The kids are obsessed with quesadillas, so those are a multiple days a week meal for lunches or dinners. But I also love using them for casseroles, to make homemade chips, to wrap sandwiches, and even to make desserts with (think cinnamon sugar and butter on a crispy tortilla). We actually buy bulk quantities of these and make sure to always have them on hand.
5/ Ground beef – Or pork, or chicken, or turkey. Ground meat is easy to use in a million ways. We have a really great market that does fresh ground meat, so I often stop by there to pick up a few pounds at a time. I will re-package and freeze most of it for other meals, and honestly it is awesome to have it on hand for the nights when I just want to make something easy. The best part about ground meat is that you can transform it in a bunch of different ways and with a few spices, you can easily change the flavor too.
6/ Brownies and cake mixes – Ok, this one is mostly because I LOVE brownies, but I usually like to have a couple of box mixes on hand. I really love baking, and I use box mixes for most of my baking. I often modify the mix with other things to make it better, but sometimes all I want is a simple box of brownies. The best part about this is that I try to make two batches at a time, then cut up and individually freeze portions so I can have a quick indulgence when I need one. Not even kidding, I almost always have brownies in my freezer. Cake mixes are awesome too because I can modify them to make all kinds of other baked goods.
7/ Rice – I always have to have rice on hand. I also keep polenta stocked as well because these are two really easy things to make as sides for a meal. I use rice relatively often and I either throw it in a crock pot and let it go, or I use minute rice on the stove top for a quick side. Polenta is also an awesome option. I use ground polenta to make great cheesy grits or to make a nice polenta cake that can be seared on both side. Rice and polenta are both really cheap and come in quantities that ensure use for many meals.
8/ Potatoes – I am in love with potatoes. They are my favorite food because I can do so much with them. I like to keep whole potatoes on hand (both russet and sweet) to use as sides, or even for a nice baked potato. I also have a box of instant mashed potatoes on hand at all times and I use this for sides, to top other dishes, or to use as a base for a potato dough. I love that potatoes can be transformed into a ton of different things, and they are filling and delicious. If you haven’t yet, explore what toasting slices of sweet potatoes does, you will be in heaven!
What are some of your go-to grocery items? Do you try to keep certain things in stock for your meals?
guest
So what do you do with potato dough made from instant mashed potatoes?
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
My list looks similar, except I add in a jar of the tomato sauce we all like and either a block of cheese or a bag of shredded cheese.
cherry / 222 posts
My list is super similar! We mostly do sweet potatoes, but maybe we should mix in some white potatoes too (thanks for the suggestion!).
Peanut butter and cheese are also on our lists.
We usually buy produce that is more seasonal, but always always get apples, bananas and cauliflower.
blogger / kiwi / 626 posts
@Emily: I use the potato base for gnocchi or for the base of a cottage pie. Sometimes I even use it to make biscuits with.
@looch: I also almost always have tomato sauce on hand. I have to use a specific brand/type with no onions or garlic, but it is a great item to have! And a huge YES to cheese! We are Swiss and cheese is basically the foundation of our diet.
@merriment: Peanut butter is a must! I do try to mix up the produce as well. I love this time of year because there is so much available!
guest
my list oftentimes looks a lot like yours! however it started recently bothering me that it was almost all carbs (no meat – vegetarian here) and that it was all yellow/brown items. in nutrition coaching kids, I oftentimes tell them to “eat something from each color of the rainbow” and here I was… collecting my yellows. My recent challenge has been to add more colors to my staple foods.
pear / 1622 posts
For the kids I always try to have a can of beans in the pantry – baked beans or black beans as well as a can of Chef Boyardee and a box of macaroni & cheese (they prefer the box to homemade).
In the refrigerator we try to have chicken sausage, cheese, and deli meat.
For the adults, I try to always have lettuce or another leafy green – it forces us to eat salads if it is on the weekly list. My kids enjoy washing the greens and in the process they will nibble on it which is nice to see.
guest
What type of gluten free pasta do you get? We aren’t gluten free but my kids looooove pasta and I’m trying to get us away from so much enriched white flour. (More fiber to help my potty-training-struggling son. Plus just healthier for all of us.) I tried a lentil pasta but it was gooey and while the kids ate it I didn’t love it.
blogger / kiwi / 626 posts
@Callie: I use either ronzoni or barilla. Both are pretty good, but be sure to cook it long enough. Al dente gluten free pasta is pretty gross texture-wise.