Take Inventory!

Sorry for the hiatus. Life happened, as it always does. I'd like to say that it was for something other than "I was tired," but it wasn't. I'm covering for another facility while their RD is on medical leave. Needless to say, I crash when I get home.

So back to meal planning. (Woo! Meal Planning!) There are so many ways to do it, and hopefully you find the way that works for you. I'm going to share what works for me, starting with inventory.

I do believe this is the MOST IMPORTANT step in meal planning.  I always start my meal planning process by taking a look through my kitchen and seeing what is there. Chances are, you have more in your fridge and pantry than you think. The best part is? Those hidden treasures will help you save money at the grocery store! Also, it cuts down on food waste. I hate, hate, HATE throwing out food. The other thing that drives me crazy? Buying something that I already had, but forgot. Thankfully, both can be avoided.

Because my father was/is obsessed with Excel, I was raised on spreadsheets and continue to use them quite often. I came up with a spreadsheet I use to keep track of what is in the kitchen. I might seem a little excessive, but it has saved my tush a few times. I basically write down what I have, how much, and when it goes bad. I (try to) update it weekly.

Now, I know it seems like a lot of work, but it really does get easier the more you use it. I print it out and stick it to my fridge. After I go shopping, I'll write in what I got and cross things off when I use them.  Once your list is established, it takes a lot less time to fill out and see what you have in your kitchen.

Then we use what we have to make our meals! In food service, inventory falls under cost control, which is exactly what I use it for in my own kitchen.

I've uploaded the sheet onto Drive, so feel free to download it and use it if you'd like! Here is the link.

And as always, if you have any questions or comments please leave them below!

Thanks for reading :)



P.S. I have to adjust those margins a lot when I print out a blank sheet, just in case you were wondering how to get it down to 1 page