While grocery costs can gnaw at your monthly budget, the meal prep takes a powerful strategy to reduce food costs even more. By planning and preparing in advance, I don’t need to think at the last minute about what to do with the food I have. I eat a lot of the same things, or I use variations on stuff I eat all the time, with lots of different combinations of the ingredients to make meals. And I also use the food I buy in a lot of different ways, so there’s much less food waste.
Why Meal Prep Saves Money
1. Curtails Unplanned Purchases
When meals are not preplanned, you are much more inclined to make purchases related to convenience foods or to pay for takeout, which are generally far more expensive than home-cooked meals. Meal prepping means sticking to a basic structure when it comes to decisions about food, which not only saves you money, but also saves you from making hasty, last-minute food decisions that aren’t really that good for you (Leung, 2008).
2. Decreases Food Waste
About 30 to 40% of food intended for U.S. consumption never gets eaten (USDA, 2021). Preparing food in a batch allows the cook to use ingredients efficiently and store leftovers that don’t spoil too quickly, in ways that prevent waste.
3. Supports Buying in Bulk
When you buy staple ingredients in bulk, the price you pay per unit goes down. Staying on the meal-prepping track lets you use these bulk items in a way that stretches
Drewnowski & Specter (2004) remind us to consider our grocery budgets in the long run.
Step-by-Step Meal Prep for Savings
Step 1: Create Your Weekly Menu
Begin by choosing recipes that require the same or similar ingredients to minimize shopping. Aim for uncomplicated, flexible meals such as large-batch soups or stuffable ingredients that can populate wraps, salads, and any number of other meals. You can also make stir-fries and, if you own an Instant Pot, jump into the world of pressure-cooked large-batch cooking.
Tip: Utilize applications or online resources to locate affordable, nutritional recipes.
Step 2: Make a Gourmet Grocery List
Write down precise amounts according to your menu to evade excess purchases.
When you shop, adhere to your list to avoid the siren call of impulse purchases.
Step 3: Be an Intelligent Shopper
Procure in Large Amounts: Acquire larger quantities of staple foods, such as grains, beans, and frozen vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables that are in season are less expensive and taste better. Why is this? When you buy produce that is in season, it is growing close to where you live. That makes it fresher when it arrives at your market. Also, plants have a natural cycle of when they grow best. During that time, they are at their peak in quality and quantity.
Stores that offer discounted prices: Shop at discounted grocery outlets or warehouse clubs for your staple items.
Set aside a dedicated meal prep day. Reserve a few hours once a week to cook and portion out meals. Into containers that keep food fresh and that are safe for the microwave. This prep work means you have healthy meals at the ready.
Step 5: Store and Rotate Meals Properly
Label meals with dates and eat the oldest first. Freeze meals that won’t be eaten within a few days to prevent spoilage.
Additional Tips to Maximize Savings
Prepare Basic Foods in Bulk: Make large amounts of rice, beans, or roasted vegetables to use in a variety of meals.
Be Creative with Your Leftovers: Convert leftovers into fresh dishes. This not only reduces waste but also breathing new life into old food keeps my home-cooked meals from feeling redundant.
Restrict Packaged Foods: Whole foods usually cost less and are much more healthful than options that come in pre-packaged forms.
Monitor Your Savings: Maintain a month-by-month record of grocery expenditures both prior to and following the practice of meal prep in order to tally up the savings.
Scientific Evidence Supporting Meal Prep Benefits
Reducing Food Waste: Research indicates that preparing and planning meals significantly decreases the amount of food waste found in households.
Budget Control: Controlled meal planning leads to better grocery budgeting and reduced overspending. Meal structure and the associated foods make it easier to stick to a budget because they give clear guidance about what to buy and not to buy.
Health Enhancements: Meal preparation helps to foster more healthful eating patterns and decreases dependence on the spontaneous consumption of fast foods.
My Personal Savings Breakdown
Prior to the commitment to meal prep, my grocery bills averaged $600 monthly. After this commitment, I consistently reduced my spending to around $400 monthly — a $200 monthly savings. This came from fewer takeout meals, better ingredient use, and eliminating impulse purchases.
Conclusion
Preparing meals in advance is a super saver! It helps make my time in the kitchen more efficient and cuts my grocery bill. By planning my menus, shopping smart, and cooking efficiently, I save at least $200 every month. I cook in bulk, which stretches the dollar. I use lots of fresh veggies and hardly any meat. When I do use meat, I make it the star of the show, like in these Chicken Enchiladas.
References
- Drewnowski, A., & Specter, S.E. (2004). Poverty and obesity: The role of energy density and energy costs. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- Graham-Rowe, E., et al. (2015). The influence of meal planning on household food waste. Appetite.
- Leung, M.M. (2008). Linking psychological attributes to addiction and improper use of the mobile phone among adolescents in Hong Kong. Journal of Children and Media.
- USDA. (2021). Food waste FAQs. United States Department of Agriculture.