grocery shopping Archives - My Inner Shakti

My 4 Step Meal Planning Process

Meal planning is a necessary evil around these parts. Necessary because it helps us save money and prevents food waste. Evil because sometimes it’s just a pain to figure out exactly what to make week after week, especially when you’re trying to keep it healthy and interesting and varied.

Now I know how my mom felt all those years! Week after week, she would ask, “What should I make?” And week after week, our response was always the same, “I don’t know.”

Sorry, momma!

To avoid the above situation (for the rest of my life) and keep my frustration at bay, I devised a simple four step meal planning process, and I plan to stick to it as much as possible in 2016. Especially when things get a little crazy!

Ok, so here goes…

1 – Open up to a clean page in your meal planning notebook (yes, you should have a notebook just for this!). On the left hand side, list out the days of the week in one column and across the top list out all the meals you are planning for (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner).

Carefully think through the days of the week and what meals you will need. For example, breakfast is always the same for us, so I only have to think about my lunches (99% of the time Vishnu eats at the hospital) and our dinners. Consider potential leftovers, meals out, etc.

2 – Now that you know exactly what needs to be made and in what proportion, you can start browsing through cookbooks (The Oh She Glows Cookbook is my absolute favorite!), Pinterest, and blogs. Personally, I like to make one or two new dishes every week and stick to my own tried and true favorites for the rest.

Note: Make sure there’s some overlap of ingredients between meals. This will help save money and eliminate food waste!

3 – Before heading to the grocery store, survey the contents of your fridge and pantry. You guys have no idea how many cans of chickpeas we now have all because I thought we were out!

4- In order to make this whole process worthwhile, STICK TO THE LIST when shopping! I was just telling Vishnu what a huge difference this makes. Take this past week as an example. I ended up almost $15 under budget! All because of a plan and a list!

So there you have it, my four step meal planning process. It doesn’t get any easier than this!

How do you plan your meals for the week?

8 [More] Awesome Trader Joe’s Products

written by Parita 17 Comments

My love for Trader Joe’s is still going strong. So strong in fact that I wake up at 7:30 am on either Saturday or Sunday to grocery shop there. While the getting up early part is not fun at all, the ample parking, clear aisles, and stocked shelves are enough to keep me going.

A few months ago I wrote a post about 10 awesome Trader Joe’s products. Looking back, those are some of the more basic things I purchase on a weekly basis. Since then, I’ve expanded my list of awesome products. Things that are too good not to share!

8 [More] Awesome Trader Joe’s Products

1. Fig spread. This is now one of Vishnu’s favorite condiments. He loves it in his turkey and Muenster cheese sandwiches, and I love it in my egg and cheese sandwiches. This sweet spread pairs so well with savory ingredients.

2. Coconut oil spray. LOVE this stuff. While I still like to use an olive oil spray for more savory dishes, this coconut one is perfect for baked goods.

3. Masala burgers. These burgers deserve a post of their own. They taste like samosa filling and are the perfect substitute for patties in Ragda Patties.

4. 21 Seasoning Salute. This is another recent purchase that we’ve come to love. It includes traditional spices like garlic, black pepper, onion, etc., as well as things like carrot, orange peel, and tomato granules. I’ve used it in both a stir-fry dish and a vegetarian chili.

5. Organic Brown Rice and Quinoa Pasta. While we still love the Brown Rice pasta I mentioned in my previous post, the texture of this pasta is better. And again, even Vishnu loves it, so you know it has to be good!

6. Light Champagne Vinaigrette Salad Dressing. I prefer homemade salad dressings, but on the days I don’t want balsamic, this dressing is perfect. It has a slight tang that goes nicely with raw/roasted veggies and tofu.

7. Organic Stone Ground Blue Corn Tortilla Chips. These chips are amazing! They have a rich, nutty taste and the perfect amount of salt. LOVE!

8. Corn & Wheat Tortillas. My mom found similar tortillas at their local Sprouts and raved about how much she and my dad loved the flavor. These obviously aren’t the same as the ones she bought, but we too love the corn and wheat combination. They don’t fall apart like corn tortillas and don’t have a doughy texture like flour/wheat tortillas…essentially, this is the perfect tortilla!

What are some of your favorite grocery store buys (Trader Joe’s or not)?

A Well Stocked Kitchen

written by Parita 17 Comments

I’ve received a couple of emails asking about our weekly grocery shopping haul after my post about ShopShop. For the most part, my weekly shopping list consists of the same basic foods. I try to buy things that are versatile and have a decent shelf life. And of course, there are always a few “splurge” items that find their way into our cart!

Like I said, versatility is key. I don’t always get to create a meal plan before shopping, so some of that is done on the fly…or even after the fact. However, waste is a major no no in this house. I avoid it by having a few standard recipes in my back pocket. The ingredients in these recipes can be swapped out easily, the spices can be adjusted, etc. For example, vegetable stir-fry is a staple, as are curry based dishes. Another favorite meal is what I like to call kitchen sink nachos – anything goes…just depends on what we have on hand.

Another helpful factor is that both Vishnu and I rotate between the same two breakfasts every day – a green mocha smoothie or banana oatmeal with PB. Vishnu’s lunches are pretty standard as well – a turkey sandwich, fruit, carrots, string cheese, and maybe some trail mix. My lunches usually consist of leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. We like to keep things simple.

With that being said, here is a list of all the basic foods you will find somewhere in our kitchen in some combination at any given time, taking into account seasonality and prices. And I just want to mention that this was made possible by the awesomeness that is ShopShop because we all know that my memory never serves me well!

Again, I just want to stress that I DO NOT buy all of these items every week. A lot of things are once a month/once every few months type purchases. But this paints a good picture of the kinds of foods that are a part of my well stocked kitchen.

And just for the record, the creators of ShopShop have no idea who I am. I just love the app that much!

What are some of the core items on your weekly shopping list?

It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood…

written by Parita Leave a Comment

Hi everyone! You wouldn’t believe the gorgeous weather that decided to grace us with her (?) presence today. The minute I saw the sunshine peaking in through my blinds I knew it was going to be a great day. 🙂

I started off my day with a 3.5 mile treadmill run. In the past week or so, my workouts were put on the back burner due to work/moving priorities, so this run was a perfect way to start the week. I plan to start tomorrow with Jillian Michael’s Yoga Meltdown DVD as I desperately need some good stretching and muscle work. Rise and shine (with some sweat)! 😛

After showering, eating, and getting ready, I headed out to do some grocery shopping. I picked up some of the usuals (fruit, veggies, dairy) and a few other things I’ve been wanting to try…

Coconut water for green monsters/smoothies

Chia seeds for oatmeal (and other stuff)

Shredded coconut for oatmeal, baked goods, and Thai and Indian food

This guy isn't new, but he deserved to be featured (again) 🙂

I got home, put away my groceries, and quickly pulled out my Ninja blender. Why would I do something like that? To make my very first GREEN MONSTER, that’s why!!!! Here’s what went into the mix – 3/4-1 cup of coconut water, a handful of frozen mangoes, a handful of frozen blueberries, 5 large strawberries, a banana, and 2 handfuls of spinach. To be honest, I was pretty skeptical and unsure about this concoction, but I trusted the opinion of my fellow bloggers and decided to keep an open mind. I’m glad I did because this drink was delicious! I really couldn’t taste the spinach at all. Can’t wait to experiment with other flavor combinations!

What’s your favorite green monster/smoothie combination?!

My green monster doesn't look all that green...probably because I went light on the spinach this time around

Around 7 pm, I had this strange urge for Taco Bell. Since I’m trying to do away with all fast food (unless there is absolutely nothing else to eat), TB wasn’t really an option, but I did have all the necessary ingredients to make some healthified (is that even a word?!) nachos. The base of my nachos consisted of Trader Joe’s Blue Corn tortilla chips. Next came Trader Joe’s Fat Free Refried Beans thinned out with a little bit of water. I topped off my nachos with some salsa, reduced fat sharp cheddar, and a sprinkle of goat cheese. YUM-O!!!