Let’s stay in the kitchen for Day 4. If you didn’t get through all the plates, mugs, tea cups, bowls and glasses from yesterday, keep working! Today’s challenge is what I affectionately call the Food Inventory Challenge.
- Take a long hard look at the freezer, fridge and pantry
- Throw away expired or freezer burned items
- Make a list of entree-items (ground beef, chicken, pizza etc)
- Plan at least 3 meals from current inventory
- No grocery shopping
- Borrow ingredients from a neighbor
- Check online for ingredient substitutes or try a different recipe
Here in the mid-Atlantic, the roads are icy and it’s freezing! I have no desire to leave the house for the next three days. So, it’s the perfect opportunity to declutter the fridge, freezer and pantry.
When you take time to meal plan and reduce the volume of food, these spaces have a way of organizing themselves.
Clients often tell me their pantry is too small, but I would argue that we stock pile too much food. We buy large quantities at discount stores only to have items go bad before we have a chance to use them. We cancelled our membership to a bulk shopping store. Impulse buys and waste outweighed any cost savings. But even grocery store sales are merely advertisements encouraging consumers to “stock up” because it’s a good deal. That’s why I suggest staying out of the grocery store all together.
I know what you’re thinking….but I don’t have all the ingredients to make this recipe or that recipe. Well, neither do I, but Google and I have made a lot of great meals together! When we run this challenge, I find substitutes for most ingredients. I borrow spices from the neighbors. And sometimes, we simply do without.
My grandma liked to cook this way. She improvised. Occasionally, it was a disaster but we laughed a lot and no one ever went hungry in her house.
Several years ago, my husband, son and I took this challenge very seriously. We started with a modest trip to the grocery store, buying only extra milk and eggs. Eventually, I made bread and even learned how to make almond milk. We got really creative because we had to. We wasted very little. Our record is 35 days of meals without grocery shopping.
We laughed about our strange meals and found endless ways to substitute ingredients. You’d be surprised how many meals can be made. Moreover, the meals are healthier and always less expensive than eating out. If finances are tight after the holidays, this is a great time for a challenge like this!
So perhaps you’re not up for 35 days, what about 3 days? 1 week or maybe 2? I promise, it can be done! And the first trip back will be healthier and create better shopping habits going forward.
What’s your goal for the #FoodInventoryChallenge?
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