2.2 Meal Planning

As discussed, there are several eating patterns that are considered healthy for the human body and the environment, but in order to obtain and cook those foods, planning is crucial to the sustainable cooking process.

Planning and Shopping Tips

• Make a written weekly menu plan of balanced meals
• Before shopping, consider:
  • What’s in the pantry?
  • Foods purchased in bulk/stock up and save
  • What’s on sale/coupons; where to shop?
  • What’s in season?
  • Local sources? Farmer’s markets, community gardens
  • Plan to use leftover ingredients from one night to make another night’s meal or tomorrow’s lunch
• Weekend Batch Cooking — invite family, friends and cook together

The Kitchen Pantry

Pantry items are generally foods that are shelf-stable and can be used as ingredients for many different types of meals. Focus on keeping the pantry stocked with nutritious/low-cost foods; some foods that will ensure the pantry is stocked with healthful basics include:

• Rice and other grains such as quinoa
• Canned and Dried Beans
• Canned tuna and salmon
• Nuts and seeds
• Nut butter
• Canned tomatoes
• Stocks and broths
• Pasta
• Oils and kinds of vinegar
• Flours
• Sweeteners
• Spices

Portions and Serving Sizes

Over the last 40 years, individual portion amounts have grown significantly, Americans generally consume more calories and they eat more at restaurants. These simple facts are contributing to the obesity pandemic.

A portion is defined as how much food a person decides to eat; it is not a recommended amount. A serving size is the amount of food recommended and it can be found on a food’s  Nutrition Facts label or at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans; it may be very different from the portion, or the amount a person chooses to eat.

Many restaurants and fast-food outlets serve extra-large portions for marketing purposes, and the consumer may not realize that the amount of food on their plate is enough to feed two or three people. This is called “portion distortion.” There are simple comparisons that can help to keep portion distortion in check:

• Baseball or a fist = 1 cup
• Tennis ball,  ½  baseball or ½ small scooped handful = ½ cup
• Deck of cards or palm of hand = 3 oz (protein)
• 4 stacked dice = 1 ounce (cheese)
• Thumb = 1 tbsp
• Postage Stamp or tip of finger = 1 tsp