What is Meal Planning?

Meal planning is preparing and planning for the week ahead what you’re going to eat and cook. Benefits can include saving money, time, buying unnecessary food and avoiding last-minute meal decisions, particularly during a busy working week. Within the following blog, we tell you how to maximize staples, meal planning and tips & tricks to stay on track for a fulfilling week ahead.

 

 

What to do when you have…

 

Grains: These consist of wheat, rice, oats, barley, rye, corn and can also be called cereals. Most commonly we would see grains in the form of barley, rice, buckwheat, pasta, crackers, bread or porridge. Grains can be classified into either wholegrains or refined grains, wholegrains taking the win when it comes to nutritional value. Grains can be very versatile and usually accompany stir-fry’s, curry’s, chilli’s, soups, bread and cereals.

 

Jars: A variety of foods come in jars such as pesto’s, pasta sauces, olives, salsas, pickled items and preserves. Products such as these are extremely versatile and can be added to an endless amount of dishes such as pastas, salads, sandwiches, curry’s and stir-fry’s. Don’t throw out those empty jars – they’re perfect to reuse to store grains, pasta, pulses and more.

 

Fruit and Vegetables: Both are very versatile, and it is recommended by the HSE that we should aim to eat approximately 5 portions of different coloured fruit and vegetables a day. As soon as your delivery arrives from The Fruit People, plan out where you will use each different type of fruit and vegetable to maximise their freshness.

 

Fats: These can range from oils, nuts, avocados, nut butters, butter and vegetable shortening. There are a number of fats considered ‘good fats’ (unsaturated fats), including olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, oily fish such as tuna and salmon and avocados and that’s only a handful. These fats are great nutritionally and have great versatility. Some ideas include trying on toast as a snack, drizzled on a salad or added to a dish.

 

Dairy: Includes milk, cheese, yoghurt, non-dairy alternatives, butter, evaporated milk, cream, milk powder and whey. These make the perfect addition to smoothies, porridge, granola, sauces, toast, soups, in eggs/ omelettes.

 

 

 

Snack Ideas

  • True organic Nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts and cashew nuts)
  • Kelkin rice cakes with nut butter
  • Fruit from fruit box
  • Native Sweet Chilli & Lime Popped Lotus Seeds
  • Harvest Moon Hummus/ Genovese Pesto Verde and Lavosh Flatbreads
  • KIND Almond & Coconut bar, Irish Oat Granola bar, Pulsin Fruit & Nut bar

 

Dessert Ideas 

  • Mileeven Honey and strawberries
  • Fresh Fruit Salad
  • Baked Peach with Mileevan Honey and Natural Yogurt
  • Chia Seed Pudding with Granola and Fresh Berries
  • Poached Pear with Killowen Farm Natural, Toasted Organic Walnuts, Yogurt

 

Drink Ideas

  • Gut Instinct Rose & Rhubarb Kombucha
  • Pukka Herbal Tea
  • Imbibe Coffee / Upside Coffee
  • Clement & Pekoe Kombuchas
  • Cawston Press juice carton / can.

 

All mentioned produce is available on our website here.

 

 

 

Tips

  • Each of the suggested dishes are extremely versatile. Mix up your own preferences to suit your own individual tastes
  • Similarly, dairy produce can be swapped for non-dairy alternatives such as oat, coconut or almond milk. On The Fruit People’s website, we offer a wide variety of dairy and non-dairy options. Similarly, with nut butters, these can be replaced for your favourite option such as Pip & Nut Almond Butter or Nutshed Honey-Roasted Peanut Butter. If nut butter is not your thing, don’t worry! You can use tahini, honey, avocado or whole crushed nuts.
  • Of the meal options suggested, each option provides the opportunity to add a meat or plant-based option of your choice. These dishes are interchangeable and can be tailored to suit your own dietary needs.

 

 

Tricks

  • Firstly, plan what you’re going to eat ahead of the week – once your fruit and vegetable delivery arrives, organise the delivery into what should be used first, and plan your meals around this. This way you know which fruit and veg is for what dish. Use our meal planner to help plan your meals ahead for the week.
  • As you run out of fruit and vegetables write down what you need to re-order as you go. This will save a lot of time when it comes to placing your next order – although, it may be difficult to stick to your list with the delicious new products added to our website weekly! God loves a trier either way.
  • Make meals based on the most common ingredients you order and choose one or two new ingredients or products to try. That way you won’t be overwhelmed with amount of new flavours and ingredients.

Well, what are you waiting for, begin your order today to experience quality, freshness and local produce delivered to your door. Visit our online shop here. Don’t forget to tag us in your creations @thefruitpeople. Happy Shopping!

References

BBC (2020). BBC Seasonal Calendar

Harvard school of Public Health: Types of Fat. 

Health Service Executive (2019).

Mayo Clinic (2020). Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet. Whole grains: Hearty options for a healthy diet.oup .

U.S Department of Agriculture. All about the Grains Group .