What is your time worth?
As we age, we often realize that our time is most non-renewable resource, so we often begin to work smarter, rather than harder. This is one of the most rewarding components to my career, helping clients arrive at their desired destination in a smarter rather than harder path.
The average American, according to a 2017 survey, goes to the grocery store 1.6 times per week, over 80 trips a year!
I personally plan and have helped others reshape their grocery shopping strategy to go to the grocery store 2 – 3 times a month. Why do this?
If 2 people have the same exact shopping plan and ‘Person A’ goes to the grocery store 50-70% more often than ‘Person B’, which do you think is going to succumb to the multi-billion-dollar marketing maze that is a grocery store? The more we are tempted by a situation, the more opportunity for us to fail (shopping when hungry and impulse buys). Lost time and money out of your wallet.
How do I help clients gain back dozens of hours and hundreds of dollars a year?
Meal efficiency. Meal efficiency has two key ingredients. First, a grocery list heavy on items you’ll always want on hand in your pantry or fridge. Second, a helpful meal plan that is geared toward the plate method.
What are a few of the staple grocery list items?
Potatoes, apples, bananas, kefir, broccoli, carrots, , oats, rice, and nuts/trail mix always make my personal list.
What is the ‘plate method’ that provides direction for a sustainable meal plan?
Ideally half of your plate is vegetables, one quarter protein, and one quarter starchy or carb-rich items and two “thumbs” of fat either added to the meal or incorporated in the way you prepare and cook the food. By default, you boost your vitamin and mineral intake and ensure adequate intake of protein and limit the starchy options to a reasonable portion while utilizing fat to keep you full and make the meal flavorful. This straight-forward visual is how I plan most of our meals.
When you have an intentional 2-week plan, you’ll approach the grocery store with a plan, find yourself enjoying the challenge of maximizing your food space/storage while saving time and money along the way. You might even take on more challenges like growing some of your own produce in containers (lettuce, tomatoes and peppers) or decide to raise backyard chickens.
I speak much more about these tools, utilizing the plate method, goal setting, opportunity vs obstacle mindset, meal planning, satisfying hunger and optimizing sustainable nutrition in my new 5-session class ‘Adapt and Overcome’.