Katie Lolas shares how to save money at your grocery store and tips for budget-friendly meal preparations
Organization queen Katie Lolas has shared her top tips for planning and preparing meals ahead of time to save money on grocery bills and revealing the biggest food prep mistakes people make.
With inflation driving up grocery prices, the Sydney mother said preparing the right meals could be the key to lowering grocery bills.
She says to plan meals ahead of time, make an organized grocery list to stock up on in the supermarket, start slowly so as not to overwhelm yourself, and lock in time to cook during your weekly routine and stick to it no matter what.
Speaking to FEMAIL, Katie shared her tips on how she keeps her budget between just $100 and $120 for her family of three.
Sydney mom and teacher Katie Lolas, who feeds her family of three for $120 a week, has revealed her six tips for staying organized to save big on your weekly grocery bill.
1. ORGANIZE YOUR SHOPPING LIST BY AISLE – AND ALLOW THREE SPLURGE ITEMS
To save money at the supermarket, the 36-year-old teacher says to make an organized list to stick to.
‘Instead of walking into the store and picking up the items you ‘think’ you need or crave right now, let me help you organize and focus on the items you really need – I call this ‘focused grocery shopping’ , ” he told FEMAIL .
‘When you practice focused grocery shopping, you’ll find that you save money, stick to your meal plan, create less leftovers and buy healthier foods.’
To save money at the supermarket, Katie says to keep an organized list to stick to and only allow yourself to buy the three items that each store doesn’t plan to do.
He says to organize your shopping list for a quick grocery store visit in two ways — by the aisle or section and how you usually walk around the store.
‘When I walk into my local Woolies I usually walk in this order: fresh produce, meat, dairy, canned etc and that’s how I organize my list,’ she says.
‘This ensures I never miss an item and I’m in and out in under 20 minutes.’
Katie says stick to your list making sure to check each item and only allow yourself to buy just three things that aren’t on your plan that you want to try or enjoy but don’t need.
‘Also go for the house brand! Especially for basic necessities,’ he said.
‘There can never be enough difference in taste or quality of a staple to warrant a price increase, so always choose the unbranded option.’
2. DON’T START ALL FOOD FOR THIS WEEK
Katie says meal prep should make your life easier, not a daunting task, so avoid trying to prepare every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack throughout the week.
‘The number one mistake I see people make when they decide to start preparing a meal is taking in too much at once rather than starting slow,’ he says.
“Contrary to popular belief, preparing meals doesn’t mean preparing all your meals and snacks for the week,” she says.
Katie says meal prep should make your life easier, not overwhelm you, so avoid trying to prepare every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack throughout the week.
Katie recommends starting with the foods you are most struggling with during the week and focusing on those foods.
“So if you’re someone who rushes in the morning and doesn’t have time to make a proper meal, consider preparing something you can take with you on the go like overnight oats, muffins, or egg cups,” she says.
‘If you’re someone in the office ordering Uber Eats for lunch three times a week, consider preparing a salad or ingredient for a healthy sandwich or wrap.’
3. Lock time and stick to it
Katie says to start slow, lock in the time you plan to cook and stick to it because you’re more likely to commit to tasks and integrate them into your weekly routine.
‘If you are new to preparing food, set yourself a time limit and once that time is up, stay away from the kitchen. If that means you’ve only prepared one recipe, that’s still one meal you’ve finished that week,’ he says.
‘Ultimately, you will become more efficient in the kitchen in the time frame you allocate. It’s always helpful to remember too that preparing meals now will save you time in the long run.’
‘If you are new to preparing food, set a time limit and once that time is up, stay away from the kitchen. If that means you only prepare one recipe, that’s still one meal a week,’ he says
4. PLAN SO YOU WILL NOT BE SEEN WITH TAKEAWAY
Katie says the most effective way to keep your food budget in check is to plan, prepare, and share meals ahead of time.
“You don’t have to look for fast, processed options because you’ll have healthy ones ready to eat,” she says.
He says meal prep and planning will save you money because you won’t be tempted to go out or order take-away.
‘It’s better value for money. With the money you spend on one meal, you can buy ingredients that can be used for multiple meals!’
5. START WITH BIG AND CLEAN FOOD AS YOU WENT
‘Staying organized as you prepare meals will make the whole process easier. I always start cooking with whatever takes the longest time and has several things at once,’ she says.
Katie uses a hob where she can cook three pots and pans at once without feeling messy.
‘I’d also say a clean room is a productive space, clean the benches while you’re cooking and if you’re waiting for something to finish in the oven, take the time to do the dishes,’ she says.
6. INVEST IN QUALITY KITCHEN BUY
Katie also recommends investing in high-quality utensils, containers and utensils to save money in the long run and quickly heat up pre-prepared food.
‘I love the fast heating feature of my Westinghouse oven and hob, when I have limited time to prep I know I don’t have to wait the extra five minutes for my utensils to reach the right temperature,’ she says.
‘In addition, the Quick Cook function is perfect for cooking frozen meals that I prepare. All I do is put the food in the oven straight out of the freezer and heat it up. Cook quickly and evenly every time.’
Katie uses good quality food preparation containers like Sistema and Meal Prep Australia and for breakfast she uses jars from Kmart or Reject Shop.
He also swears by his Phillips XXL air fryer which he often uses to quickly cook chicken, steak, meatballs, patties and pork chops.
RECIPE: Katie’s maple tahini chickpeas with grilled vegetables
They’re all great ingredients that can be used in a variety of recipes, so you’ll never run out of ingredients to cook!
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serve: Four
Ingredient
2/3 cup raw couscous
1 x 400g can of drained chickpeas
2 large carrots, peeled & chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 cups broccolini, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt pepper
Tahini Dressing:
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp water
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
method
Katie Lolas maple tahini chickpeas with grilled vegetables
1. Cook the couscous in the Wax according to package directions. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 220 ° C.
2. Toss the chickpeas, carrots, onions, and broccoli in a large bowl with the oil; Season with salt and pepper and arrange on 1-2 baking sheets. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
3. While the vegetables and chickpeas are roasting, whisk together the tahini sauce ingredients.
4. Divide the couscous and cooked carrots, broccoli, onions and chickpeas onto plates and drizzle with tahini sauce.
Storage: Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Serve: Mix everything and enjoy hot or cold.
#Katie #Lolas #shares #save #money #grocery #store #tips #budgetfriendly #meal #preparations
Comments
Post a Comment