ABC News has the story of a family in Friendswood, Texas, that has mapped out its meals for a complete year -- cutting their grocery bill in half and turning their house into a school lunch calendar.
I understand that planning meals is one way to cut back
on grocery expenses and avoid making impulse purchases. It saves money
and time, and reduces food waste.
I also recognize that once you start a family, the joy of tackling The Joy of Cooking wears off when you're getting home at 6 p.m. only to face hungry kids.
That's when a simple, planned-out recipe makes cooking dinner feel possible. But I don't see how the Texas family won't end up with a jammed freezer and a pantry of packaged goods -- which means they might be eating easier, but certainly not healthier.
And at some point, too much meal planning feels like too little fun. What about the sense of satisfaction that comes from putting together a dish from leftovers or a crisper full of vegetables on the edge? It's unrealistic to expect someone to go shopping every day, but the days when you can get fresh bread or ripe pears or a donut still hot from the oven -- that's why I go to the grocery store or farmer's market or bakery.
The Texas family's effort reminds me a little of Netflix. It's nice to have a movie that can hang around my house indefinitely until I want to watch it; but what about when I get into a discussion about Total Recall and feel like watching it that night? What if I get into the middle of the week or month and need a break from soup?
Just as Netflix now offers streaming video rentals for instant gratification, I guess the Texans can always have a pizza delivered.
[Image via Flickr: LizMarie]
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