$0 meal prep is going to be a great way to start the month of November. Are you going to join me?
I saw someone on a reel doing a “No Waste November” challenge and I thought, you know what I want to try something out too. Do I think I am going to last a month without wasting anything? Nope. But I can give it a shot and I’m going to do so by trying to do a no spend on groceries week this week.
Not only will this ensure that I am going to save some money by not visiting the store, it is also going to mean I am not throwing my money into the garbage can by tossing out uneaten food. It’s a win-win there for me!
If saving money this month sounds like a great idea to you too, keep reading!
Read more: $0 Meal Prep Challenge: What I’m Making Using Only What’s in My PantryTips for a $0 Meal Prep Challenge
Make sure you take inventory of what you already have. I have a pretty good idea of what is in the cupboard because I meal plan often. If you do not meal prep often or do not know what’s in your stash check out my Meal Plan Tool Kit, so you can start inventorying your food stores easily.
Mix and match your proteins with the grains you have. This is going to make meals a lot easier. Only have rice? No problem! Rice pairs perfectly with any protein. You can just toss together a quick sauce to drizzle over it or you can make them into casseroles by layering the rice and proteins and pouring in some chicken broth.
The goal for me for this $0 meal prep is to use things up. If you are going to have the same goal, find open packages and use them first as they go bad first. Also use up your fresh fruits and vegetables first then move to the recipes that call for canned/frozen items. This will stop you from having to throw them away later.
You can also always re-purpose your leftovers. I found some leftover pork roast and am thinking about turning that into BBQ Pulled Pork sandwiches using my pulled chicken recipe for inspiration or my Leftover Philly Cheesesteak recipe. This honestly is the easiest meal prep you can do and will save you money overall.
How to Start a $0 Meal Prep Week
I am going to start this no spend at the store week by checking for what we already have. If you want to join me in this quick easy challenge to not spend on food this week follow this list below:
- Check for proteins.
- Check for vegetables (fridge, freezer, pantry).
- Check for fruits (fridge, freezer, pantry).
- Check for grains.
What Did I Find To Use Up?
Things I found for proteins:
- Chicken breast
- Ground pork
- Beef roast
- Kielbasa sausage
- Eggs
- Frozen breakfast meats – sausage links
Things I found for vegetables:
- Frozen California Medley
- Canned corn, beans, Rotel style tomatoes, lots of canned tomatoes
- Frozen broccoli
- Half a container of salad, cherry tomatoes, carrots, bell pepper remains, broccoli remains, couple stalks of celery, part of an onion
- Potatoes
Things I found for fruits:
- Apples
- Frozen strawberries and blueberries
- Canned mandarin oranges
Things I found for grains:
- Quinoa
- Oatmeal
- Rice – jasmine and minute
- Steel cut oats
- Flour
- Loaf of bread
- Lentils
- Tortillas and taco shells
- Noodles – random amounts and random shapes
- The dregs of cereals left in the bottom of boxes
Things I found for dairy:
- Shredded cheeses
- Neufchatel cheese
- Cheese slices
- Half a container of cottage cheese
- Half containers of Greek yogurt – vanilla and plain
Other things I found:
- Leftover Korean Beef – kids said they were starving so I made two pounds, they in fact were not starving and I have about 2 pounds of leftovers (oops!)
- Leftover bread rolls
- Leftover pork roast
There is a bit more like condiments and some other random fridge findings but I’m not going to list all that.
How Will I Use These Findings for $0 Meal Planning
Breakfasts – I am going to use up some of the eggs and make 4 of my Cheesy Veggie Egg Bowls, 4 bowls of my Creamsicle Overnight Oats, and have scrambled eggs and toast or a breakfast burrito for anyone who doesn’t want these prepped options. They can also have the dregs from the cereal boxes for a no cook option.
Lunches – I am going to make some fresh rice to go with the Korean Beef meat that is leftover and re-purpose that for meal prepped lunches to start. When I dish it up I will have enough for 4 of these.
The other days of the week I am going to meal prep some random baby casseroles to use up rice and an open carton of chicken broth in the fridge. This will have some chicken breast and the frozen California Vegetable medley I found in the freezer. I will add some of the Neufchatel cheese to it for creaminess and I will share the recipe if it is good :).
Lentil soup will also be on the menu as I found some lentils when I was digging through the pantry and this recipe is so yummy and quick!
For the weekend we will make up some ground pork burgers and pop those on the grill and I will use the beef roast so we can use the leftovers for meal prep the next week.
Dinners – We will be doing quick and easy for dinner ideas as we have 40 billion practices this week.
Chicken Wraps, using chicken breast, tortillas, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Kielbasa Sausage Sheet Pan Meal – kielbasa sausage, random vegetables that are left over and need used up.
Taco Bar – using ground pork for the meat and the leftover tomatoes, lettuce and salsa.
Chicken Noodle Soup – this one is great because you can use whatever amount of chicken breast you have leftover and you can also use chicken broth from a carton or use up some bullion cubes/powder if that is what you have on hand.
Breakfast for dinner – when we do this we usually make pancakes from scratch, scrambled eggs, and sausages or bacon depending on what is in the freezer.
Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet – this is a great one because the recipe calls for ground beef but really you can use whatever ground meat you have on hand. It also uses mostly canned items for the rest of it so you can use up some of those! Plus canned tomatoes are super cost effective if you need to go buy some.
Chili – just like the skillet listed above, this recipe can use up a lot of canned items you have and it will also tolerate any form of ground meat you happen to have on hand. Its hardy and tastes great as a meal prepped meal, if you are like me you think it tastes better the next day anyway!
Key $0 Meal Prep Challenge Takeaways
You have food at home.
You can use it up.
You can be creative.
This list is working for what I currently have on hand. Mix and match your proteins and grains to change it up at your house.
Add rice and chicken broth under any protein and you will have a super easy and delicious casserole ready in minutes. Just season it however you want!
Take any cheeses you have and toss them all together and sprinkle it on the proteins and rice to give you a delicious topping for any of your casserole ideas!
Looking for more ideas? Head to @plannedthenprepped on Instagram or Facebook to see quick and easy recipes!