Hi there, Patti here with help that I hope will change the way you eat!
Do you go to farm stands or the farmers market only to come home having spent more money than you wish you had and wondering “what am I going to do with all of this?”
If you do, then keep reading because I have an action plan to help.
By now you know that I think food is fun. I love taking advantage of all the locally grown produce and pasture raised meats from farmers markets and farm stands this time of year and crafting them into a meal.
But I used to have “overspending at farmers market syndrome”.
Ugh! I would end up with an abundance of everything that looked beautiful! Like deep green cucumbers, beautiful kale, and rich red tomatoes. Sooooo, I created an action plan to help me overcome this syndrome.
My problem # 1 was: I purchased too many vegetables.
Solution: plan meals starting with vegetables first.
I use this plate as my starting place. If I know I am going to fill my plate with veggies first, then then rest is easy.
Planning my meals this way keeps me nourished and I have total control over my meals. I like that…..
But what happens if you have an abundance of one beauteous veggie, like kale.
That’s when I will vary my protein and starch and serve the abundant vegetable many different ways.
One night it will be in a salad, one night I’ll sauté it, one night I’ll add a warm protein and starch to a salad to make it a little different.
One of my newest recipes is this kale and quinoa salad. It was so easy and delicious. Even my husband liked it and he is super anti-kale and anti-quinoa.
Problem #2 was: spending too much money!
Solution: Make a plan, work the plan and shop from a list.
I do my grocery shopping from a list that I put together after I pick up my farm share. And, before I go shopping do a quick in-home inventory check then I put together a meal plan (see an example here with some great recipes).
Having a meal plan and a list keeps me from buying too much at the grocery store; I don’t waste food because I use leftovers in my plan; and we hardly ever buy take-out. It helps me have a more peaceful relationship with mealtime because I have a plan.
Oh, and I use a great app. called Grocery IQ. I love it because it syncs with my husbands’ devices, so he can put things on the grocery list. It eliminates all those stickies on the counter.
If you were avoiding your local farmers market or farm stands because you had “over spending syndrome” I hope these tips help.
Buying your food from a farmer’s market, farm share or local farm stand gives you the opportunity to connect with the folks that work so hard to make it readily available to us. Who knows, you might just find a new veggie that you love.
Peace, love and happy meal planning,
P.S. If you are ready to create an action plan to help you overcome what’s holding you back from losing weight, just fill out the form below and let’s talk about my Behavioral Fitness and Nutrition program. This is a virtual coaching program that can be done anytime and anywhere.
