Did you know that meal planning and grocery shopping are more difficult for ADD Moms because we have ADHD?
It makes sense when you think about it.
In order to keep our family fed, we have to plan meals, add ingredients we need to a list (plus anything else we need), buy the groceries (getting the best price possible) and then prepare the meals.
That’s not only a lot of work, it’s a lot of detailed steps. How many times have you planned to make something only to find out that you forgot to buy one of the ingredients? Or maybe you’re like me - I tend not to plan lunches and then we end up with taco shells with nothing to put in them or lunch meat with no bread.
I’ve got a few ideas that may help you keep your family fed with less time and aggravation.
First, you have to plan. Believe me, going to the store with no list or plan is guaranteed to get you a bunch of food that you spent too much for and don’t know what to do with.
So plan your meals for the week. That includes breakfast and lunch. Most of us tend to be creatures of habit when it comes to breakfast and lunch, so that shouldn’t be too hard. Still, you need to consider what will be needed from the store.
Planning dinner can be harder but it has to be done. There are lots of sites online that have dinner ideas and even services you can pay for that do the planning for you. At the very least, start with some family favorites and then keep track of every dinner you make. Soon you will have a list of dinners to refer to.
After you have planned your meals, you need to make a list of what you need from the store. I do this one meal at a time so I don’t forget anything. It also helps if you divide the list by category so that all of your produce is listed together, all of your meat, etc.
If your family is like ours, groceries are one of your biggest monthly expenses. For us, it’s more than our house payment!
That means that you want to be smart about shopping. You hear a lot these days about couponing and saving vast amounts of money, but the truth is, for most of us ADD Moms, that’s just too much.
My advice is to find a store that you think has the best prices and stick to it.
Finally, there are certain things that you should always have on hand. simple things like milk, bread and eggs are staples, but there are more things that you can add to that list. Pasta, rice, tortillas, canned vegetables, maybe some pasta sauce. Decide what is right for your family and begin now to stock up on those things.
Here is the grocery list that I use. Maybe it will help you too.
