If your weekday feels like a relay race between emails, workouts, and late meetings, grocery planning is the baton that keeps you moving. The trick is making it simple enough to repeat. Below is a ten-minute flow you can run every week. It trims waste, protects your food budget, and give suggestions to how Nutrimeals can help supplement some meals during your week so you always have ready-to-eat backups for “not cooking tonight.”
The 10-minute grocery planning flow
Minute 1–2: Check what you already have
Open the fridge, freezer, and pantry. Jot down produce that must be used this week, any cooked leftovers, and staples like rice, oats, or canned beans. This “use-first” list is your waste-reduction anchor. Household food waste is a Canadian problem, and starting with inventory helps cut what goes to landfill.
Minute 3–4: Sketch balanced meals with the plate model
Use this plate breakdown as a quick template: aim for around one quarter to half of your plate being vegetables and fruit, one quarter protein (try to stick to unbreaded, less processed protein sources), one quarter whole grains. Plan 3–4 anchor meals you can repeat or remix. Think “sheet-pan veg + chicken + quinoa” or “beans + brown rice + salsa + greens.” This fast visual keeps nutrition on track without micromanaging recipes.
Minute 5–6: Build the shortest possible list
Translate those anchors into ingredients you do not already have. Group by store section to speed things up: Produce, Proteins, Grains, Dairy, Frozen, Pantry. Add two “freezer heroes” for nights that go sideways.
Pro tip: note package sizes. Planning around realistic pack sizes helps you use what you buy and reduces over-purchasing. Researchers have shown that meal plans aligned to retail package sizes can reduce household waste.
Minute 7–8: Price-check with unit pricing
Scan flyers or app listings and compare with unit prices where available. Unit pricing lets you compare cost per 100 g or per litre, so you truly know the best value. While you might think that you’re saving more because of what’s listed as the sticker price, might be costing you more in the long run in the cost per 100g is actually more than the neighboring product.
Minute 9-10: Map your plan to Nutrimeals menu add-ons
This is your safety net. Although you have most of the meals for the week planned, filling in the gaps with ready to eat meals can be a huge time saver.
Browse the Nutrimeals Menu to slot ready to eat meals beside your anchors. Now if a meeting runs long, you still eat well with almost zero effort
A sample week in 10 minutes
Here is a fast example for one busy adult, designed to reduce waste and keep prep light.
- Anchor 1: Roasted veg + chicken thighs + quinoa
- Grocery list: mixed veg, boneless chicken thighs, quinoa, lemon, herbs
- Add-on meal: Nutrimeals Garden Vegetable Turkey Meatloaf
- Anchor 2: Black bean bowls
- Grocery list: canned black beans, brown rice, salsa, spinach, peppers
- Add-on meal: Nutrimeals Coconut Curry with Mint Rice
- Anchor 3: Salmon and greens
- Grocery list: frozen salmon, broccoli, wild rice
- Add-on meal: Nutrimeals Unstuffed Pepper
- Anchor 4: Breakfast for dinner
- Grocery list: eggs, whole grain toast, tomatoes, berries
- Add-on meal: Nutrimeals Lumberjack Breakfast
Why this works
It reduces waste and saves money
Inventory-first planning uses what you already have and aligns purchases to actual meals. That prevents “aspirational kale” from becoming compost and keeps dollars on your plate. Food waste in Canada is significant across the supply chain, and a large share is avoidable at home.
Unit pricing helps you buy the best value size, not just the biggest box. Even a small habit like comparing price per 100 g adds up over the month.
It keeps nutrition simple
If macros just aren’t your thing that's no problem, the plate model creates balance without overthinking. Half veg and fruit, a quarter protein, a quarter whole grains. Easy to sketch in under a minute and flexible for cultural cuisines and preferences.
It protects your time
Most Canadians juggle work and long to-do lists. A light plan plus ready-to-eat backups will always beat a complicated binder. Consumer trend data show meal prep time has fallen while reliance on prepared foods has grown. Planning lets you choose when convenience shows up.
Try the 6-to-1 list if you like frameworks
Prefer a simple formula for your cart? The “6-to-1” method popularized by chef Will Coleman can help: six vegetables, five fruits, four proteins, three starches, two sauces or spreads, one fun item. Use it as a starting point, then tailor to your plate model and week.
Pulling it together with Nutrimeals
Here's how making your own framework and supplementing with a local meal prep company can add to your framework.
- Plan four anchors using the plate model
- Buy only what is in your plan, guided by unit prices
- Attach a few Nutrimeals meal to each week to fill in the gaps
- Schedule five minutes on delivery day to portion, label, and store
We're not saying that this can all be done in 10 minutes, but making your plan does not need to take you long. Schedule yourself ten - fifteen minutes to a week so that it feels calmer and tastes better.
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