Whenever you’re a busy father or mother attempting to feed a household with completely different tastes, grocery procuring can rapidly flip right into a chaotic—and costly—chore. Between inflation, meals waste, and the limitless “What’s for dinner?” dilemma, many people are hungry for options that assist us do extra with much less. Enter Chef Will Coleman’s 6-to-1 Grocery Purchasing Technique: a sensible, versatile technique that makes planning, procuring, and cooking easier and extra sustainable.

What’s the 6-to-1 Grocery Purchasing Technique?

Designed to assist buyers give attention to elements that can be utilized throughout a number of meals, Coleman’s methodology is simple: store for six greens, 5 fruits, 4 proteins, three starches, two sauces, and one enjoyable merchandise. The outcome? A cart filled with cost-effective, versatile elements that may stretch into every week’s price of meals with out waste or overwhelm.

Earlier than coming throughout the 6-to-1 Technique on social media, I assumed I had a good grocery procuring technique. I’ve at all times been aware about meals waste, so every week, I’d plan meals round elements I already had and solely store for what I used to be lacking. Appears easy and environment friendly sufficient proper? Whereas that technique does work, I discovered myself in a continuing loop of attempting to not waste leftover groceries from the earlier week, and I wasn’t at all times prioritizing produce and more healthy entire meals. Plus, procuring that means simply wasn’t thrilling.

“I created the 6-to-1 Technique out of a necessity for extra intentional grocery procuring,” Coleman instructed me. “I wished a system that made it simpler to plan balanced meals, cut back my reliance on processed meals, and lower down each time and spending on the retailer.”

I not too long ago put Coleman’s methodology to the take a look at, and the outcomes have been spectacular. I loved the flexibility to be inventive and plan how I’d use recent elements in numerous methods for a number of meals inside the identical week in order that I might begin recent the following. I shopped with intention, stayed below funds, and had what I wanted to make 9 full meals (three breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners) for my household of 4.

what I purchased:

Greens: Butter lettuce, celery, Caesar salad combine, onions, recent herbs, cucumbers*

Fruits: Apples, citrus fruits (orange, lemon, lime), strawberries, grapes, tomatoes

Proteins: Floor beef, salmon, rooster, eggs

Starches: Spaghetti, brioche buns, flour tortillas

Sauces: Mayonnaise, avocado cilantro sauce

Enjoyable merchandise: Chocolate chip cookies

*Though cucumbers are technically a fruit, I categorized them as a vegetable right here since I solely used them in salads and inexperienced juice. Once more, one of many nice issues concerning the 6-to-1 Technique is it’s customizable!

what I made:

Breakfasts: Breakfast burritos, inexperienced juice, fruit salad

Lunches: Salmon Caesar salad, floor beef burritos (with pantry rice and beans), jerk salmon burgers with lemon-garlic-herb aioli

Dinners: Curry rooster (with pantry rice), spaghetti and meatballs (with store-bought sauce), candy and bitter rooster with home made fried rice

Snacks: Fruit, chocolate chip cookies

Value Breakdown for the week

Whole spent: $117.90

Meals made: 9 (with 4 servings every)

Value per serving: $3.28

Why this methodology works

As a working mother, I can’t at all times put together three meals a day, each day. However even with my hectic schedule, this methodology helped us eat most of our meals at house reasonably than resorting to quick meals, takeout, or spending tons of on a single dinner out. Past the price financial savings, I additionally appreciated the way it inspired us to eat more healthy—with recent elements and balanced meals I felt good about serving.

“Prioritizing entire elements not solely helps higher consuming habits, nevertheless it additionally helps to keep away from overspending on pointless or overly processed meals gadgets,” Coleman defined.

Along with price financial savings and more healthy meals decisions, the fantastic thing about the 6-to-1 Technique is in its customizability. It really works whether or not you’re purchasing for choosy eaters, attempting to scrub out your pantry, or simply eager to keep away from the temptation of impulse buys. Plus, you don’t must be an expert chef to make it work—only a house cook dinner seeking to simplify the weekly meals routine.

And should you’re fascinated with studying extra, Coleman not too long ago expanded on this idea in his debut cookbook, From Cart to Kitchen, which dropped on June ninth. The e-book options 60 recipes and ten grocery lists that observe the 6-to-1 Technique, making it simple for anybody to begin procuring smarter and cook dinner with confidence. It’s out there for pre-order now, and after attempting the strategy myself, I can confidently say it’s price each penny.