At the beginning of the week, take a few minutes to plan out meals for that week. If you do not want to plan out the whole week, just start
with two or three days.
Plan meals using a variety of fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy. Plan to purchase different kinds of fruits and vegetables to add color to your meals.
Plan ahead by making a list of snacks you can prepare for your kids.
Keep a list on your fridge of things you need to buy. As you run out of items, add them to the list.
When you write your grocery list, separate the list into different
categories, for example, "Meat", "Dairy", "Produce", and "Bread". This
will make your shopping trip quicker and easier.
Write your grocery list in the kitchen so that you can check to see what you have on hand.
Once your list is complete, check your newspaper for coupons. But only use coupons
for the things you buy anyway! Also, don't forget to check for local grocery
specials online or in your newspaper.
This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in cooperation with the
Maryland Department of Human Resources and the University of Maryland. The University of Maryland Extension
will not discriminate against any person because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation,
physical or mental disability,
religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information,
political affiliation,
and gender identity or expression.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
provides nutrition
assistance to people
with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more,
contact the Maryland Department of Human Resources at 1-800-332-6347 or apply online at www.marylandsail.org.
