The biggest challenge I faced when we made the big shift to the Radically Simple Diet was finding the balance of the right amount of fresh food to keep on hand and not letting any spoil. Shopping once a week just wasn’t enough and I found myself passing along too wilted veggies and greens to my hens. While they were happy, I knew I needed a better plan.
Here are three solutions I have found to help keep a fresh supply of fruits and veggies on hand.
- We traded our one BIG shopping trip for two much shorter trips. With this plan I shop for 4 work day meals and then 3 weekend meals which feels quite manageable. Now that I just shop the produce and bulk isle I can keep the time down to 30-45 minutes. The German I live with can do it in 20 because he happens to drive his grocery cart like a BMW on the Autobahn.
- We do use Instacart to restock fruits and sometimes greens from HEB during the week. I have found this service to be a lifesaver. Yes, there is a price difference in the produce, but I have found the trade off more than worth it not to lug 3 watermelons, 4 pineapple, etc. in and out of the cart each week! The shoppers are fantastic and the app allows you to leave descriptive notes about each product you select, such as “green bananas please.”
- A CSA could likely cut down on one of your grocery trips each week and if you have not tried one yet, this fall season is a great time to start. We have personal experience with Tecolote Farm and Johnson’s Backyard Garden and can recommend both. The service and quality of produce is remarkable as well as that feel good sensation for directly supporting Austin agriculture.
Keep checking back in to find out how I plan my menus and what I do with all the produce once I get it home.