I am opinionated about a few things, so I’m gonna be honest and tell you that food, and how you should stock your pantry – is definitely one of them.

When I say I am opinionated about food, it’s not just because I am living with ADHD. I am writing about stocking a pantry and meal-planning because it benefits everyone trying to feed a family.

But, like every other mom with ADHD I find meal planning tedious and difficult.

Having a stocked pantry is the key to my meal planning success.

I am super weird about what I eat and what I feed my family. But that doesn’t mean I am disciplined. It just means I hyperfocus on something I feel like I can control.

So much of our lives is completely outside of our control.

We are omnivores around in this house. We eat pretty much everything including gluten and some dairy. My son has tried all manner of healthy and non-healthy food in his short life.

All the same, I am painfully aware of the fact that food is the most powerful drug we will ever encounter.

The best way to support our brains and bodies is to eat a whole-foods based diet.

Limiting our consumption of processed food while increasing our consumption of brain and body fortifying produce and lean proteins can make a huge difference in our functioning.

As an added bonus, we save ourselves some cash to spend on other stuff.

create a list of must-have pantry staples

When I write pantry staples, I mean realistic food staples. Food that the average family can afford to buy and enjoy eating. Not necessarily all organic or from the “health” food aisle of the grocery store.

Having a stocked pantry is the key to my meal planning success. 

Pantry staples are the foods you use the most at home, the foods you cannot live without.

Every family has their own “staples.”

Examples include: goldfish, snack foods, fresh fruit, yogurt, grains/pastas, canned/jarred foods, lunchbox foods, and Cheerios.

Benefits of a well-stocked pantry

It saves time. There is nothing better than getting in and out of the grocery store in less than 30 minutes. When you have a stockpile of your frequently used items at home, all you need are a few extras to put together your meals.

Stocking Up Makes Planning (or lack thereof) Easier.  Knowing that your family favorites are in-house takes the pressure off for you to come up with a meal on the fly. Your pantry staples serve as a safety net for busy weeknights or a lack of clear planning.

It Saves Money.  Think about it – stockpiling the foods your family enjoys enables you to buy in bulk. All other food is purchased in smaller, less expensive quantities. Making a large bulk purchase once per month and then supplementing is much less expensive than running to the grocery store three times a week for everything your family needs.

There are so many food options out there

Nobody but you can decide what is right for your family. If you want to eat convenience food, I don’t judge you.

Convenience food is in fact, “convenient.” But if you are not entirely comfortable with how you are feeding your family, let me know. I would love to help.

Eat well. Move your body. Keep it simple.

Having a stocked pantry is the key to my meal planning success.

What are your family food go-to’s?

Struggling to manage your home and meal-planning?  I’ve got a solution for that.

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