Module 3. Maximizing Flexibility

Module 3 Video

Module 3 Audio

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5 Tips for Adapting to Changes in Your Schedule

They say there are only two certainties in life. Death and taxes. But I would argue in the modern world we should include a third. Change.

Whether you’re someone who thrives on change or a self professed ‘change phobic’ we need to face the fact that there will be changes to our schedule. This means we can set ourselves up for success so that when plans change we are able to adapt with the minimum of effort and stress.

Here are 5 tips for adapting to schedule change.

1. Anticipate the change.
Take it as a given that there will be change. Then try and gague how much volatility you need to accommodate on a regular basis. Over time you’ll notice patterns that will help you plan for the most common disruptions.

For example, in our house there are two things that commonly happen at the last minute. The most common is my Irishman having to travel at the last minute and he away for one or two nights.

The next most common occurrence is having last minute guests for dinner.

2. Build a backup plan for the most common changes.
Once you know the most common occurrences, you can think about backup plans that will allow you to adapt. This doesn’t need to be specific. Just a general idea of what you’ll do.

Back to my examples. Given my Irishman often needs to travel, I make sure at least one or two of my protein types each week have a long shelf life. So if he does go away, we can leave them for the next week. A couple of steaks in the freezer, some cryovacced meat in the fridge, dried lentils or unopened packages of halloumi or tofu. I do the same with veg. Some are short shelf life like bags of baby spinach and salad leaves. The others are long shelf life like carrots, cabbage and celery so if we don’t need them they will last until the following week.

In the case of unexpected visitors, I usually get at least 24 hours notice so I know there will be enough time for someone to drop by the supermarket or go to the butcher to get whatever we need. So it usually works out fine.

3. Don’t choose all perishable or short shelf life foods.
By including some produce which will last for longer than a week like cabbage, cauliflower, zucchini, cucumber, carrots, celery, broccoli etc it maximises your flexibility because it doesn’t matter if you leave them for the next week. Same goes for protein. Look out for cryovacced meat, tofu, halloumi, or frozen protein sources. Canned and dry legumes and lentils also add a comfortable margin of safety.

4. When unexpected changes do happen, perform a little ‘home food preservation’.
When your plans change, have a quick look in the fridge to see if there is anything that is going to go bad before you’ll have a chance to eat it. It only takes a few minutes but can make a massive difference to your waste levels.

We’ll cover the options for home ‘preservation’ in much more detail next week but for now think about whether you can freeze the ingredient for later. Or whether partially cooking it will help prolong its life.

5. Have some fun with it.
Sometimes the best cooking discoveries happen when you’re under pressure 🙂

13 Ways to Get the Maximum Support from Your Pantry, Fridge & Freezer

Without some sort of pantry backup, the 2-Minute Planning System would struggle to live up to its name. The thing is, having some sort of pantry doesn’t need to be difficult or scary. Or require some sort of super human organization.

Here are 13 ways to get the maximum support from your pantry, fridge & freezer.

1. Automate your shopping list.
A pantry is only as helpful as the ingredients it stocks. By developing the habit of having an ongoing list for pantry and other household items, you’ll find that you ‘automatically’ replenish pantry stock on a regular basis.

2. Organise your pantry into groups of similar items.
Now I’m not suggesting that you alphebetize your spices, but having some sort of structure or order to your pantry can make a massive difference. If like items are grouped together it can save you time trying to find what you need. And you’ll also be able to tell at a glance which types of items you’re getting low on.

3. Avoid the trap of deep shelves
There’s a saying of of sight out of mind for a reason. If you’re ever lucky enough to be designing a pantry, make sure your shelves aren’t too deep so you have maximum visibility. If a complete pantry redesign isn’t possible, consider investing in a few boxes so you can easily slide them out and have full view of all the contents.

4. Develop the habit of actually looking in your pantry on a regular basis
You know when you’re deciding what to wear and it feels like you have nothing suitable. And then you look in your wardrobe and find heaps of things you’d forgotten about. It’s the same with food and pantries. Don’t rely on your memory. Use your eyes and you’ll find possibilities opening up.

5. When shopping choose some ‘long shelf life’ vegetables
I’ve had celery and cabbages which have lasted up to a month in the fridge. Making sure some of your veg will last into the next week or longer, takes the pressure off getting the amount of food you buy exactly ‘right’.

6. Develop the habit of actually looking in your fridge and freezer on a regular basis.
There can be a whole world of options in both these locations. But you need to know about them to take advantage of them. I’m guilty of only opening the freezer when I want to get something out. And I’m always surprised at whats in there.

7. Explore options for stocking your ‘fridge’ pantry
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking your pantry is only about the store cupboard ingredients stored at room temperature. The marvel of modern refrigeration makes ‘pantry’ staples out of many different foods. Think cheeses (especially halloumi), tofu, yoghurt, other dairy products, eggs, smoked fish, salami and other cured meats.

8. Find a butcher who will cryovac for you
Meat will keep for up to a month in the fridge, ready to use when vacuum packed or ‘cryovacced’. We’ve started buying our meat direct from the farmer and he packs everything up in cryovac. So some goes into the freezer but much of it just sits in the fridge until needed.

9. Rotate produce in your fridge on a regular basis
Lets face it, things can easily hide at the back of the fridge and get forgotten. I have a large and a smaller space in my veg drawer. Since I adopted the policy of transferring all the older veg to the small drawer before putting new purchases away. AND remembering to look in the smaller drawer first. I’ve made a massive difference to the amount of veg I throw away.

10. Freeze in small, easily accessible packages
We’ll cover freezing and defrosting in greater detail soon. But for now remember, taking the time to divide food into small packets before freezing makes it much quicker and easier to defrost as you need.

11. Explore the world of frozen veg & fruit
Frozen produce can be just as good, and in the case of frozen peas even better than ‘fresh’ produce from the supermarket. Think beyond frozen peas and berries. Soy beans (edamame), broad beans, mango, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower can all be wonderful from the freezer.

12. Have a spring clean from time to time.
A clean pantry can be a thing of joy. It’s also helpful to identify what you aren’t using to stop repeat purchase mistakes. Or inspire you to

13. Have a ‘use up the pantry’ project every now and then.
If you’re feeling a little broke. Or you know you’re going away for a while. It can be fun and economical to try eating from the pantry to have a little clear out.

‘Mise en Place’ and How We Can Use this Chef Secret to Maximize Flexibility

Ever eaten at a restaurant with an exposed kitchen so you could watch the chefs at work? And ever noticed all the little containers and bottles of sauces they have at their work stations?

What is Mise en place?

Mise en place is a French term that I roughly translate as ‘put in place’. In cooking it’s used to describe the practice of chefs preparing food up to a point where it is ready to be used in a dish during food service.

It may be as simple as washing and picking herbs into individual leaves or chopping vegetables. Or more complicated like caramelising onions or slow cooking meats.

The main benefit in a restaurant is that it makes it much quicker and easier to get food on the table after the customer has ordered.

The secondary benefit is that the preparation can help to extend the shelf life of fresh produce.

How can we home cooks use this chef secret to our advantage?

1. Prep when we have time to save time later
By taking the time on weekends to do a little ‘mise en place’ preparation, we can make it much quicker and easier to get dinner on the table when we come home from work late and everyone is hungry.

2. Prolong the shelf life of our produce
A slow cooked meat dish will last for a few weeks in the fridge, where as fresh meat can only be a few days. Same goes for wilted spinach vs a bunch of spinach.

Examples of Mise en place from Master Your Meal Plan

:: Roast Root Veg

:: Wilted Greens

:: Cooked Quinoa

:: Roast Chilli Harissa

:: Slow Cooked Meat Ragu

:: Legume Ragu

The Number 1 Way To Ensure Enough Variety In Your Diet

Variety well may be the spice of life, but it’s also a key part of a healthy diet.

The thing is, by eating a wide variety of foods we’re putting our eggs in as many baskets as possible. Spreading the risk.

Variety means we’re much less likely to eat too many things that aren’t good for us. And at the same time it also means we’re less likely to miss out on essential micro nutrients.

I like to think of variety as a nutritional ‘insurance policy’.

Not only that, variety keeps food and eating fun!

So what is the number 1. way to ensure we’re getting enough variety?

It’s as simple as buying different types of food every week.

That’s it.

I used to think it was important to fit as much variety as possible into each day. And then I was talking to a nutritionist friend about it and her approach was to look at the longer term.

Try and eat different foods over the period of a week or fortnight rather than stressing about multiple serves of fruit and vegetables each day.

WEEK 3 Daily Updates

:: Week 3. Planning & Shopping Video

:: Week 3. Day 11. Almost Meatless Monday

:: Week 3. Day 12. How to keep fish ‘fresh’ for more than a few days.

:: Week 3. Day 13. A simple baked supper

:: Week 3. Day 14. I feel like curry tonight!

:: Week 3. Day 15. Junk Food Friday

Module 3 Resource. Your Pantry Checklist

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Your Module 3 Funsheet

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Your Action Steps.

Remember, you’re not going to see results until you take the first step!

STEP 1. Download Your Funsheet and schedule some time to complete the exercise.

STEP 2. Download Your Module 3 Resource.

STEP 3. Share insights in the comments below this video.

MODULE 3 ‘Template’ Recipes

Note: The videos for these recipes are using specific ingredients. Please refer to the written recipes for the ‘general templates’ to make them as flexible as possible.

:: Warm Legume Salad
:: Super Slow Roast
:: Poached Fish
:: Steamed Greens
:: Simple ‘One Dish’ Supper
:: Hot & Firey Curry
:: Scrambled Eggs
:: Salt Crusted Burgers
:: Cold Oil Chips (fries)
:: Classic ‘Slaw

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