Before you head out.

Start with what needs using.

Look through the fridge, freezer and cupboard before choosing recipes. Write down the ingredients you already have and the days you actually expect to cook. Give yourself room for a simple meal or a change of plans.

If there’s spinach to use, try eggs with greens. If summer squash is piling up, look for a recipe that makes it the main ingredient. The recipe finder searches ingredients as well as titles.

Give each purchase a job.

A bag of carrots might be for tonight’s soup and tomorrow’s lunch. Eggs might cover two breakfasts. Buy a quantity you can use, and check the recipe’s yield before scaling it for your household.

Bring your own pantry staples into the plan. You don’t need a fully local shopping basket to support a nearby grower or food business.

Compare the quantity, too.

A price per bunch is different from a price per pound. Check the pack size, the seller’s customer price and how much you need before comparing two offers. When a price or unit is missing, ask the seller.

On a food page, save the offer you want to your food list. Your list groups saved items by seller, so you can see which purchases go together and print the plan.

Check the trip before you make it.

A nearby farm may sell through a market, a subscription or a shop rather than at the farm gate. Confirm how to order, when pickup happens and whether a minimum order applies. Delivery is only an option when the seller confirms your location is covered.

Get a little help when you need it.

Food benefits, pantries and meal programs can be part of the same plan. Find a local service or a statewide starting point, then ask about the details that matter to your household.