Our Family of Five’s Grocery Haul and Meal Plan (Week of August 14th, 2023)
I thought it might be helpful to start sharing with you what a typical weekly grocery haul for our family of 5 looks like. I’ll also share how I’m planning to use the ingredients over the next week, and the details of our meal plan.
Our weekly shopping trips typically take place at Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods, mixed in with stops to our local farmer’s market, or u-pick farm, depending on the season.
The majority of what we picked up today came from Whole Foods. I have to say, Whole Foods has done a lot in recent years to provide better quality foods at more affordable prices. Their 365 brand alone typically offers great quality options for a fraction of the price of name brand options. They frequently have sales on many of their items (a great time to stock up for later!) and if you’re an Amazon prime member, you can save even more cash. Oh, and don’t miss out on their free grocery pick-up service (or their delivery options, available in some areas, for a fee).
Nope, I’m not affiliated with Whole Foods in any way - I just want to share with you what I know in hopes of making healthy eating easier and more budget-friendly for you!
Now let’s jump into this week’s findings…
We picked out plenty of fresh seasonal fruits and veggies to keep hungry snackers happy and to add alongside breakfasts and dinners.
Lemons for a simple way to add a burst of flavor to chicken, fish, veggies and water to keep everyone hydrated.
Rainbow chard to go alongside eggs at breakfast. My kids love rainbow chard because of it’s bright color - the more fun you can make new foods, the more likely kids will be to give them a try!
Grapes, cherries (because what’s summer without cherries?!), carrots and key lime cucumbers for snacks.
The cucumbers actually came from one of our favorite farms at the farmer’s market this morning. I ran over for that loaf of whole wheat sourdough bread but couldn’t pass up those particular cucumbers since they’re my youngest’s favorite.
Kettle & Fire beef broth for a new recipe I’m trying out with lamb stew meat this week.
LOTS of salad greens.
It’s going to get up into the 90’s and even the 100’s in Oregon this week! So I’m definitely planning some cooling summer salads for a few of our meals this week. But these aren’t all just for salads! We’ll also be enjoying these micro-greens with our nourish bowls and as a topper for toasts, and tossing spinach into everything from smoothies to scrambled eggs.
BUDGET FRIENDLY TIP: Buy your chickens whole, instead of specific cuts and pieces to save $$$$$
We’ve all noticed our grocery bill creeping higher and higher each month. But before you tell yourself that eating healthy is “getting too expensive”, take the time to learn some simple budget friendly-hacks, like this one!
Even the family-pack of chicken breasts that I was going to buy (which typically saves you a couple of bucks) was going to cost me almost fifty dollars alone. Yep, you read that right… 5-0!!
But these 2 whole chickens were twice the weight of the family pack and together only cost $30 for antibiotic-free, free range chicken. Since my plan is just to cook some chicken to add to a couple of meals, it’s so easy for me to roast and shred these and get the same outcome for almost half the cost!
Whole chickens are where it’s at.
More veggies and some protein…
Asparagus & mushrooms for nourish bowls.
Raspberries for snacking & adding on top of yogurt and smoothie bowls.
That grass-fed lamb stew meat I was telling you about (hint: it’s going along with those potatoes, celery, and parsley).
Grape tomatoes for caprese salad, snacking, and salads.
Some assorted beverages to keep things interesting.
Grass-fed, organic whole milk for coffee and smoothies.
Annie’s fruit snacks for a fun mix-up to our normal snack routine in the pantry. These aren’t usually around but since it’s back-to-school time they were on sale and my kids we excited about them. We love just about everything Annie’s makes!
Frozen corn for salads (cheaper than fresh corn this week)
Assorted cheeses for salads too
Salmon sashimi for my husband and daughter for a snack (already devoured by the time I’m writing this blog post!)
and a new sauce I’m excited to add to our nourish bowls this week!
(not pictured) rockfish & salmon from the freezer, eggs, and some assorted grains from the pantry.
This Week’s Meal Plan:
I know I referenced some meals above in our breakdown, but here is the full list of meals we’ll be eating this week…
Pan-seared rock fish with capresé salad and whole wheat sourdough bread.
Nourish bowls with shredded chicken, brown rice, asparagus, mushrooms, micro-greens and tumeric tahini dressing.
Cobb salad with spring mix, hard boiled eggs, bacon, corn, feta cheese and raspberry lime dressing.
Mediterranean quinoa bowl with salmon, chickpeas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and chickpeas in a basil & blackberry dressing.
Lamb stew with carrots, potatoes, cumin & rosemary
Shakshuka with over easy eggs and crunchy whole wheat sourdough
Homemade pizza
Breakfasts will consist of smoothie bowls, yogurt bowls, and eggs and/or some kind of sausage from the freezer alongside veggies and sourdough or sprouted wheat toast.
Snacks are a mix of veggies, fruits, cheese, nuts, yogurt, cottage cheese, sweet potato crackers and occasionally, Annie’s fruit snacks for as long as they last, which probably won’t be very long.
Lunch is usually leftovers from the night before, but if we don’t have any of those we’ll usually make some kind of salad, pair a protein with some healthy carbs & veggies (like tuna on a slice of sprouted wheat bread topped with micro greens, or brown rice & chicken burgers with spinach).
I hope you found these ideas helpful!
