I plan to post several of these in my quest to streamline my grocery shopping while continuing to provide my family with nutritious breakfasts, lunch and dinners.
This week I spent $68.03 on groceries, so around $10 a day to feed three people. The true cost of this week's meals would be somewhat more, because I already had a few staples in my pantry: oil ($5.68), balsamic vinegar ($3.48 on sale some time ago), and onions left over from a 5-pound bag ($2.68) that lasted me several weeks. Into all this I also have to add my privilege of owning a car and living relatively close to a very good budget supermarket.
The other issue here is the repetitiveness of what we tend to eat. Breakfasts are often the same thing over and over again. This is because I'm usually so bleary-eyed in the mornings, I don't much care what I eat as long as it keeps me full until lunchtime. (For this reason, I can't eat cold cereal or toast, because I'm ravenous and grouchy by about 10.) Steel-cut oats are a bit annoying to cook, but with a bit of night-before preparation they aren't too time-consuming, and they keep me going. (When I had gestational diabetes and had to take my blood sugar after meals, I found that steel cut oats barely raised it at all. Hooray for low-glycemic foods!)
I didn't factor in lunches for Baby B because she has hers at daycare. Mr. B and I are happy to eat the same thing every day for a week.
Dinners: I tend to make a lot of something that reheats well so we can have it twice. I also "recycled" the black beans to use for enchiladas. If you don't like leftovers, this meal plan isn't for you. If you don't like chicken, it isn't for you. But I think I've struck a pretty good balance: four non-vegetarian dinners, three vegetarian ones, plenty of fruits and vegetables and whole grains.
The Meal Plan:
Breakfasts: steel cut oats, yogurt, sliced bananas for all of us.
Lunches: chicken salad wraps, carrot and celery sticks for Mr. B and me.
Beverages: water for all of us, choice of water or whole milk for Baby B.
Snacks: carrot and celery sticks, raw almonds.
Dinners:
1) Non-Disgusting Black Bean Stew with basmati rice and steamed broccoli.
2) Chicken-zucchini curry with basmati rice and salad.
3) Chicken and black bean enchiladas (using leftover beans) with salad.
4) Whole wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce, with sauteed zucchini.
5) Leftover chicken-zucchini curry with basmati rice and steamed broccoli.
6) Frittata with red bell pepper and broccoli.
7) Leftover chicken and black bean enchiladas with salad.
THE GROCERIES
Vegetables
4 zucchini: $2.22
3 broccoli crowns: $2.65
2 lb bag of carrots (will last several weeks): $0.98
1 head celery (will last two weeks): $1.71
4 tomatoes: $1.96
4 bananas (we tend to split these between us at breakfast time): $0.50
1 enormous head of romaine lettuce: $1.68
1 red pepper: $1.68
Dairy
Organic Valley whole milk, 1 gallon: $6.68
Nancy's fat free yogurt: $2.43
Sargento reduced fat shredded Mexican cheese, 4oz: $2.68
18 eggs (this will last a couple of weeks): $2.09
Cans/Bottles/Misc.
Taste of Thai light coconut milk: $1.48
Taste of Thai red curry paste: $2.04
El Pato enchilada sauce (large can): $1.40
Tamari soy sauce: $3.14
La Tortilla Factory whole wheat tortillas (giant package that lasts us for two weeks): $6.98
Store-brand 28oz can crushed tomatoes: $0.98
Best Foods mayonnaise, large jar: $3.50
Bulk
Pecan pieces (0.54 lb @ $5.30/lb): $2.86
Dried black beans (1.31lb @ $0.99/lb): $1.30
Dried cranberries (0.59lb @ $3.49/lb)
Raw almonds (0.61lb@ $5.78/lb): $3.53
Steel cut oats (1.48lb@ $1.49/lb): $0.93
Basmati rice (1.6lb @ $1.49/lb): $2.38
Whole wheat spaghetti (1lb @ $1.00/lb): $1.00
Meat
Giant package of boneless, skinless chicken breast containing 4 huge pieces: $7.19
TOTAL: $68.03
Observations: I was pretty pleased, but I could have managed on less. The coconut milk and curry paste seem a bit extravagant, but it does make loads of curry sauce so you can make a huge curry that lasts two meals. Plus, there's something very satisfying about curry. Even Baby B will eat it (I know this is not typical of American toddlers). Likewise, I could have made my own enchilada sauce for less using spices etc that I already had in the pantry, but I'm a busy working mother and I have better things to do. Ditto the mayonnaise. My grandmother would be horrified at my using "bought mayonnaise," but I really do detest making my own. I know everyone says it's sooooo easy, but I always botch and curdle it in spite of all the handy hints everyone tells me. Besides, I do make my own spaghetti sauce, so I can polish my halo over that one.
The red bell pepper seems like a bit of an extravagance too, but we all have our faults. Next time I might save money by buying only the cheapest vegetables and then "splurging" (hah!) on brown instead of white basmati rice, since it's only 30 cents more expensive per pound. But I think I did pretty well on whole grains on the whole, and white basmati is at least pretty low-glycemic as rice goes.
Things I'm very pleased with: that romaine. I didn't weigh it, but it's positively gigantesque. It's enough for several dinner side salads, plus extra to put in our chicken wraps. I haven't the heart to look up its nutritional value, but it's green (green is good, right?) and I'm sure it's more nutritious than an iceberg lettuce. Also, steel-cut oats are...a steal (get it, get it?).
RECIPES
Breakfast for 3: measure 2/3 cup steel-cut oats into a pot. Cover with 2 2/3 cups boiling water and bring to a bubbling boil. Turn off heat and leave the pot overnight. In the morning, it will be miraculously cooked and all you need to do it heat it up. Serve with 1/3 sliced banana per person and 1 generous spoonful yogurt. (Variations: you can add any kind of fruit, or nuts, if you have them.)
Lunch: wraps with this amazing chicken salad from Smitten Kitchen. I use pecans instead of walnuts because they're cheaper, and leave out any ingredients I have, and substitute cheaper ingredients for the expensive ones. (I detest tarragon, so I will never have tarragon vinegar. I use whatever kind I have, usually the ultra-cheap old white kind that I also use for household cleaning, and it tastes just fine.) I add a handful of shredded romaine to each wrap, then roll them up tightly in plastic wrap. I cut up lots of carrots and celery in advance so I have a couple of days' supply, and put nuts into little plastic bags (which I wash and reuse, because I'm parsimonious like that.)
Dinners:
1) Black beans here. Half a cup of basmati rice typically fills us up; cook according to package directions. Steamed broccoli: cut 1 broccoli crown into small pieces, including the stems, which are perfectly edible. Place in a pot with about an inch of water; clap the lid on; bring to boil over high heat and leave it there 2-3 minutes. If you are feeling extra-thrifty, save the water in a container in the freezer to use later for stocks.
2) Chicken curry: cut one of the chicken breasts into small pieces and saute over medium heat in a large frying pan. Remove from pan. Now add 2 zucchini, sliced medium, and cook until slightly softened. Meanwhile, whisk curry paste together with coconut milk. Add chicken back to the pan and pour milk over the top. Serve with basmati rice and a salad made of shredded romaine and sliced tomatoes topped with a dressing of 1 tsp. (olive) oil and 1 tsp. (balsamic) vinegar, though any oil and any vinegar will do. This makes two meals.
3) Chicken and black bean enchiladas: this is probably the most time-consuming dish of the week. First, poach a chicken breast. You can do this by covering it with water in your frying pan, and simmering it for ten minutes on each side. Remove it from the water (keep the water in a container in the fridge! You'll use it as chicken stock tomorrow night!) and shred it using two forks. Mix your shredded chicken with a cup of leftover black beans from the other night, half a cup of enchilada sauce, and half a cup of grated cheese. Spread 1/2 cup of the mixture over about 6 tortillas (or more if you have more mixture). Roll up the tortillas and nestle them snugly together in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle a further cup of grated cheese over the top. Bake at 350F covered in foil for 20 minutes, then take the foil off and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling in an attractive manner.This makes two meals for three hungry people. Serve with a salad the first time and steamed broccoli the second time, to mix things up.
4) Spaghetti and tomato sauce: first, prepare your sauce, several days in advance if you like (it takes a while to cook). I love this recipe, although I typically halve it and don't add garlic or fresh basil, as I don't feel it needs it. (By all means add them, or the dried versions of either, if you like.) I also add finely chopped celery at the same time as the carrot, because I love a good mirepoix. Even halved, this recipe makes enough for two meals, so freeze half of it in a container when it's finished. You can use last night's chicken-poaching water for the stock. Boil your spaghetti; stir-fry two sliced zucchini over medium-high heat in a frying pan, adding whatever seasonings you like. Serve the spaghetti with a ladleful of sauce and a pinch of grated cheese, and the zucchini on the side. This meal is more vegetable-rich than
5) Vegetable frittata: cut up a red bell pepper and a crown of broccoli, including the stems. Saute in oil in a medium-sized, non-stick, oven-proof pan until the vegetables are slightly softened. Preheat your broiler. While the vegetables are cooking, whisk six eggs together. Pour the eggs into the pan and cook over medium heat until the eggs are slightly set on the bottom. Sprinkle whatever grated cheese you have left over the top and place the pan under the broiler for five minutes until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve.
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