6/02/2008

What's For Dinner?

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After talking with friends and hearing what other families spend on groceries I have learned that we have a modest grocery budget. When I share with people what we spend on groceries each month the first question out of their mouths is "WHAT DO YOU GUYS EAT???"

For the last year our grocery budget has been $350/month for our family of 4. This includes all toiletries, toilet paper and cleaning items (another post). When Elias was still in diapers we would sometimes go over but not often. I have decided that for the next month I am going to track what we spend a month on food on my blog and also post what we eat along with the recipes (if I don't post you can ask). I'm looking forward to sharing our favorite recipes, and seeing how we remain within our budget. I also believe this will be a great way to see what things we could cut out to save money and to live a more healthy lifestyle.

The biggest thing that made a difference in our grocery budget (and our waistline) was learning portion sizes last summer. We bought an inexpensive food scale at Ross and measure our meat, and other food items that don't fit in measuring cups, to know we are eating the right sized portions for our needs. Things like pasta and rice were measured with measuring cups until we learned what a true serving looked like.

I went grocery shopping on Saturday (May 31) for dinner on 05/31 and to start off the new month. So here we go:

Wal-Mart: $26.23

Sprouts: $53.75 (included a 10lb stock up on chicken)

Total Wk 1:$ 79.98

Menu WK 1:

Saturday (05/31)

Dinner: Arroz con Pollo

Breakfast (Nearly everyday unless I make whole wheat pancakes):

Brandon: 2 hard boiled eggs/day, 3/4 cup oatmeal

Niccole: 1 yogurt with 1/3 oatmeal, banana

Boys: 2 bananas, 1 cup oatmeal w/cranberries and almonds, yogurt

Lunch:

Monday: B&N - leftover Arroz con Pollo, B yogurt and Fig Newtons w/his lunch, Boys - Peanut Butter and honey sandwich, apple, pretzels

Tuesday: B&N - leftover orzo and chicken, B almonds and Fig Newton w/his lunch, Boys - cheese and bean quasadillas

Wednesday: Entire Family - leftover chicken sandwiches, fruit, and pretzels

Thursday: B - PB/Honey sandwich, yogurt, fig newtons & almonds or leftover Arroz con Pollo, N- leftover Arroz con Pollo, Boys - PB&honey sandwich, pretzels & apple

Friday - B&N - leftover spanish rice, Josiah - Spanish rice, Elias - beans and rice

Saturday - we will be at a graduation party for lunch time

Dinner:

Sunday: Quesadillas - cheese, chicken, grilled onions/peppers, smashed black beans & salsa

Monday: Orzo Salad (see previous post for recipe) with 1 (very!) large chicken breast served on the side.

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken sadwiches (I make mine in crock pot), baked potato, and spinach side salad

Wednesday: Bean, cheese, and avocado tostadas with lettuce, tomato and salsa on top with a fruit salad (grapes, nectarines, apples, black berries)

Thursday: Spanish Rice with Chicken grilled and tossed in the rice, spinach side salad

Friday: Ratatouille

Saturday: Red Beans and Rice and corn bread with spinach salad

1 comments:

natalie said...

I go to church w/ Elyse and found your blog a while ago and love it, so I keep up with it, I hope you don't mind!
I always agree with what you have to say and never want to butt in and comment, but I just want to say to this that you are absolutely AMAZING. I know having a menu is the best way to save money, but I'm so not organized and it's hard when one of you eats lots of meat and the other doesn't eat vegetables and no child old enough to eat with one of the parents, so it's a lot of wasted food b/c I don't plan. Anyway, I really hope you keep up with this b/c I'd like to follow along with you. :)
Great meals...and it would help me to lose the weight I'm wanting to! :)
Thanks!!! :)