This is my attempt at at $20 weekly grocery list for 2 big eaters, 2 parents and 1 young child, or 1 parent and 2 children. I have not tried this but if anyone does, please let me know if it's feasible and how it went. UPDATE: See my variations below
This is a list of fresh items such as fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat to buy. I make the assumption that you have basic pantry items on hand such as spices and herbs, flour, sugar, rice, oatmeal, couscous, oils and vinegars, salt and pepper, baking powder and soda, honey, peanut butter, Ramen noodles, powdered sugar, popcorn seeds, bouillon cubes, onions, garlic etc.
I also assume that you have a variety of basic recipes at your disposal such as white sauce, yogurt cake base, crumble topping (flour or oatmeal based), home made vinaigrette dressing, stir fry sauces (stir fry, peanut or teriyaki), riz au lait, oatmeal cookies, cake salé base (using white wine or beer), risotto base, etc. These can be easily customized.
Here's the basic shopping list: Aldi, MN 2020
1 head lettuce or choice $1.50 $1.09 bag spinach, $1.05 iceberg head
1 bunch of carrots $0.50 $1.55 2 lb bag, $0.99 baby,
1 fresh or frozen "meat" $3.00 $2.19 frozen ground turkey, $0.89 tuna, $0.89 hot dogs, $2.59 brats, $2.75 Italian sausage, $2.09 turkey bacon, $3.25 sliced ham
- chicken
- beef
- lamb
- turkey
- tofu
- sliced ham
1 bag of generic cereal of choice $2.00 $1.35 crispy oats, $1.65 crispy rice, $1.45 fruit rounds, $2.05 multigrain squares
1 large container of yogurt $1.20 $1.99 32oz vanilla
1 fresh fruit $1.50
- bananas
- pears
- apples
- strawberries
- oranges
- kiwis
- tomatoes
- cucumber
- zucchini
- pumpkin / squash
- corn
1 canned vegetable $0.50 $0.75, $0.55 corn
- spinach
- mushrooms
- tomatoes
- corn
- artichokes
- pears
- pineapple
1 gallon of milk $2.50 $2.19 1 percent
1 brick of cheese $2.50 $1.85
dried beans of choice $0.50 $0.66 most cans, $1.65 dry pinto
TOTAL $20.00 $20.70
Shop smart and stay in the budget. If you see meat on sale, buy more than usual and freeze it for later, or try a meat you usually can't afford, choose the fruit and veggies in season so you can get more for your money, vary your lettuces, fruit veggies, pastas and cheeses, buy whole items like a head of lettuce instead of bagged lettuce, use coupons and look for sales before heading to the store.
That might not seem like much to eat so here's a simple weekly menu to show how to use it all. M-F show breakfast and dinners Sat and Sun show lunches and desserts too.
MONDAY:
B: Muffins
L: Hot pasta with salad
TUESDAY:
B: Crêpes or Pancakes
L: Couscous or Tajine
WEDNESDAY:
B: Fruit and Yogurt
L: Quiche with Salad
THURSDAY:
B: Oatmeal
L: Bean dish with rice
FRIDAY:
B: Tartines or french toast
L: Stir fry with rice or noodles and oatmeal cookies
SATURDAY:
B: Cereal
L: Sandwiches or Cake Salé with tabbouleh and crudités
D: Risotto and yogurt cake
SUNDAY:
B: Omelettes
L: Cold pasta salad and Riz au Lait
D: Stew with salad and fruit crumble or fruit salad
Yeah but eat the same thing each week? No, that's boring and not healthy. Here's a list of variations that you can do:
Muffins: Spiced, Apple cinnamon, chocolate, lemon, oatmeal...
Pasta: tomato sauce, pesto, cream and garlic, lemon pepper...
Salads: fresh herbs, fruit and cheese, apples and raisins, nuts, shredded carrots, tomatoes...
Couscous: vegetarian, meat...
Bean Dishes: Lentils and ham, casoulet, baked beans, reified beans, hummus...
Stir fry: Veggie, Chicken, Beef, Noodle...
Sandwiches: BLT, Egg salad, cold meat, grilled cheese, cheese and onion...
Risotto: Tomatoes, Squash or Pumpkin, mushrooms, zucchini, artichokes...
Yogurt cake: spiced, lemon, chocolate, banana nut, glazed, pineapple upside down...
Omelettes: Cheese, ham, mushrooms, spinach, herbs...
Pasta salad: add tomatoes, cheese, beans, mushrooms, zucchini, corn, onion...
Stew: Chili, white chili, beef stew, beef stroganoff, pot pie...
Crumble: apple, pear, berries...
Quiche: ham and cheese, potato and bacon bits, onion, leek, cheese, chicken...
Tartines: tomato, cucumber salt and dill, cheese, butter, honey, peanut butter...
Finally, here's some tips for organizing and making the most out of your menus:
Wednesday: set dried beans to soak in a large bowl for Thursday.
Friday: prepare tabbouleh to marinate for Saturday.
Friday: movie night, make a big bowl of popcorn. Flavor with shredded or parmesan cheese, sugar, cinnamon, garlic, etc.
Saturday: Invite friends. Risotto is cheap and easy to multiply. Serve carrot chips with yogurt and dill dip as an appetizer and serve a special yogurt cake for dessert. Glaze cake with powdered sugar and water or sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Try mixing powdered coffee with a chocolate cake base for an adult taste.
Saturday: make extra risotto rice and set aside for riz au lait for Sunday.
Sunday: If you have a slow cooker, put stew together at lunch for dinner
Sunday: Make your grocery list and do the shopping, bake muffins, precook and freeze pancakes with a sheet of wax paper between them for easy microwaving later, cook and freeze french toast.
Use homemade vinaigrette dressing on veggie salads and cold pasta salads.
Add powdered curry to vinaigrette dressing on cold pasta salads for more kick.
Stir fry and pasta salads are a great way to use up odds and ends of leftover beans and vegetables.
Use a basic white sauce on hot pasta to make cheesy, lemon, or garlic sauces
Don't have a muffin pan? Bake a rectangular cake and slice.
Snack? leftover crudities with yogurt dip, cereal, cereal trail mix, fruit, oatmeal cookies, popcorn...
Dessert after meals: a la Francais: fruit, yogurt, compote, square of chocolate, coffee
Keep a shopping list handy if ever you run out of pantry staples.
Serve french toast and pancakes with powdered sugar, fruit, or compote.
Top tartines with honey, butter, cheese, peanut butter, cucumber, tomatoes, cheese...
Flavor yogurt with fruit and freeze in small paper cups with Popsicle sticks for a fresh dessert or snack.
Not enough meat for a dish? Mix with or substitute tofu or beans.
Stock up on canned goods when they're on sale.
Buy cheap baking chocolate bars, chop and add to muffins, cakes, cookies, pancakes and riz au lait.
Use a dollop of yogurt to soften a pesto or tomato sauce.
Throw a dollop of peanut butter in a hot stir fry for a nutty sauce.
Grow your own vegetables and herbs if possible
Here's my menus for the two weeks:
Week One:
MONDAY:
B: Muffins made with cinnamon, nuts (optional) and 1 banana, diced and brown sugar crumble topping
L: Hot pasta with salad linguine with garlic cream sauce and 1 chicken breast, diced; salad with thinly sliced radishes and a bit of onion and homemade vinaigrette dressing
TUESDAY:
B: Crêpes or Pancakes pancakes topped with powdered sugar or maple syrup if you have it
L: Couscous or Tajine Couscous with carrots, cinnamon and white beans with raisins if you have them and 1/2 chicken breast
WEDNESDAY:
B: Fruit and Yogurt plain with sugar and topped with one canned half pear each, sprinkle with cinnamon or top with a mint leaf
L: Quiche with Salad onion quiche or tart with sweet vinaigrette dressing on green salad
THURSDAY:
B: Oatmeal with banana, cinnamon and nuts
L: Bean dish with rice cajun white beans and rice
FRIDAY:
B: Tartines or french toast radish tartine with butter and salt on wheat bread or toast
L: Stir fry with rice or noodles and oatmeal cookies leftover veggies and meat over rice, sub Marshmallow O's bars for oatmeal cookies if you have marshmallows
SATURDAY:
B: Cereal honey nut O's
L: Sandwiches or Cake Salé with taboulé and crudités cake sale with 1/2 can mushrooms, and sliced radishes with yogurt and herb dipping sauce
D: Risotto and yogurt cake zuchinni risotto and chocolate pear yogurt cake
SUNDAY:
B: Omlettes with shredded cheese
L: Cold pasta salad and Riz au Lait with diced cheese, fresh onion strips and a vinegarette dressing
D: Stew with salad and fruit crumble or fruit salad Chicken white chili with 1/2 chicken breast and white beans
Week Two:
MONDAY:
B: Muffins from last weeks batch
L: Hot pasta with salad linguine with lemon pepper sauce and 1 chicken breast, diced; salad with thinly sliced radishes and a bit of onion and homemade vinaigrette dressing
TUESDAY:
B: Crêpes or Pancakes crepes with sugar and lemon juice or any jam or peanut butter you have on hand
L: Couscous or Tajine Tajine with carrots,zuchinni, lemon and olives and 1/2 chicken breast
WEDNESDAY:
B: Fruit and Yogurt plain with sugar and topped with 1/2 sliced banana each, sprinkle with chopped peanuts or walnuts if you have them
L: Quiche with Salad fine herb quiche with potatoes if you have them and diced radish and onion salad with vinaigrette served on a lettuce leaf
THURSDAY:
B: Oatmeal with brown sugar and maple syrup if you have any
L: Bean dish with rice Cassoulet with white beans over rice
FRIDAY:
B: Tartines or french toast french toast made with eggs,milk and cinnamon, top with thin sliced banana and chopped nuts if you have them, sprinkle with powdered sugar
L: Stir fry with rice or noodles and oatmeal cookies any leftover veggies and meats with homemade teriyaki sauce over noodles
SATURDAY:
B: Cereal honey nut O's with sliced bananas if there are leftovers
L: Sandwiches or Cake Salé with taboulé and crudités radish sandwiches cut tea style with crusts trimmed served along side peanut butter and honey ones, taboule with herb and sliced olives if you have them, served with fresh carrot 'chips' and yogurt and dill dipping sauce.
D: Risotto and yogurt cake 1/2 can mushroom risotto and spiced yogurt cake
SUNDAY:
B: Omlettes with fine herbs
L: Cold pasta salad with left over veggies and homemade thai peanut butter dressing and Riz au Lait
D: Stew with salad and fruit crumble or fruit salad chicken pot pie with carrots, leftover veggies and 1/2 chicken breast, diced with homemade crust; pear crumble with 2 pear halves and brown sugar crumble topping
SNACKS:
popcorn
snack mix made from honey nut O's tossed with leftover popcorn, raisins and nuts
radish tartines
peanut butter and honey tartines
extra oatmeal cookies
extra muffins
extra yogurt cake
cheesy popcorn
cheese slices
