my grocery shopping/meal planning dilemma . I'm desperate!

[theirmommy04]

The pasr 4-5 months I've started to *try* to buy natural/organic food, make my own laundry detergent, buy natural soaps, lotions, etc. But its getting near impossible to maintain. It costs SO much and I'm constantly going over the budget (health food ain't cheap) and my husband has put his foot down and said no more health food w/ the exception of eggs and meats, until we jave a significant change in our income (his goal is to go into business for himself ).



HELP! How do others do it w/out going bankrupt??? We're a family of 5. It kills me to have to buy unhealthy, cheap food. Please! Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!



*****sorry for any typos; I'm mobile.

[michiganmom116]

I have 6 (3 adults, 2 teen boys, 12 yr old girl) to feed, and I spend no more than $400/month (includes meat costs) for all groceries. 

To be honest, I'll bypass the organic produce unless it's on sale.  We only buy it during the spring/winter and grow our own during summer/fall, although it is possible to grow it indoors all year long.  IMO it's better to get good nutrition and fight off the effects of non-organic than to get no nutrition at all. 

I'm fortunate to know a farmer that raises affordable grass-fed beef and we have the space to raise our own poultry for our freezers.  We also have a friend that has free-range laying hens and we buy those eggs for $1.50/doz.  Not many people have these advantages.

It is our choice to eliminate grains/soy from our diet (some of the most GMO/non-organic/highly processed foods out there) and to not buy milk to drink.  I use almond meal and coconut flour in making quick breads/cakes/cookies/cakes/pies/muffins/biscuits/tortillas/flat bread/panini/pancakes/waffles.  Those flours can be costly, but if I don't make many baked goods then I don't use them very often.

I use raw honey for sweetener, but if I cut out a lot of sweet treats, I don't use much.

I do plan meals, every single one of them.

What we eat:

breakfasts - grain-free granola (not very often, made from nuts that can be costly), frittatas  (eggs/meat/cheese/veggies), omelets with veggies, fried eggs with hashbrowns and fruit, custards (using coconut milk, cut way back on sweetener, sometimes with berries, sometimes with pumpkin, sometimes with nut butter), crepes (very easy to make) with cheese & lemon or fruit filling, dairy free smoothies

Lunches - homemade soups with homemade muffins or breads, leftovers from dinners, fish patties & salads, chef salads, egg/ham/chicken salad with cucumber slices or homemade crackers or homemade panini

Dinners - build around 1/4 to 1/3 meat and the rest is veggies in the form of salad/steamed/stir fry/roasted, sometimes a fruit salad is thrown in.  I have a HUGE list of meal ideas

Snacks - frozen smoothies, popcorn (not microwave), grain-free baked goods, fruit, veggies & dip

[michiganmom116]

This past week's meals, and with the meat I have in the freezer and a few things I had on hand already, it cost me $22.56 for the fresh produce for the week.

Sunday:

breakfast - baked sausage/spinach/cheddar frittata (had one in the freezer), veggie juice

lunch - taco soup with paleo “corn” bread (bread was already in the freezer)

dinner - porcupine meatballs/boiled potatoes/steamed broccoli

Monday:

breakfast - almond flour pancakes, veggie juice

lunch - beefy veggie soup & lemon muffins (had soup in the freezer)

dinner - crockpot Southern-style pork neck bones/gravy/steamed white rice/glazed carrots

Tuesday:

breakfast – omelets/ paleo cinnamon muffins with apple butter/oranges (had a bag of oranges on hand, apple butter is homemade/homecanned from last year)

lunch – leftovers from Monday dinner

dinner - sloppy joe stew or casserole/tossed salad

Wednesday:

breakfast - crepes with lemon & cheese filling, veggie juice

lunch - leftovers from Tuesday dinner

dinner - crockpot cheesy chicken & ham/roasted sweet potato balls/beet pickles (had everything on hand but the sweet potatoes)

Thursday:

breakfast – fried eggs & oranges, veggie juice

lunch - salmon patties/side salad,, leftovers

dinner - salisbury patties w/gravy/mashed potatoes/green beans

Friday:

breakfast - grain-free waffles, veggie juice

lunch - tuna salad on grain-free panini or sesame onion crackers (ended up having salmon on a tossed salad)

dinner - baked buffalo chicken/oven fries/green beans/beet pickles

Saturday:

breakfast - scrambled egg muffins, veggie juice

lunch – leftovers from Friday's dinner

dinner - crockpot Swiss steak/baked sweet potatoes/tossed salad

[michiganmom116]

...and my menu plan for next week.  I haven't done the shopping yet.

May 13 – 19, 2012

Sunday:

breakfast – sausage/spinach/cheddar fritatta, oranges

lunch – creamy ham & broccoli soup, garlic flaxseed (grain-free) bread

dinner - chili cheese bake/tossed salad

Monday:

breakfast – ham & egg “muffins”, tomato slices

lunch – leftovers from Sunday dinner

dinner – hoisin-glazed pork chops/oriental coleslaw

Tuesday:

breakfast – berry banana crepes

lunch – pizza soup, garlic flaxseed (grain-free) bread

dinner - honey mustard chicken/oven fries/green beans

Wednesday:

breakfast – chocolate grain-free granola, oranges

lunch – tuna patties, side salad

dinner - frosted meatloaf/green beans/tossed salad

Thursday:

breakfast – mexican omelet

lunch – leftovers from Wednesday dinner or chef salad

dinner - steak Diane/twice baked not-potato casserole/tossed salad

Friday:

breakfast – coconut kiwi dairy-free smoothie, hard boiled eggs

lunch – Mediterranean mackerel salad

dinner - chicken pot pie with paleo biscuit top crust

Saturday:

breakfast – fried eggs & hash browns, oranges

lunch – pizza burgers (no bun), Italian salad

dinner - beef roast/potatoes/carrots

[michiganmom116]

Here are meal ideas (in this and subsequent replies)

Using chicken breast:

chicken alfredo over shredded cooked cabbage

chicken teriyaki & veggies

primal chicken nuggets/strips

sesame chicken

wanna be chicken parmesan

chicken & broccoli stir fry

salsa chicken

Hawaiian chicken

provolone smothered chicken

artichoke chicken bake

cream cheese ranch chicken

Using chicken legs:

grilled chicken

gluten free oven fried chicken

oven BBQ chicken

chicken pierre

rosemary chicken & potatoes

one pot chicken dinner

honey mustard chicken

using cut up cooked chicken:

chicken ala king over paleo biscuits

chicken gravy

chicken stew/soup

oriental chicken salad

chicken salad on avocado or tomato or cucumber slices

[michiganmom116]

Casseroles:

no noodle lasagna

shepherds pie

philly cheesesteak casserole

primal lasagna

broccoli & ham casserole

low carb taco bake

no noodles tuna casserole

[michiganmom116]

Skillet meals:

cabbage spaghetti

cauliflower goulash

primal pizza casserole

tacos

chicken fried steak

salisbury patties & gravy

tuna/salmon/mackerel patties

Spanish steak

porcupine meatballs

sausage gravy & paleo biscuits

sesame beef

pepper steak

beef broccoli mango salad/stir fry

kabobs

milanesa napolitana

sweet & sour meatballs

[michiganmom116]

Soup/stew/chili ideas:

taco soup

beanless chili

broccoli soup

chicken & veggie soup/stew

beef & veggie soup/stew

tomato/pepper/basil soup (pizza soup)

quick gazpacho

meatball mushroom stew

unstuffed pepper soup

minestrone

chicken gumbo

[michiganmom116]

Miscellaneous:

primal pizza

pizza burgers

taco burgers

garden burgers

taco salad

BLT salad

scrambled egg muffins

sloppy joe salad

chicken fajita salad

stuffed green peppers

beef roast

roast chicken

roast pork/ham

tuna steaks with chimichurri sauce

supper club tilapia

grilled steak

[michiganmom116]

Side dishes:

roasted root veggies

coleslaw

tropical slaw

apple slaw

broccoli slaw

sweet potato fries

 baked sweet potatoes

beet & apple salad

orange & beet salad

summer squash saute

butternut squash

zucchini frittata

guacamole & veggie sticks

paleo biscuits

paleo "corn"bread or muffins

carrot salad

tomato & cucumber salad

glazed carrots

grilled pineapple

[theirmommy04]

Wow, thank you! You have been very helpful! I should havr mentioned we have a garden, but nothing is ready to be picked.yet and ideally I'd like to learn to can to help us through winter, etc.
This has been helpful!

Quoting michiganmom116:

Side dishes:

roasted root veggies

coleslaw

tropical slaw

apple slaw

broccoli slaw

sweet potato fries

 baked sweet potatoes

beet & apple salad

orange & beet salad

summer squash saute

butternut squash

zucchini frittata

guacamole & veggie sticks

paleo biscuits

paleo "corn"bread or muffins

carrot salad

tomato & cucumber salad

glazed carrots

grilled pineapple