Meal Plan May 16, 2016
My goal with this week’s meal plan is pretty simple: a smaller grocery bill. I know I’m not breaking any news by saying that grocery prices are going through the roof. How can it be that I’m feeling like a winner if I keep our weekly bill under $300?! It’s bonkers. So, I’ve put together a lineup of dinners that are going to help all of us leave the store feeling a little less robbed.
Of course the best way to save on groceries is to meal plan but if you’re reading this then you’re like, duh, I know. Okay, but for anyone who is new to SPC and this weekly post, allow me to review. When you know what you’re making for dinner every night, you’re more likely to actually cook at home (and even the priciest groceries are cheaper and better for you than eating out), waste less because you’re only buying what you’ll actually prepare and reduce your stress because you know what’s coming at you each day.
But for this week, I’m hoping to keep everyone’s costs down even more by featuring more vegetarian and pantry-based dinners. You probably already have chickpeas, pasta and tuna in your cupboard so you’ll be halfway to three of these meals. And if ground lamb is tricky to find or particularly pricey, feel free to swap ground beef or turkey.
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Chickpea and Spinach Stew
Monday: Fresh Tomato Spaghetti
Tuesday: Chickpea & Spinach Stew
Wednesday: Asian Chicken Salad
Thursday: Nicoise Pasta
Friday: Mini Lamb Burgers
Ingredients
- Fresh Tomato Spaghetti
- 2 cups fresh tomatoes
- 1 head of arugula
- 2 cloves garlic
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- 500 gram package of wholewheat spaghetti
- Chickpea and Spinach Stew
- 2 onions
- vegetable oil
- 1 3-inch piece of ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 or 3 big handfuls of baby spinach
- tumeric
- cumin
- ground coriander
- cayenne (optional)
- 1 28-ounce can tomatoes
- 1 28-ounce can of chickpeas
- Asian Chicken Salad
- 2 chicken breasts
- purple cabbage
- green cabbage
- 2 carrots
- 1 red pepper
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 spring onions
- handful cilantro
- 1/3 cup peanuts (optional)
- sesame oil
- soy sauce
- sriracha
- vegetable oil
- fish sauce
- sugar
- Nicoise Pasta
- 500 grams spaghetti
- olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup black olives
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup capers
- 2 x 5 oz tin of tuna
- 3 or 4 leaves of fresh basil
- 1/2 cup Parmesan
- Mini Lamb Burgers
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1/4 cup red onion
- fresh parsley
- dried oregano
- cumin
- salt and pepper
- mini pitas
- lettuce leaves
- tomato
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- lemon juice
- fresh mint
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
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We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
5 Comments
Shalini
May 14, 09:29Ahh, what a nice, tasty meal plan, Ceri! My son loves mini lamb patties, and your Niçoise pasta is a handy and delicious idea. Grocery bills and takeout are indeed a battle worth waging! Thanks.
Mountain girl
May 14, 10:45I love your weekly meal plans, my hubby and I (retired) do this all the time. We made Friday – Fish Fridays, instead of tuna( I see its convenience) we do wild salmon or cod, we live in BC so it’s more plentiful. We have meatless Monday’s and leftover Wednesday’s, it’s been easy on the budget and one pot meals feed a crowd for unexpected guests. We buy local when in season and grow a few veggies to help us out as well. Love your site, thanking you.
Ceri
May 15, 09:46Thank you so much for your comment! Once you get in the swing of meal planning it’s hard to imagine doing it another way, don’t you find? Sounds like you’re a pro! Thank you so much for your kind words – we’re thrilled you’re enjoying the site.
Healthy mom
May 18, 08:07Another great way to save on grocery bills is to get the new App Flipp. It works really well if you live in an area with multiple grocery stores as it compares all sale prices and helps you figure out which place will be the cheapest based on what you are looking for that week! It also links in manufacturers coupons too.
Ceri
May 27, 09:42I’ve heard of that! Have you been using it?