Every week we make a meal plan for the week ahead. The plan accounts for 5 breakfasts, 4 lunches (plus fruit), 4 snacks, and 5 dinners each for the two of us. Lunches are typically a double batch of whatever the recipe calls for. We make the lunches and do other prep work on Sunday. Nearly all items are purchased from either our local farmers market or Whole Foods. We live in Cincinnati, OH.
February 8- February 14
Our meal plan system has come a long way over the years, and we’ve been really happy with what it looks like. The past few months have included some really big changes in what our life looks like though, and we decided to start possibly shifting the meal plan to reflect that.
When we started out, Josh was working full time retail, which means some nights, all weekend, and limited time for him to eat during the day. I was working a full time M-F job, and we managed to find a balance that worked for us.
These days, Josh is now working in an office, M-F, with weekends off (HOORAY!), plus a fair amount of travel. I’m at the house all day, and while I can spend more time cooking, cooking and cleaning up the kitchen can take a good chunk out of my day, every day. This gets especially old when Josh is out of town. I want to eat a delicious, healthy dinner, but all of that work just for myself is less than appealing. On top of that, since Josh is now sitting at a desk all day, he needs a few more healthy snack options so he isn’t tempted to run downstairs to the cafeteria and grab a cookie. The struggle is real.
SO… we’re going to be messing around with our meal plans for a bit, especially for the weeks that Josh is traveling. We’re excited to see how it all works, even if it does make for a little more work on Sundays. I’ve tried to break things down to better list everything that got done yesterday, and how it will work through the week. One of the benefits is that we can grab produce that’s on sale that isn’t featured in the online sales flyer. Hopefully this helps us mix things up a little and helps keep some costs down.
Speaking of keeping costs down… this week would have been a lot more reasonable if somehow we hadn’t had to restock maple syrup ($20!) and olive oil. Ugh. Oh, and we bought beer. Because.
Total cost: Roughly $143
Average cost per meal per person, with snacks tucked into the mix: $5.11
Breakfast
- Homemade granola– double batch, with homemade coconut milk (add a couple of dates, cinnamon, vanilla, and pinch of salt to the basic recipe) and frozen berries/bananas- All prepped Sunday
Lunch
- Reset button salad– make extra quinoa, plus chopped fruit (oranges, mango, and starfruit, all on sale)- All prepped Sunday
Snack
- Leftover snacks from previous weeks, plus chopped vegetables (carrots, red bell pepper (sale) and cucumber) and tahini lemon dressing for dipping- All prepped Sunday
Dinner
- Roasted chicken and vegetables- make stock with carcass
- Curried butternut squash soup– with homemade stock, makes enough for 2 meals
- Quinoa bowls- 2 meals- quinoa and roasted vegetables (acorn squash, sweet potatoes and broccoli), topped with sesame sauce– All prepped Sunday. Can also use leftover roasted chicken and canned black beans/chickpeas to bulk up as necessary
A Girl Named Allyn 
Blimey, makes you realise how much more expensive food is over the pond. We average at £45 (~$70) for two people for 6 days a week food wise, and that’s mostly all from markets/Green Grocers! Will have to try your granola recipe!
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Yeah… it’s not cheap and I’m jealous of your grocery bill. It’s absolutely possible to do this meal plan less expensively, but we really prioritize the quality of the produce and meat we eat (food is our biggest monthly expense next to rent). We’ve tried some of the other local options and while we might save a little money up front, I wound up having to throw out moldy vegetables after only a few days, plus they had a very limited selection in general. Can’t wait for summer and cheap, fresh produce!
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Weekends off are the best, right?! Meal planning is something I’ve not yet mastered. Heading to the dollar/pound store for some key items could possibly cut down your bill. I like to get certain foods from there.
:] // ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲
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The bills when restocking the pantry are always fun! I try to shop the sales and stock up when I can, but it’s a fine balance between storage space and my need to not hoard unnecessary goods.
We’ve adapted to a Sunday prep habit and prep as much as possible on Sunday. It’s great to come home from Monday and have dinner made — such a relief!
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I’m in Massachusetts in a leaky antique house, the kitchen in winter is usually about 60 deg. I rise bread by setting the oven on 200 while kneading, turn the oven off and place dough bowl in oven to rise. Works perfectly.
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