Meal Planning March Week 1 & Food Spending Feb. Week 4

And here is what actually got served last week......

Sunday-Chicken Parmesan al fresco, Spinach Salad, Lemon Cake

Monday--Pizza, Clementines

Tuesday--Pulled Pork on rolls, Coleslaw

Wednesday--Leftovers

Thursday--Kielbasa, Beans, Coleslaw

Friday--Clam Chowder, Fish fillets, Coleslaw

Saturday--Leftovers

I served everything planned,except the Stuffed Shells, which move to this week.

The food spending last week?

I spent $58.85 in 2 trips to the local Shursave affiliated grocer.

Of that amount, $25.84 was spent on food consumed last week and the other $33.01 was spent on stocking up on deals like butter, local honey, microwaveable lunches and pre-made meatballs for the freezer as I may be laid up a couple days after my dentist appt. on Wednesday.   The meatballs give Hubs another option if I am not cooking.

I've spent $338.46 and I am left at this point with $61.54 in my food budget for 3 more days.

As for leftovers rolling into this week--Pulled Pork sammies, Coleslaw and Clam Chowder.

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Here is what is getting served this week.....

Sunday-Subway Sammies

Monday--Hamburgers, Clementines, Fries

Tuesday--Stuffed Shells, Roasted Cauliflower, Garlic Bread

Wednesday--Leftover Pulled Pork sammies, Coleslaw

Thursday--Tuna Noodle Casserole, Asparagus

Friday--Beef Pie w/Cornbread Topping

Saturday--Sweet Potatoes and Leftovers

Wednesday I am serving leftovers and Thursday I have a prepped casserole on deck.  I won't feel like cooking and these are things Hubs can "cook".  If I am still not up to snuff on Friday Hubs can choose to make the Beef Pie or just go get some take-out or have leftovers, as I might still be eating just soup.

Needed at the store to serve the meals I am making this week?  

Asparagus, Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower.  We also need eggs, milk, fresh fruit and OJ. 

Other than that I don't know what I'll be buying yet.  With $60+ left for 3 days I'll be staying under budget going into March 1st and a new $400 for groceries.

A few words about where my Menu is headed......

I am trying to change up my menus and what we eat in general here.  With the kids' schedules I never know how many are going to be eating dinner at home each night.  This makes it near impossible to get my meal sizes right and we either end up with not enough on the table or having way too many leftovers.

I have also cut way back on the dishes I serve that call for cheese, rice and noodles.  Believe me, if I could, I'd cut out pasta totally!  But having a Hubs who was raised in an ethnic Italian household, he would divorce me if I tried. lol

I've also been trying to find better ways to prepare foods we like by changing or taking out simple carb components. We are "de-whiting" our diet, meaning changing or eliminating the white carbohydrate foods like refined sugar, white rice, white flour, white noodles, white breads.There is nothing scientific to the way we are proceeding, it's more of a learn as we go process.

In order to get more veggies into our meal times I have begun changing how/what I serve.  I am moving away from the traditional 1 meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable dinner plate scenario toward a 1 meat, 1 vegetable plate, with other vegetable based side dishes also served.  And sometimes the meat is also missing from the dinner plate.

We are working on finding more exciting ways to prepare veggies too, that don't include frying, battering, breading, or covering with cheese.

It isn't easy doing this, since all 4 of us at home enjoy/thrive on different foods and different percentages of each type of food.  I am not a pasta lover but Hubs is.  Hubs is not a raw food or salad eater and I could eat this way every day.   Hubs insists on meat...not protein, MEAT, so we are working on better ways to prepare it.  If you feel the need to share your Tofu recipes, just keep moving.  Tofu and being Vegan isn't happening here. ;-)

#2 Son eats veggies but his repertoire is limited and most veggies he wants cooked in meat products, plus he likes all that processed stuff.  Daughter eats everything but she loves comfort foods which include all those white foods I am trying to limit.

We are making baby steps toward a new way of eating for us.  Some weeks we do better than others but overall we are making progress.  This week won't see any progress due to my tooth emergency. 

What's on your menu for the week?  

Any good deals at the grocers this week?
Did you have any food waste this week?

Sluggy