I have people ask me all the time how I buy organic on a budget and what we eat during the week. I thought it would be a great idea to showcase this in a blog post. I try to stick to a $125/week food budget for the grocery store. I shop at Sprout's and Natural Grocers. I also typically spend an added $30 at the Farmer's Market per week. Some of my money saving tips are to avoid processed foods, shop sales, shop in season, shop Natural Grocers discount areas (meats and produce save huge!), go meatless once or more a week, and avoid recipes with lots of ingredients or unusual ingredients you wont use again.
I have 5 days of meals featuring breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I will also include a shopping list and typical snacks that my girls consume through the week. Everything (condiments, spices, and all) is organic unless I state otherwise. I took pictures of the kids plates through this whole thing. Some pictures are of just one plate because it was hard to get both girls' plates in the picture, haha. They typically both eat about the same amounts, sometimes a little less for Hensley (23 months). I usually just have toast and coffee for breakfast and lunch is usually leftovers for my husband and I. I hope you enjoy this post and that it sparks some ideas for you and your family!
Day One
Breakfast: Once a week the girls get to have "kid" cereal. It's mostly organic (or non-GMO). This morning they picked marshmallow cereal (not organic, Mom's Best brand). They also got organic red grapes and half a organic banana.
Lunch: Today the girls got organic, grass-fed cheddar, spinach crackers (not organic, Back to Nature brand), frozen organic peas, and organic blueberries, strawberries, and cantaloupe.
Dinner: Tonight's dinner was organic Applegate Farms hotdogs, sauteed local cabbage (sauteed with onion, garlic, and salt and pepper), sauteed squash and zuchinni (with onion, and salt and pepper), and organic oranges and raspberries. They also had organic ketchup and mustard to dip.
Day 2
Breakfast: Organic frozen waffle with organic peanut butter and maple syrup and a peach and blackberry smoothie. For the smoothie I put frozen blackberries and peaches in a blender with full fat plain yogurt, chia seeds, milk, and local honey. Blend it up and there you go!
Lunch: Grilled cheese made with organic whole grain bread and grass fed organic sharp cheddar. Served with organic berries and local sugar snap peas.
Dinner: I got a HUGE bag of discount bell peppers at Natural Grocers for $2! I made stuffed peppers using this recipe here. I topped them with local cheese curds and they were delicious! I also made roasted local asparagus and they got homemade cinnamon applesauce (made from a bag of $2 discount organic apples).
Day 3
Breakfast: My girls call this "dunk eggs"! They each got an over medium local egg with organic whole grain bread with butter and organic strawberries.
Lunch: Once a week the girls get their favorite lunch, macaroni and cheese! This is the Back to Nature brand with organic frozen broccoli and organic grapes.
Dinner: Tonight was vegetarian night. We had something we call taco soup, although it is more like a chili. I take a can of black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans (drained) and mix them in a pot with a can of green chile's, a can of diced tomatoes, a bag of frozen corn, a package of taco seasoning (I use Simply Organic), a package of ranch seasoning (Simply Organic), and about a cup of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes. I served it with shredded organic grass fed monterey jack cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, and tortilla chips (Late July brand is the best!). We also had a salad with tomatoes and cucumbers and kiwi and raspberries. This is one of the girls' favorite meals. They love Mexican food and LOVE beans!
Day 4
Breakfast: My girls love parfaits and they always seem like such a fancy breakfast! Full fat, plain yogurt with local honey, granola, and fresh blueberries.
Lunch: Tuna mixed with Vegenaise (organic mayo is bleh) and S&P, smashed avocado, half a boiled local egg, an orange, and buttered organic whole grain toast for dipping.
Dinner: Tonight we had shredded chicken tacos. I put 6 frozen chicken thighs (bought on discount at Natural Grocers) in a crock pot. I added a thinly sliced onion, 3 cloves of minced garlic, a can of green chile's, a can of tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, cilantro, and s&p. I let it cook on low all day and then shredded the chicken, removing the bones. We served them in non-GMO taco shells with cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, and spring mix. We also had refried black beans, mixed vegetables, and fruit (cantaloupe, blueberries, and raspberries).
Day 5
Breakfast: Today the girls had organic toast with orange marmalade, strawberries and blueberries, and organic milk kefir smoothie. I bought these at Natural Grocers for $3.99 for a pack of 4.
Lunch: Today's lunch was grass fed organic cheddar, boiled local egg (I have an egg cooker and it is so easy to boil eggs as needed), cherry tomatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, and kiwi and grapes.
Dinner: I can't get this picture to turn the right way, ugh! Oh well, it was good none the less :) Tonight was another vegetarian night. I cooked rice in half coconut milk and half vegetable stock, roasted a butternut squash with tumeric, curry powder, s&p, and olive oil, and simmered a can of black beans. When everything was finished I mixed it all together. We also had green beans and apples.
Snacks/Drinks
The girls typically get two snacks a day. Usually it is between breakfast and lunch and then between lunch and dinner. Snacks consist of fruit, veggies with dip (Vegenaise, s&p, dill, and garlic make a great dip), oven popped popcorn, homemade applesauce, trail mix (Target's organic brand is yummy), fruit leather, and sometimes cheese and crackers. We usually just rummage around until we find something. I occasionally buy snack crackers and organic chips/puffs, but that's usually if they are on sale. For special treats or desserts we buy Yum Earth organic suckers, organic jelly beans, sun drops (Natural Grocers), and Annie's organic gummies.
With almost every meal my girls get water. If they ask for milk for breakfast, they will get a small glass of organic milk, but it's not too often that they ask. I buy organic juice boxes from Target and they get one to two a week for a special treat. My girls have never had an issue drinking water because that is all they've ever really had from a young age.
Day 4
Day 5
Snacks/Drinks
The girls typically get two snacks a day. Usually it is between breakfast and lunch and then between lunch and dinner. Snacks consist of fruit, veggies with dip (Vegenaise, s&p, dill, and garlic make a great dip), oven popped popcorn, homemade applesauce, trail mix (Target's organic brand is yummy), fruit leather, and sometimes cheese and crackers. We usually just rummage around until we find something. I occasionally buy snack crackers and organic chips/puffs, but that's usually if they are on sale. For special treats or desserts we buy Yum Earth organic suckers, organic jelly beans, sun drops (Natural Grocers), and Annie's organic gummies.
With almost every meal my girls get water. If they ask for milk for breakfast, they will get a small glass of organic milk, but it's not too often that they ask. I buy organic juice boxes from Target and they get one to two a week for a special treat. My girls have never had an issue drinking water because that is all they've ever really had from a young age.
Grocery List
*everything organic if you can
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