Help me make my grocery list! :)

Why the exclusion of organic foods?

Don't forget your local budget stores. Most larger cities have a dented food store that sells foods that didn't sell right away at the local grocery store and were sold to a budget store. It's an inexpensive alternative to buying retail prices which are soaring nationwide.

It helps me immensely to plan meals at the beginning of the week and shop accordingly. I usually try to plan several "budget-friendly" meals along with a couple splurges so we feel treated. Having a well-stocked spice rack helps a lot. Here are some ideas:

Sample meal week:
Monday: Lentil dal with chicken and garlic naan
Tuesday: Turkey/spinach meatloaf with sweet potato
Wednesday: homemade pizza
Thursday: Rice, meatballs, broccoli
Friday: Pasta puttanesca (spaghetti with tomato sauce cooked with anchovies, capers, and olives)
Saturday: Thai noodles and shrimp
Sunday: steak night! with roast new potatoes and string beans

Shopping list:
lentils ($2)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast ($5)
naan ($3)
canned diced tomato ($2)
spinach (2 bags/$5)
ground turkey ($4)
ground beef ($6)
sweet potatoes ($3)
marinara sauce (2 jars/$4)
yeast ($3)
good mozzarella cheese ($6)
good parmesan ($8)
bag frozen, raw, peeled shrimp (2 lb, $17)
anchovies ($3)
capers ($3)
olives ($4)
Thai egg noodles ($4)
bell peppers (2/$5)
8 oz bean sprouts ($4)
string beans ($2)
1 lb new potatoes ($3)
1 lb steak ($8, depending on cut)
bread (2/$5)
lunch meats (1 lb, $7)
milk ($4)
plain Greek yogurt ($8)
strawberries ($4)
bananas ($2)

Things you might have at home:
flour
garlic salt
red chili flakes
soy sauce
pasta
rice
olive oil

This shopping list comes to about $134, which is on the high end for a shopping trip, but the bread will last two weeks, you'd only use about 1/4 the bag of shrimp, you'd use about 1/8 the parmesan, and that kind of cheese keeps a long time in the fridge, and you might get away with only using 1/2 the beef as well, depending on how much meat you eat. I also rounded up here and there--you can find several items on that list for cheaper. When I need budget-friendly meals, I'll make a big pot of soup or chili, buy peanut butter and jelly instead of more expensive lunch meat, skip the steak, etc. I buy big packs of tilapia filets or shrimp because they keep for months in the freezer, adapt well to a lot of recipes, and are very cost-effective. We eat yogurt or cereal for breakfast and bring sandwiches or leftovers for lunch.

I buy alot of side dishes when they are $1. Meats I buy in bulk and cut them down and freeze them. Also buy stuff when its on sale even if you dont need it

I've found the best way to stay within my budget is to create a weekly / monthly meal plan. To keep things simple I've designated days where we eat certain things to ensure that my family has a variety (i.e. Monday - Vegetarian, Tuesday, - Fish, Wednesday - Chicken, Thursday - Leftover day, Friday - Open, ect.). I map out breakfast, lunch and dinner and incorporate (2) snacks a day. I know you don't like organic but I belong to an organic delivery service and revolve my menu around the fruits and veggies I receive in my weekly box, to eliminate waste. I've found this keeps me on budget and more importantly very little goes to waste. Also, it saves a trip to a store which means more time to spend doing other things. My service is very reasonable priced, otherwise I wouldn't do it...I'm a single mom...so eating the best food for as little as possible is always a priority.

Frozen veggies are an easy way to buy vegetables in larger quantities without worrying about them going bad - and they go on sale pretty often!

Oats are cheap and a great breakfast/anytime meal or snack.

Dried beans, lentils, chickpeas can create some really easy meals that are healthy and inexpensive. One of my favorite meals to make is dried chickpeas, a bag (or box) of frozen spinach, some chopped onions, salt/pepper/chili powder to taste, 3 cups water or chicken broth - cook in the crock pot until chickpeas are tender. Top with a bit of Parmesan cheese

Buy meat that is on sale and freeze in portions for your family.

Eggs are easy, cheap meal sources.

Shop vegetables on sale and plan your meals around that - the internet has a recipe for everything!

Also, shop at a dollar store (or Aldi's, etc) for discounts on things like cereals, cake mixes, canned vegetables, etc. Just make sure to check expiration dates.

Hi this is my first post
My favourite meal which can be made with any meat or fish is a tortilla wrap
1x wrap £0.10p
Ready wash and prepared salad bag £0.25p
Tomatoes 20p
Cucumber 20p
Onion. 20p
Yoghurt sauce. 20p
Frozen tuna steak. 75p
For the spicy option Chilli sauce, fry filling chilli

Can be made with left overs (mushrooms, meat or fish) eaten hot or cold
Low fat and wraps keep for a long time. My favourite is tuna steak chilli and lemon juice made in 10 mins
And feels like you are having a take out
Cost is about £3 for 2 and about 400 calories.

Add vegetables to every meal, they fill you up and are low in calories. I eat very basic, meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs and nuts. No empty carbs, wheat/grains products in my cart and no dairy. Dairy if fine for your baby but I assume you are full grown adults and can live without your milk and cereal (grain).

For many of my meat dishes I will look for example 6 chicken breasts at a time. I will take one large chicken breast and dice it up and serve it with guacamole on romaine lettuce with olives. That can serve two adults. I buy sweet potatoes and slice them in to fries, bake them and have them for a snack, much cheaper than French fries deep fried and healthy.

Ground beef or turnkey, cooked with crushed canned tomatoes, garlic, basic spices, and mushrooms stuffed into a red or yellow pepper gives you a filling meal with longs of healthy benefits.

I recently discovered spaghetti squash, which is just what it sounds like, a vegetable that when cooked, looks and tastes like spaghetti.

A natural diet will be cheaper and more filling then any processed foods you may be buying now. As you get used to cooking and eating this way you will get very creative with mixing and matching ingredients to come up with new dishes, will lose weight and feel great.

Check out Paleo diets of Whole30 on the web for ideas. You won't go hungry or broke.